France is set to hold what is seen as its most consequential election in decades. Voting will take place in two stages, on June 30 and July 7, to decide the composition of the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament. Watch in for more details!

France Snap Polls: What's at stake and what to expect?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed concern about the possible outcome of the snap parliamentary elections in France. 'I hope that parties that are not Le Pen, to put it that way, are successful in the election,' Olaf Scholz told a German broadcaster. Watch in for more details!

Germany's Scholz 'worried' over France elections, remarks against Le Pen

German Chancellor Scholz 'worried' about the outcome of France elections

Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally is seen leading the race ahead of France’s parliamentary elections, two polls showed on Thursday. Watch in for more details!

Polls: National Rally leads the France Snap elections race

Two young politicians are in a bitter fight over the future of France and Europe. Watch in for more details!

Two young men reshaping French politics

France holds a parliamentary election on June 30 and July 7. Opinion polls show the far right could win. WION tells you all you need to know about the French snap elections.

France to hold snap elections between June 30 & July 7

French football captain Kylian Mbappe urged people to vote in France's legislative elections saying, "we can see that the extremes are knocking on the door of power." Watch in for more details!

France: Kylian Mbappe says 'extremes are knocking on doors of power'

France is gearing up for snap parliamentary elections, a pivotal moment that could reshape the nation's political landscape. The elections are seen as a critical test for President Emmanuel Macron. Watch in for more details!

France: Preparation underway for surprise polls

Demonstrations took place in Paris and cities across France to protest against the far-right National Rally (RN) ahead of the French parliament elections. Watch in for more details!

France: Pre-election stir against far right

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France&nbsp;on Saturday (Jun 15) to protest against the far-right National Rally (RN) party ahead of the upcoming snap parliamentary elections. The protests were joined by labour unions as well as student groups and rights groups to oppose the anti-immigration, eurosceptic party.

<h2>Protests across France</h2>

Around 250,000 people took to the streets across France, according to the interior ministry, despite rainy and windy weather amid fears that the&nbsp;snap elections may lead to the first far-right government in the country since World War II.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Thousands march ahead of French elections

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/thousands-march-ahead-of-french-elections-labour-group-student-group-rights-groups-hold-rallies-732136/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In Paris, 75,000 protesters gathered at the Place de la Republique before marching through the eastern part of the city. According to French officials, up to 21,000 police and gendarmes were deployed.&nbsp;

The protesters held signs that read “Liberty for all, Equality for all and Fraternity with all” – a reference to France’s national motto.&nbsp;

<h2>Three officers injured, nine arrested</h2>

A report by Reuters citing an eyewitness video said that scuffles broke out during the protest in the French capital after some demonstrators carrying the red and black Antifa flag clashed with armoured riot police.&nbsp;

The police in Paris reported “numerous attempts at damage” by protesters, according to the Associated Press. They also reportedly arrested nine demonstrators and said three officers were injured.&nbsp;

An AP journalist said police used tear gas against demonstrators who tried to vandalise a bus stop and advertising boards.

<h2>What are the protests about?</h2>

In a surprise move last week, French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the lower house of France’s parliament and called a snap election after his centrist Renaissance party was defeated by the far-right in the European elections.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-su-24-bomber-briefly-violates-swedish-airspace-732057">Russian SU-24 bomber briefly violates Swedish airspace</a>

The elections will take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7. Macron will remain president until 2027, however, if RN wins, his presidency will be weakened.&nbsp;

The unions in France noted that far-right leaders across the world, including Europe, have passed laws detrimental to women, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of colour.&nbsp;

Recent opinion polls show RN would lead in the first round of the election with 33 per cent votes, followed by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/major-left-wing-parties-in-france-form-popular-front-to-challenge-macron-in-snap-polls-731777">Popular Front</a> (25 per cent) and Macron’s Renaissance party (20 per cent).&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Saturday (Jun 15) to protest against the far-right National Rally (RN) party ahead of the upcoming snap parliamentary elections.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across France on Saturday (Jun 15) to protest against the far-right National Rally (RN) party ahead of the upcoming snap parliamentary elections. The protests were joined by labour unions as well as student groups and rights groups to oppose the anti-immigration, eurosceptic party. Protests across France Around 250,000 people took to the streets across France, according to the interior ministry, despite rainy and windy weather amid fears that the snap elections may lead to the first far-right government in the country since World War II. WATCH | Thousands march ahead of French elections In Paris, 75,000 protesters gathered at the Place de la Republique before marching through the eastern part of the city. According to French officials, up to 21,000 police and gendarmes were deployed. The protesters held signs that read “Liberty for all, Equality for all and Fraternity with all” – a reference to France’s national motto. Three officers injured, nine arrested A report by Reuters citing an eyewitness video said that scuffles broke out during the protest in the French capital after some demonstrators carrying the red and black Antifa flag clashed with armoured riot police. The police in Paris reported “numerous attempts at damage” by protesters, according to the Associated Press. They also reportedly arrested nine demonstrators and said three officers were injured. An AP journalist said police used tear gas against demonstrators who tried to vandalise a bus stop and advertising boards. What are the protests about? In a surprise move last week, French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the lower house of France’s parliament and called a snap election after his centrist Renaissance party was defeated by the far-right in the European elections. Also Read | Russian SU-24 bomber briefly violates Swedish airspace The elections will take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7. Macron will remain president until 2027, however, if RN wins, his presidency will be weakened. The unions in France noted that far-right leaders across the world, including Europe, have passed laws detrimental to women, the LGBTQ+ community, and people of colour. Recent opinion polls show RN would lead in the first round of the election with 33 per cent votes, followed by Popular Front (25 per cent) and Macron’s Renaissance party (20 per cent). (With inputs from agencies)

France elections: Thousands march across country in protest against far-right ahead of snap polls

Thousands of French citizens flooded the streets to demonstrate against the far-right national rally ahead of French elections.

Thousands march ahead of French elections; Labour group, Student group & Rights groups hold rallies

The four major left-wing parties in France have decided to create the "Popular Front" (NPF) to run in the election and turn this into a "new chapter in the history of France.

The four major left-wing parties in France have decided to create the "Popular Front" (NPF) to run in the election and turn this into a "new chapter in the history of France." Together, they will campaign on a joint platform, fielding a single candidate in each constituency. Following several challenging days of negotiations, the Socialist Party (PS), Greens, Communists, and France Unbowed (LFI), led by the hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said that they had achieved an agreement and will unveil their manifestos later on Friday. After forming the alliance Mélenchon took to social media to write “warmest congratulations and thanks to our negotiators who had four sleepless nights deciding the programme and candidates". According to the coalition politicians, the agreed-upon objectives include reducing the retirement age, which President Emmanuel Macron raised in an unpopular move last year, indexing salaries to inflation, and imposing a wealth tax on the wealthy. According to polls, the NPF, a reprise of the Nupes left-green coalition created for France's 2022 parliamentary elections, is unlikely to defeat Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN), which has about 33% of the vote. Also read: Reform UK overtakes PM Sunak's Conservatives in opinion poll Macron announced snap polls in France last Sunday, following his list's defeat in the European elections to the RN, which managed to earn less than half of the far-right party's total. The elections will take place over two rounds on June 30 and July 7. After its president, Éric Ciotti announced a surprising alliance with RN, infighting has persisted inside the center-right Les Républicains, the party of former presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy. This led the other party leaders to vote Ciotti out on Wednesday. However, he claimed the next day that he was still party leader, dismissing the effort to remove him as unlawful "quibbles, little battles by mediocre people... who understand nothing". Ciotti declared that he was contesting the legitimacy of his opponents' vote in court and referred to it as a "takeover" effort. Later on Friday, a Paris tribunal would review the matter, legal sources told Agence France-Presse. (With inputs from agencies)

Major left-wing parties in France form 'Popular Front' to challenge Macron in snap polls

French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has said that the French government has relied too much on external consultants such as U.S. firm McKinsey.

France went 'too far' in relying on consultants like McKinsey, says France's Le Maire

French President Emmanuel Macron could face possible legal problems. After the country's financial prosecutor opened an investigation into suspected illegal financing of electoral campaigns in 2017 and 2022. Watch full video to know more.

French President Emmanuel Macron's election campaign under scanner

On Sunday France will vote for the leader that'll take its helm for the next five years. As we all know, the top two candidates are still the far-right Marine Le Pen and the centrist incumbent President Emmanuel Macron.

If opinion polls are to be believed Macron continues to hold a solid 10 point lead over his top contender, a lead that is far lacking as compared to the 2017 elections that saw the same two candidates competing, with the incumbent carrying the day with 66 per cent to 34 per cent.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-presidential-elections-2022-runoff-voting-how-does-the-polling-system-work-472305" hreflang="en">French presidential elections 2022 |&nbsp;Runoff voting: How does the polling system work?</a>

Voting has already started, for three million voters in French overseas territories and for the citizens in mainland France it will begin at 0600 GMT, closing 12 hours later.

It is a highly anticipated election, that will go on to showcase if Marine Le Pen has been successful in softening her image. As per an AFP report, while Macron still remains a favourite, if Le Pen were to secure a win, shockwaves will be felt across Europe. Left-leaning EU leaders like the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have already pleaded with French citizens to choose Macron over Le Pen.

Watch |&nbsp;French Presidential election 2022: Who will be the next French President?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/french-presidential-election-2022-who-will-be-the-next-french-president-473289/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Right up till the end the contenders continued to take jibes at each other, with Macron reminding people of his competition's racism, a charge she denies and Le Pen taking aim at her rival's plan to push back the retirement age to 65 from 62.

Even as the far-right candidate denies allegations of racism, people remain worried.&nbsp;

Speaking to Reuters, Ghislaine Madalie, a hairdresser in Auxerre, in central France, said she would vote for Emmanuel Macron. She spoke of her many clients' plans to vote for Le Pen because of their dislike of Macron, something she says is nothing short of disastrous.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-presidential-election-macrons-lead-over-le-pen-widens-in-polls-472246" hreflang="en">French presidential election: Macron's lead over Le Pen widens in polls</a>

"I find that disastrous because she is racist," Madalie, 36, whose family has roots in Morocco said of Le Pen. "I am anxious, for me and for my children."

The stakes are massive: if Le Pen is elected, she will be the first far-right leader in contemporary French history, as well as the first female president. Macron could become the first French president in two decades to be re-elected.

(With inputs from agencies)

On Sunday France will vote for the leader that'll take its helm for the next five years. As we all know, the top two candidates are still the far-right Marine Le Pen and the centrist incumbent President Emmanuel Macron.

On Sunday France will vote for the leader that'll take its helm for the next five years. As we all know, the top two candidates are still the far-right Marine Le Pen and the centrist incumbent President Emmanuel Macron. If opinion polls are to be believed Macron continues to hold a solid 10 point lead over his top contender, a lead that is far lacking as compared to the 2017 elections that saw the same two candidates competing, with the incumbent carrying the day with 66 per cent to 34 per cent. Also read | French presidential elections 2022 | Runoff voting: How does the polling system work? Voting has already started, for three million voters in French overseas territories and for the citizens in mainland France it will begin at 0600 GMT, closing 12 hours later. It is a highly anticipated election, that will go on to showcase if Marine Le Pen has been successful in softening her image. As per an AFP report, while Macron still remains a favourite, if Le Pen were to secure a win, shockwaves will be felt across Europe. Left-leaning EU leaders like the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have already pleaded with French citizens to choose Macron over Le Pen. Watch | French Presidential election 2022: Who will be the next French President? Right up till the end the contenders continued to take jibes at each other, with Macron reminding people of his competition's racism, a charge she denies and Le Pen taking aim at her rival's plan to push back the retirement age to 65 from 62. Even as the far-right candidate denies allegations of racism, people remain worried. Speaking to Reuters, Ghislaine Madalie, a hairdresser in Auxerre, in central France, said she would vote for Emmanuel Macron. She spoke of her many clients' plans to vote for Le Pen because of their dislike of Macron, something she says is nothing short of disastrous. Also read | French presidential election: Macron's lead over Le Pen widens in polls "I find that disastrous because she is racist," Madalie, 36, whose family has roots in Morocco said of Le Pen. "I am anxious, for me and for my children." The stakes are massive: if Le Pen is elected, she will be the first far-right leader in contemporary French history, as well as the first female president. Macron could become the first French president in two decades to be re-elected. (With inputs from agencies)

Le Pen vs Macron: France is gearing up for the last fight, with voting taking place today

French presidential run-off election: What you should know

The French will decide on April 24 whether to re-elect pro-business centrist President Emmanuel Macron or blow up decades of mainstream consensus in favour of far-right Marine Le Pen.

Here's what to expect from them on major issues:

The Economy

Le Pen: The far-right heiress has transformed the former National Front, turning her father's free-market, small-government party into a big-spending, protectionist one.

She wants to implement a "Buy French" policy for public tenders, cut the minimum retirement age to 60 for those who started work before 20, scrap income tax for those aged under 30 and cut VAT on energy to 5.5 per cent from 20 per cent.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-elections-macron-faces-le-pen-in-presidential-runoff-470082" hreflang="en">French elections: Macron faces Le Pen in presidential runoff</a>

She would also spend 2 billion euros ($2.18 billion) over 5 years raising hospital workers' salaries and recruiting an extra 10,000 of them. Teachers' salaries would rise 15 per cent over 5 years.

Gilles Ivaldi, a political scientist at Sciences-Po, says her party's economic programme is further to the left than it has been for decades.

Macron:&nbsp;The French leader plans to double down on supply-side reforms he has implemented during his first mandate, with the main plank of his manifesto being an increase in the minimum pension age to 65 from 62.

Macron is also promising to make some welfare benefits conditional on 15-20 hours of training, similar to policies in countries such as the United States or Britain.

Unemployment insurance, which currently guarantees workers up to two-thirds of their salary for two years if they lose their job, would be linked to the strength of the economy.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-presidential-election-voting-starts-in-first-round-as-macron-seeks-new-term-469890" hreflang="en">French presidential election: Voting starts in first round as Macron seeks new term</a>

In his attempt to stay true to his "neither left nor right" motto, he has also promised to make benefits automatic for those who qualify instead of requiring would-be recipients to apply.

Europe

Le&nbsp;Pen: Although she has abandoned earlier plans to leave the euro and pay France's debt in newly created francs, Le Pen has nonetheless pledged to cut contributions to European Union coffers. Such a move would put Paris on a collision course with the European Commission and other EU members.

She insists French law should prevail over EU rules, in a challenge to the bloc's top court, and says she wants eventually to replace the EU with a "Europe of nations", though she has yet to spell out what that would look like.

Le Pen would also employ thousands more customs agents to check goods entering France, including from other EU countries, purportedly to fight fraud. Analysts say that would undermine the single market.

Watch |&nbsp;Macron finishes ahead of Marine Le Pen in first round of French presidential elections

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/macron-finishes-ahead-of-marine-le-pen-in-first-round-of-french-presidential-elections-470089/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Macron:&nbsp;The ardent Europhile would continue his push to develop what he calls Europe's "strategic autonomy" in defence, technology, agriculture and energy and reduce the bloc's dependence on other powers.

Over the past five years, Macron has sought to re-orient the EU towards a more protectionist stance, blocking some free-trade deals with other blocs such as Mercosur and creating a mechanism that increases scrutiny of outside takeovers of strategic EU companies.

Macron is also likely to push for more regulation of US&nbsp;tech giants and has said he wanted to create a "European metaverse" to compete with Facebook's.

The western alliance

Le Pen: Le Pen wants to pull France out of the transatlantic military alliance NATO's integrated command, in a challenge to the West's post-Cold War security architecture.

Opponents accuse her of being too close to Moscow. Her party received a bank loan from a Russian bank in 2014 and she was hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin shortly before the 2017 presidential election.

She has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but says Moscow could be an ally again post-war.

In an interview with Reuters, she called herself a "Gaullist", after wartime leader Charles de Gaulle, and said she would pursue a foreign policy at an equal distance from Washington and Moscow.

Asked if she had a message to France's traditional allies, Britain and the United States, she said: "Drop the preconceived ideas you have about me."

Macron: Although Macron ruffled feathers across the trans-Atlantic alliance, notably in eastern Europe and Germany, when he called NATO "brain-dead" in 2019, he has since said the Russian invasion of Ukraine had "jolted it back to life".

He would nonetheless seek to make Europeans less dependent on the US&nbsp;military for security.

Macron has pushed the EU to focus more on the Indo-Pacific and China's rising influence in the region. However, he clashed with Washington, London and Canberra after Australia ditched a massive submarine deal with France.

He has been guarded over whether he would seek to cooperate with the new US-UK-Australia security alliance - dubbed AUKUS - against China or try and persuade the EU to pursue its own independent policy towards Beijing.

The French will decide on April 24 whether to re-elect pro-business centrist President Emmanuel Macron or blow up decades of mainstream consensus in favour of far-right Marine Le Pen.

The French will decide on April 24 whether to re-elect pro-business centrist President Emmanuel Macron or blow up decades of mainstream consensus in favour of far-right Marine Le Pen. Here's what to expect from them on major issues: The Economy Le Pen: The far-right heiress has transformed the former National Front, turning her father's free-market, small-government party into a big-spending, protectionist one. She wants to implement a "Buy French" policy for public tenders, cut the minimum retirement age to 60 for those who started work before 20, scrap income tax for those aged under 30 and cut VAT on energy to 5.5 per cent from 20 per cent. Also read | French elections: Macron faces Le Pen in presidential runoff She would also spend 2 billion euros ($2.18 billion) over 5 years raising hospital workers' salaries and recruiting an extra 10,000 of them. Teachers' salaries would rise 15 per cent over 5 years. Gilles Ivaldi, a political scientist at Sciences-Po, says her party's economic programme is further to the left than it has been for decades. Macron: The French leader plans to double down on supply-side reforms he has implemented during his first mandate, with the main plank of his manifesto being an increase in the minimum pension age to 65 from 62. Macron is also promising to make some welfare benefits conditional on 15-20 hours of training, similar to policies in countries such as the United States or Britain. Unemployment insurance, which currently guarantees workers up to two-thirds of their salary for two years if they lose their job, would be linked to the strength of the economy. Also read | French presidential election: Voting starts in first round as Macron seeks new term In his attempt to stay true to his "neither left nor right" motto, he has also promised to make benefits automatic for those who qualify instead of requiring would-be recipients to apply. Europe Le Pen: Although she has abandoned earlier plans to leave the euro and pay France's debt in newly created francs, Le Pen has nonetheless pledged to cut contributions to European Union coffers. Such a move would put Paris on a collision course with the European Commission and other EU members. She insists French law should prevail over EU rules, in a challenge to the bloc's top court, and says she wants eventually to replace the EU with a "Europe of nations", though she has yet to spell out what that would look like. Le Pen would also employ thousands more customs agents to check goods entering France, including from other EU countries, purportedly to fight fraud. Analysts say that would undermine the single market. Watch | Macron finishes ahead of Marine Le Pen in first round of French presidential elections Macron: The ardent Europhile would continue his push to develop what he calls Europe's "strategic autonomy" in defence, technology, agriculture and energy and reduce the bloc's dependence on other powers. Over the past five years, Macron has sought to re-orient the EU towards a more protectionist stance, blocking some free-trade deals with other blocs such as Mercosur and creating a mechanism that increases scrutiny of outside takeovers of strategic EU companies. Macron is also likely to push for more regulation of US tech giants and has said he wanted to create a "European metaverse" to compete with Facebook's. The western alliance Le Pen: Le Pen wants to pull France out of the transatlantic military alliance NATO's integrated command, in a challenge to the West's post-Cold War security architecture. Opponents accuse her of being too close to Moscow. Her party received a bank loan from a Russian bank in 2014 and she was hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin shortly before the 2017 presidential election. She has condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine but says Moscow could be an ally again post-war. In an interview with Reuters, she called herself a "Gaullist", after wartime leader Charles de Gaulle, and said she would pursue a foreign policy at an equal distance from Washington and Moscow. Asked if she had a message to France's traditional allies, Britain and the United States, she said: "Drop the preconceived ideas you have about me." Macron: Although Macron ruffled feathers across the trans-Atlantic alliance, notably in eastern Europe and Germany, when he called NATO "brain-dead" in 2019, he has since said the Russian invasion of Ukraine had "jolted it back to life". He would nonetheless seek to make Europeans less dependent on the US military for security. Macron has pushed the EU to focus more on the Indo-Pacific and China's rising influence in the region. However, he clashed with Washington, London and Canberra after Australia ditched a massive submarine deal with France. He has been guarded over whether he would seek to cooperate with the new US-UK-Australia security alliance - dubbed AUKUS - against China or try and persuade the EU to pursue its own independent policy towards Beijing.

Explainer | Macron or Le Pen: Why it matters for France, the EU and the West

French prosecutors said on Wednesday they have opened a probe into suspected tax fraud by management consultancies whose record contracts with the government has caused problems for President Emmanuel Macron on the campaign trial.

France's financial crimes prosecutors (PNF) said in a statement they had on March 31 opened a preliminary inquiry into laundering of tax fraud proceeds after the report by the upper house Senate.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/macron-and-le-pen-battle-over-pensions-as-french-election-race-tightens-468274">Macron and Le Pen battle over pensions as French election race tightens</a>

The Senate investigation concluded this month that public spending on consultants had more than doubled from 2018-2021, reaching more than a billion euros ($1.1 billion) last year, a record.

The investigation, which condemned the "sprawling phenomenon", also slammed US-based giant&nbsp;McKinsey&nbsp;for failing to pay corporation tax for the last 10 years despite declaring sales of 329 million euros in France -- which&nbsp;McKinsey&nbsp;denies.

The PNF statement gave no further details and did not name any entity.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: France Election: Anti-semitism takes centrestage

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-france-election-anti-semitism-takes-centrestage-468946/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The controversy has proved highly unwelcome for Macron, a former investment banker, derided as a president of the rich by left-wingers throughout his time in office.

It has also erupted at a time he is seeking to find momentum for his campaign ahead of the first round of elections Sunday in the face of a challenge from resurgent far-right leader Marine Le Pen.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/emmanuel-macron-holds-first-rally-as-france-election-race-tightens-467714">Emmanuel Macron holds first rally as France election race tightens</a>

Macron has defended the use of consultants, emphasising that this is standard practice for governments across the world.

He has denied that anything "murky" has been at work and argued that public procurement policies had been strictly followed and additional help had been required during the Covid-19 pandemic when ministries and civil servants were stretched thin.

French prosecutors said on Wednesday they have opened a probe into suspected tax fraud by management consultancies whose record contracts with the government has caused problems for President Emmanuel Macron on the campaign trial.

French prosecutors said on Wednesday they have opened a probe into suspected tax fraud by management consultancies whose record contracts with the government has caused problems for President Emmanuel Macron on the campaign trial. France's financial crimes prosecutors (PNF) said in a statement they had on March 31 opened a preliminary inquiry into laundering of tax fraud proceeds after the report by the upper house Senate. Also read | Macron and Le Pen battle over pensions as French election race tightens The Senate investigation concluded this month that public spending on consultants had more than doubled from 2018-2021, reaching more than a billion euros ($1.1 billion) last year, a record. The investigation, which condemned the "sprawling phenomenon", also slammed US-based giant McKinsey for failing to pay corporation tax for the last 10 years despite declaring sales of 329 million euros in France -- which McKinsey denies. The PNF statement gave no further details and did not name any entity. Watch | Gravitas: France Election: Anti-semitism takes centrestage The controversy has proved highly unwelcome for Macron, a former investment banker, derided as a president of the rich by left-wingers throughout his time in office. It has also erupted at a time he is seeking to find momentum for his campaign ahead of the first round of elections Sunday in the face of a challenge from resurgent far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Also read | Emmanuel Macron holds first rally as France election race tightens Macron has defended the use of consultants, emphasising that this is standard practice for governments across the world. He has denied that anything "murky" has been at work and argued that public procurement policies had been strictly followed and additional help had been required during the Covid-19 pandemic when ministries and civil servants were stretched thin.

France opens tax fraud probe over consultancies in government

It's election season in France. The Presidential Polls begin in 12 days. Who are the candidates? What are their leanings? Which issues are they fighting over? What do opinion polls say? Palki Sharma tells you all you need to know.

Gravitas: France Elections: All you need to know

In an election marked by the coronavirus, many people stayed away from polling stations, leading to an historic level of abstention.

Macron's party faces major loss in France local elections

France will be called on to vote on June 28 in a postponed second round of local elections, unless a new coronavirus flare-up makes it too risky, the government said Friday.

The poll, originally set for March 22, was called off amid the lockdown due to the pandemic.

"After weighing the pros and cons, we believe that our democratic life must resume," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said at a press conference with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-president-emmanuel-macron-loses-parliamentary-majority-after-defections-299830">French President Emmanuel Macron loses parliamentary majority after defections</a>

Masks will be obligatory, and voters will again be urged to come with their own pens for signing registries in a bid to minimise contagion risk.

Philippe said the government's scientific advisory panel had estimated that sufficient safeguards can be taken to mitigate contagion risks for the 16 million people in nearly 5,000 cities and towns eligible to vote after a clear winner did not emerge in the first round on March 15.

He acknowledged that political parties were divided on when to hold the new vote, with some urging a delay until September or later because of the likelihood of low turnout.

Others argued that candidates could not effectively campaign behind face masks and without public meetings, handicaps that would give incumbents an edge.

But if the vote was pushed back beyond the summer break, Philippe said the government would have to hold a re-run of the first round.

"It's a complex question, and the answer will cause disagreements," Philippe said.

"Unfortunately, I've become used to having to choose between options that are all open to criticism".

The government drew heavy criticism after going ahead with the first round of voting just one day after ordering all bars, restaurants, cinemas and other non-essential businesses to close in the coronavirus fight.

The lockdown prompted many voters to stay home, with the abstention rate hitting a French record of 55 percent.

On March 16, the day after the first-round vote, President Emmanuel Macron called off the second round, originally set for March 22.

France will be called on to vote on June 28 in a postponed second round of local elections, unless a new coronavirus flare-up makes it too risky, the government said Friday.

France will be called on to vote on June 28 in a postponed second round of local elections, unless a new coronavirus flare-up makes it too risky, the government said Friday. The poll, originally set for March 22, was called off amid the lockdown due to the pandemic. "After weighing the pros and cons, we believe that our democratic life must resume," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said at a press conference with Interior Minister Christophe Castaner. Also read: French President Emmanuel Macron loses parliamentary majority after defections Masks will be obligatory, and voters will again be urged to come with their own pens for signing registries in a bid to minimise contagion risk. Philippe said the government's scientific advisory panel had estimated that sufficient safeguards can be taken to mitigate contagion risks for the 16 million people in nearly 5,000 cities and towns eligible to vote after a clear winner did not emerge in the first round on March 15. He acknowledged that political parties were divided on when to hold the new vote, with some urging a delay until September or later because of the likelihood of low turnout. Others argued that candidates could not effectively campaign behind face masks and without public meetings, handicaps that would give incumbents an edge. But if the vote was pushed back beyond the summer break, Philippe said the government would have to hold a re-run of the first round. "It's a complex question, and the answer will cause disagreements," Philippe said. "Unfortunately, I've become used to having to choose between options that are all open to criticism". The government drew heavy criticism after going ahead with the first round of voting just one day after ordering all bars, restaurants, cinemas and other non-essential businesses to close in the coronavirus fight. The lockdown prompted many voters to stay home, with the abstention rate hitting a French record of 55 percent. On March 16, the day after the first-round vote, President Emmanuel Macron called off the second round, originally set for March 22.

France announces date of second round of virus-delayed elections

In France, 79 people have lost their lives, more than 500 people are already infected with 'pandemic' Coronavirus. Despite this, French President Emmanuel Macron gives green signal to local polls going to held Sunday.

France to hold local polls in Lamorlaye amid massive outbreak of Coronavirus

In France, 79 people have lost their lives, more than 500 people are already infected of 'pandemic' Coronavirus. Despite this, French President Emmanuel Macron gives green signal to local polls going to held Sunday.

France decides go-ahead for local elections amid Coronavirus outbreak

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday reappointed Edouard Philippe as prime minister after the weekend&#39;s legislative run-off vote and asked him to form the next government, sources at Macron&#39;s office said.

Sunday&#39;s vote saw Macron&#39;s centrist group, the Republic on the Move (REM), secure a massive victory in the National Assembly, giving him a mandate to pursue a pro-EU, business-friendly agenda.

Philippe has been asked to unveil the new government by Wednesday 1600 GMT, the sources said.

Macron, 39, became France&#39;s youngest president in May after a tumultuous campaign in which the mainstream left and conservative parties lost ground and the far-right National Front failed to make a much-touted breakthrough.

Macron&#39;s election was followed, as scheduled, by legislative elections.

REM and its centrist ally MoDem won 350 seats in the 577-seat assembly. The conservative opposition, the Republicans, won a total of 130 seats with their allies.&nbsp;

The Socialist Party party of Macron&#39;s predecessor, Francois Hollande, lost more than 250 seats, obtaining just 30.

Sunday's vote saw Macron's centrist group, the Republic on the Move (REM), secure a massive victory in the National Assembly, giving him a mandate to pursue a pro-EU, business-friendly agenda

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday reappointed Edouard Philippe as prime minister after the weekend's legislative run-off vote and asked him to form the next government, sources at Macron's office said. Sunday's vote saw Macron's centrist group, the Republic on the Move (REM), secure a massive victory in the National Assembly, giving him a mandate to pursue a pro-EU, business-friendly agenda. Philippe has been asked to unveil the new government by Wednesday 1600 GMT, the sources said. Macron, 39, became France's youngest president in May after a tumultuous campaign in which the mainstream left and conservative parties lost ground and the far-right National Front failed to make a much-touted breakthrough. Macron's election was followed, as scheduled, by legislative elections. REM and its centrist ally MoDem won 350 seats in the 577-seat assembly. The conservative opposition, the Republicans, won a total of 130 seats with their allies. The Socialist Party party of Macron's predecessor, Francois Hollande, lost more than 250 seats, obtaining just 30.

France's Macron reappoints Edouard Philippe as PM after Sunday's vote

Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron promised Sunday to heal France&#39;s divisions after crushing far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a pivotal presidential election that has given him a large but fragile mandate for change.

At 39, the pro-EU former investment banker will become France&#39;s youngest-ever leader but faces a huge challenge to enact his programme while trying to unite a fractured and demoralised country.

&quot;I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us,&quot; Macron said in a solemn address at his campaign headquarters.

As the extent of his resounding victory sank in, Macron told a sea of jubilant supporters waving French flags outside the Louvre Museum in Paris: &quot;Tonight, France won.&quot;

Almost definitive results showed Macron winning 65.82 percent of the vote in the first ever election he has contested, far ahead of the nationalist Le Pen at 34.18 percent.

But in a sign of widespread voter disillusionment, one in three voters abstained or cast a blank ballot.

Western leaders largely hailed the result after the shock of Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU and the election of Donald Trump in the United States.

Plea for unity&nbsp;

Macron reached out to Le Pen&#39;s supporters in a plea for unity after a vicious election campaign that exposed deep economic and social divisions, as well as tensions provoked by identity and immigration.

&quot;They voted out of anger, distress and sometimes conviction. I respect them,&quot; he said. &quot;I will do everything I can over the&nbsp;next five years to ensure that people no longer have any reason to vote for extremes.&quot;

Macron walked on to the stage to the strains of &quot;Ode to Joy&quot;, the anthem of the beleaguered European Union that he has promised to help overcome the wounds of Britain&#39;s impending exit.

His 64-year-old wife Brigitte, who he wooed when she taught him drama at school, joined him on stage with her children and grandchildren.&nbsp;

&quot;He&#39;s a symbol of hope,&quot; said Jean-Luc Songtia, a 36-year-old driver. &quot;It&#39;s like Obama eight years ago. It&#39;s youth, it&#39;s hope.&quot;

Unknown three years ago, Macron is poised to become one of Europe&#39;s most powerful leaders, bringing with him a hugely ambitious agenda of political and economic reform for France and the EU.

The result will resonate worldwide and particularly in Brussels and Berlin where leaders will breathe a sigh of relief at the defeat of Le Pen&#39;s anti-EU, anti-globalisation programme.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman said it was a &quot;victory for a strong and united Europe&quot; and the two had a &quot;very warm&quot; telephone call after his victory was announced, Macron&#39;s team said.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said French voters had chosen a &quot;European future.&quot;

British Prime Minister Theresa May discussed Brexit with Macron in a call to congratulate him late Sunday, saying &quot;the UK wants a strong partnership with a secure and prosperous EU once we leave&quot;, her Downing Street office said.

Trump, whose beliefs are seen as radically different to Macron&#39;s, tweeted congratulations on a &quot;big win&quot; and said he looked forward to working with him.

The euro rallied to a six-month high against the dollar in Asian trade and other financial markets are expected to react positively.

&quot;It is a big victory for a part of the population -- and there are many of them -- who identify closely with Europe and a certain vision of globalisation,&quot; veteran political analyst Philippe Braud told AFP.

The French election had been widely watched as a test of how high a tide of right-wing nationalism would rise after Brexit and Trump.

Le Pen, 48, had portrayed the election as a contest between Macron and &quot;globalists&quot; -- those in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereignty -- and her &quot;patriotic&quot; vision of strong borders and national identities.

In a short speech to supporters, Le Pen claimed a &quot;historic, massive result&quot; and said she had called Macron to wish him &quot;success&quot; in tackling the country&#39;s challenges.

She said her National Front (FN) needed to undergo a &quot;profound transformation&quot; ahead of parliamentary elections in June. One of her aides said the party will change its name.

Major obstacles ahead&nbsp;

Macron must tackle formidable challenges as he attempts to enact his domestic agenda of cutting state spending, easing labour laws, boosting education in deprived areas and extending new protections to the self-employed.

The philosophy and literature lover is inexperienced, has no political party and must fashion a working parliamentary majority after legislative elections next month.

His En Marche movement -- &quot;neither of the left, nor right&quot; -- has vowed to field candidates in all 577 constituencies, with half of them women and half of them newcomers to politics.

&quot;In order for us to act, we will need a majority in the National Assembly,&quot; En Marche secretary general Richard Ferrand told TF1 television, adding that only &quot;half of the journey&quot; had been completed.

Many analysts are sceptical about Macron&#39;s ability to win a majority with En Marche candidates alone, meaning he might have to form a coalition of lawmakers committed to his agenda.

Furthermore, his economic agenda, particularly plans to weaken labour regulations to fight stubbornly high unemployment, are likely to face fierce resistance from leftist opponents.

He also inherits a country still in a state of emergency following a string of Islamist-inspired attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 230 people.

His first ceremonial duty comes on Monday when he appears alongside outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande in Paris to commemorate the Nazi capitulation on May 8, 1945.

Rollercoaster&nbsp;

Macron won after one of the most unpredictable elections in modern history marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on his campaign.

Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from his campaign were dumped online on Friday, leading the candidate to call it an attempt at &quot;democratic destabilisation.&quot;

The election saw voters eject establishment figures, including one-time conservative favourite Francois Fillon.

Unpopular Hollande was the first to bow to the rebellious mood in December as he became the first sitting president not to seek re-election in the French fifth republic, founded in 1958.

(AFP)

Initial estimates showed Macron winning between 65.5 per cent and 66.1 per cent of ballots ahead of Le Pen on between 33.9 per cent and 34.5 per cent.

Pro-European centrist Emmanuel Macron promised Sunday to heal France's divisions after crushing far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a pivotal presidential election that has given him a large but fragile mandate for change. At 39, the pro-EU former investment banker will become France's youngest-ever leader but faces a huge challenge to enact his programme while trying to unite a fractured and demoralised country. "I will fight with all my strength against the divisions that are undermining us," Macron said in a solemn address at his campaign headquarters. As the extent of his resounding victory sank in, Macron told a sea of jubilant supporters waving French flags outside the Louvre Museum in Paris: "Tonight, France won." Almost definitive results showed Macron winning 65.82 percent of the vote in the first ever election he has contested, far ahead of the nationalist Le Pen at 34.18 percent. But in a sign of widespread voter disillusionment, one in three voters abstained or cast a blank ballot. Western leaders largely hailed the result after the shock of Britain's vote to leave the EU and the election of Donald Trump in the United States. Plea for unity Macron reached out to Le Pen's supporters in a plea for unity after a vicious election campaign that exposed deep economic and social divisions, as well as tensions provoked by identity and immigration. "They voted out of anger, distress and sometimes conviction. I respect them," he said. "I will do everything I can over the next five years to ensure that people no longer have any reason to vote for extremes." Macron walked on to the stage to the strains of "Ode to Joy", the anthem of the beleaguered European Union that he has promised to help overcome the wounds of Britain's impending exit. His 64-year-old wife Brigitte, who he wooed when she taught him drama at school, joined him on stage with her children and grandchildren. "He's a symbol of hope," said Jean-Luc Songtia, a 36-year-old driver. "It's like Obama eight years ago. It's youth, it's hope." Unknown three years ago, Macron is poised to become one of Europe's most powerful leaders, bringing with him a hugely ambitious agenda of political and economic reform for France and the EU. The result will resonate worldwide and particularly in Brussels and Berlin where leaders will breathe a sigh of relief at the defeat of Le Pen's anti-EU, anti-globalisation programme. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said it was a "victory for a strong and united Europe" and the two had a "very warm" telephone call after his victory was announced, Macron's team said. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said French voters had chosen a "European future." British Prime Minister Theresa May discussed Brexit with Macron in a call to congratulate him late Sunday, saying "the UK wants a strong partnership with a secure and prosperous EU once we leave", her Downing Street office said. Trump, whose beliefs are seen as radically different to Macron's, tweeted congratulations on a "big win" and said he looked forward to working with him. The euro rallied to a six-month high against the dollar in Asian trade and other financial markets are expected to react positively. "It is a big victory for a part of the population -- and there are many of them -- who identify closely with Europe and a certain vision of globalisation," veteran political analyst Philippe Braud told AFP. The French election had been widely watched as a test of how high a tide of right-wing nationalism would rise after Brexit and Trump. Le Pen, 48, had portrayed the election as a contest between Macron and "globalists" -- those in favour of open trade, immigration and shared sovereignty -- and her "patriotic" vision of strong borders and national identities. In a short speech to supporters, Le Pen claimed a "historic, massive result" and said she had called Macron to wish him "success" in tackling the country's challenges. She said her National Front (FN) needed to undergo a "profound transformation" ahead of parliamentary elections in June. One of her aides said the party will change its name. Major obstacles ahead Macron must tackle formidable challenges as he attempts to enact his domestic agenda of cutting state spending, easing labour laws, boosting education in deprived areas and extending new protections to the self-employed. The philosophy and literature lover is inexperienced, has no political party and must fashion a working parliamentary majority after legislative elections next month. His En Marche movement -- "neither of the left, nor right" -- has vowed to field candidates in all 577 constituencies, with half of them women and half of them newcomers to politics. "In order for us to act, we will need a majority in the National Assembly," En Marche secretary general Richard Ferrand told TF1 television, adding that only "half of the journey" had been completed. Many analysts are sceptical about Macron's ability to win a majority with En Marche candidates alone, meaning he might have to form a coalition of lawmakers committed to his agenda. Furthermore, his economic agenda, particularly plans to weaken labour regulations to fight stubbornly high unemployment, are likely to face fierce resistance from leftist opponents. He also inherits a country still in a state of emergency following a string of Islamist-inspired attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 230 people. His first ceremonial duty comes on Monday when he appears alongside outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande in Paris to commemorate the Nazi capitulation on May 8, 1945. Rollercoaster Macron won after one of the most unpredictable elections in modern history marked by scandal, repeated surprises and a last-minute hacking attack on his campaign. Hundreds of thousands of emails and documents stolen from his campaign were dumped online on Friday, leading the candidate to call it an attempt at "democratic destabilisation." The election saw voters eject establishment figures, including one-time conservative favourite Francois Fillon. Unpopular Hollande was the first to bow to the rebellious mood in December as he became the first sitting president not to seek re-election in the French fifth republic, founded in 1958. (AFP)

France elects Emmanuel Macron as President

The two candidates vying to win France&#39;s presidency in the decisive run-off vote on Sunday could scarcely have more different visions of the nation and its place in the world.

Centrist frontrunner Emmanuel Macron is a 39-year-old former investment banker who embraces globalisation and the European Union.

His far-right rival Marine Le Pen, the scion of the family who founded the anti-immigration National Front (FN) party, champions France-first nationalism and proposes withdrawing from the eurozone.

&quot;I am the candidate of the people of France such as we love it, of the nation that protects jobs, security, our borders,&quot; 48-year-old Le Pen said in a brutal face-to-face TV debate that encapsulated the candidates&#39; differences.&nbsp;

Macron had a starkly different message: &quot;France is not a closed country. I am for a strong France, in an EU that offers it protection,&quot; he said.

His rise has been meteoric. He had never before stood for election but is now on the cusp of becoming France&#39;s youngest-ever president.

Despite his lack of political experience, polls currently suggest he should beat Le Pen by around 20 percentage points.

Sensed a gap

President Francois Hollande launched Macron&#39;s political career, picking the Rothschild banker as an economic advisor and then parachuting him into his Socialist government as economy minister.

Sensing a worldwide shift away from established parties, Macron quit the cabinet last August to concentrate on building his own centrist political movement &quot;En Marche&quot; (On the Move).

He has since attracted over 250,000 members and confounded early critics who said his appeal did not stretch beyond young, urban professionals.

Macron has also flouted convention in his personal life.

From a middle-class family in Amiens, northeast France, he fell for his drama teacher, Brigitte Trogneux, while he was at secondary school.

A 64-year-old mother-of-three, a quarter of a century older than Macron, she left her husband and married him in 2007.

The unshakeable confidence with which Macron pursued his future wife has been evident throughout his career.

But it nearly tripped him up after he finished first in the first round of the election when he gave what many saw as an overly triumphant speech and then threw a party at a Paris bistro.

Opponents and allies alike were quick to remind him that victory over Le Pen was not assured, and he threw himself into campaigning.

A potentially crucial moment came on April 26, when he was at risk of being upstaged by Le Pen at an under-threat Whirlpool dryer factory in Amiens.&nbsp;

After she made a lightning visit, he was forced to go too, plunging into a scrum of workers who initially booed him before he engaged with them for more than an hour.

In an 11th-hour twist to a campaign marked by drama, Macron&#39;s team said it was hit by a &quot;massive&quot; hacking attack after a flood of thousands of internal documents were released online late Friday.

In her blood

Unlike Macron, Le Pen had a front-row seat on the world of hard-edged politics from an early age.

Her pugnacious father Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the run-off of the 2002 presidential election but was soundly beaten by the centre-right Jacques Chirac.

Fifteen years later, his gravel-voiced daughter believes she can become France&#39;s first woman president and the first from the party that her father founded.

She has campaigned on the same nationalist and protectionist themes that carried Donald Trump to the White House and drove Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU.

But in a bruising TV debate between the two rounds, her strategy of all-out attack on Macron appeared to backfire, as polls suggested viewers found him more convincing.

She goes into the run-off with several investigations hanging over the FN and her entourage for alleged funding scandals.

Le Pen has performed better than during the last presidential election in 2012 when she finished third with just under 18 percent. This time she scored more than 21 percent in the first round.

She has worked assiduously to try to rid the FN of its more extreme edge and make it a &quot;party of patriots&quot; -- and she kicked her father out after he repeatedly described Nazi gas chambers as a &quot;detail of history&quot;.

Now a twice-divorced mother of three, she guards her private life carefully.

She appears rarely as a couple with her current partner, the FN&#39;s vice-president Louis Aliot.

Le Pen developed her flair for sharp putdowns as a state-appointed lawyer defending illegal immigrants facing deportation.

Despite that experience, she blames migration -- and the European Union -- for France&#39;s economic woes.

(AFP)

Centrist frontrunner Emmanuel Macron is a 39-year-old former investment banker who embraces globalisation and the European Union

The two candidates vying to win France's presidency in the decisive run-off vote on Sunday could scarcely have more different visions of the nation and its place in the world. Centrist frontrunner Emmanuel Macron is a 39-year-old former investment banker who embraces globalisation and the European Union. His far-right rival Marine Le Pen, the scion of the family who founded the anti-immigration National Front (FN) party, champions France-first nationalism and proposes withdrawing from the eurozone. "I am the candidate of the people of France such as we love it, of the nation that protects jobs, security, our borders," 48-year-old Le Pen said in a brutal face-to-face TV debate that encapsulated the candidates' differences. Macron had a starkly different message: "France is not a closed country. I am for a strong France, in an EU that offers it protection," he said. His rise has been meteoric. He had never before stood for election but is now on the cusp of becoming France's youngest-ever president. Despite his lack of political experience, polls currently suggest he should beat Le Pen by around 20 percentage points. Sensed a gap President Francois Hollande launched Macron's political career, picking the Rothschild banker as an economic advisor and then parachuting him into his Socialist government as economy minister. Sensing a worldwide shift away from established parties, Macron quit the cabinet last August to concentrate on building his own centrist political movement "En Marche" (On the Move). He has since attracted over 250,000 members and confounded early critics who said his appeal did not stretch beyond young, urban professionals. Macron has also flouted convention in his personal life. From a middle-class family in Amiens, northeast France, he fell for his drama teacher, Brigitte Trogneux, while he was at secondary school. A 64-year-old mother-of-three, a quarter of a century older than Macron, she left her husband and married him in 2007. The unshakeable confidence with which Macron pursued his future wife has been evident throughout his career. But it nearly tripped him up after he finished first in the first round of the election when he gave what many saw as an overly triumphant speech and then threw a party at a Paris bistro. Opponents and allies alike were quick to remind him that victory over Le Pen was not assured, and he threw himself into campaigning. A potentially crucial moment came on April 26, when he was at risk of being upstaged by Le Pen at an under-threat Whirlpool dryer factory in Amiens. After she made a lightning visit, he was forced to go too, plunging into a scrum of workers who initially booed him before he engaged with them for more than an hour. In an 11th-hour twist to a campaign marked by drama, Macron's team said it was hit by a "massive" hacking attack after a flood of thousands of internal documents were released online late Friday. In her blood Unlike Macron, Le Pen had a front-row seat on the world of hard-edged politics from an early age. Her pugnacious father Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the run-off of the 2002 presidential election but was soundly beaten by the centre-right Jacques Chirac. Fifteen years later, his gravel-voiced daughter believes she can become France's first woman president and the first from the party that her father founded. She has campaigned on the same nationalist and protectionist themes that carried Donald Trump to the White House and drove Britain's vote to leave the EU. But in a bruising TV debate between the two rounds, her strategy of all-out attack on Macron appeared to backfire, as polls suggested viewers found him more convincing. She goes into the run-off with several investigations hanging over the FN and her entourage for alleged funding scandals. Le Pen has performed better than during the last presidential election in 2012 when she finished third with just under 18 percent. This time she scored more than 21 percent in the first round. She has worked assiduously to try to rid the FN of its more extreme edge and make it a "party of patriots" -- and she kicked her father out after he repeatedly described Nazi gas chambers as a "detail of history". Now a twice-divorced mother of three, she guards her private life carefully. She appears rarely as a couple with her current partner, the FN's vice-president Louis Aliot. Le Pen developed her flair for sharp putdowns as a state-appointed lawyer defending illegal immigrants facing deportation. Despite that experience, she blames migration -- and the European Union -- for France's economic woes. (AFP)

Macron, Le Pen: Clashing visions for France's future

French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on Monday (April 24) that she was stepping aside from the leadership of her far-right National Front party 1in a bid to unite the French people as she prepared for the second round of the presidential election.

Most polls see Le Pen trailing her centrist rival Emmanuel Macron 40 points to 60, and she has to widen her support if she can hope to beat him in the run-off on May 7.

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<h5>I have always considered that the president is the president of all the French people and therefore that he or she has to unite all the French people. That&#39;s a deeply-held conviction but now we have to act on it and that&#39;s why I think it&#39;s essential to stand back temporarily from the leadership of the National Front&#39;</h5>
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&quot;We can win. And I&#39;ll go even further, we&#39;re going to win. We&#39;re starting this campaign, according to the polls, 40 - 60. Ten little points, believe me it&#39;s totally doable, particularly because it has to be said that Mr (presidential candidate Emmanuel) Macron has benefited from a sort of skillfully-maintained haze in the first round. And now the haze is going to fade because now we&#39;re face-to-face,&quot; Le Pen said.

&quot;This evening I&#39;m no longer the president of the National Front, I am a candidate for the presidency of France,&quot; Le Pen told French television channel France 2.

Hugh Schofield from the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39696861">BBC </a>in Paris described the act as symbolic, saying it intended to show that her concern is for the country as a whole, not for her party, and that she is trying to appeal to voters of the candidates who lost in the first round, especially those of Fran&ccedil;ois Fillon.

<a href="http://nypost.com/2017/04/24/marine-le-pen-temporarily-steps-down-as-party-leader/" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> characterised the move as trying to bring &quot;a wider range of potential voters&quot; to&nbsp;her party, the National Front Party, which has been &quot;long tainted by racism&nbsp;and anti-Semitsm&quot;.

&quot;I&#39;m going to respond very clearly: I think we&#39;re reaching the critical moment. I have always considered that the president is the president of all the French people and therefore that he or she has to unite all the French people. That&#39;s a deeply-held conviction but now we have to act on it and that&#39;s why I think it&#39;s essential to stand back temporarily from the leadership of the National Front. So this evening I&#39;m no longer the president of the National Front, I am a candidate for the presidency of France,&quot; the presidential hopeful said.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The step down is temporary, and an attempt to unite the French people behind her bid for the presidency

French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said on Monday (April 24) that she was stepping aside from the leadership of her far-right National Front party 1in a bid to unite the French people as she prepared for the second round of the presidential election. Most polls see Le Pen trailing her centrist rival Emmanuel Macron 40 points to 60, and she has to widen her support if she can hope to beat him in the run-off on May 7. I have always considered that the president is the president of all the French people and therefore that he or she has to unite all the French people. That's a deeply-held conviction but now we have to act on it and that's why I think it's essential to stand back temporarily from the leadership of the National Front' × "We can win. And I'll go even further, we're going to win. We're starting this campaign, according to the polls, 40 - 60. Ten little points, believe me it's totally doable, particularly because it has to be said that Mr (presidential candidate Emmanuel) Macron has benefited from a sort of skillfully-maintained haze in the first round. And now the haze is going to fade because now we're face-to-face," Le Pen said. "This evening I'm no longer the president of the National Front, I am a candidate for the presidency of France," Le Pen told French television channel France 2. Hugh Schofield from the BBC in Paris described the act as symbolic, saying it intended to show that her concern is for the country as a whole, not for her party, and that she is trying to appeal to voters of the candidates who lost in the first round, especially those of François Fillon. The Associated Press characterised the move as trying to bring "a wider range of potential voters" to her party, the National Front Party, which has been "long tainted by racism and anti-Semitsm". "I'm going to respond very clearly: I think we're reaching the critical moment. I have always considered that the president is the president of all the French people and therefore that he or she has to unite all the French people. That's a deeply-held conviction but now we have to act on it and that's why I think it's essential to stand back temporarily from the leadership of the National Front. So this evening I'm no longer the president of the National Front, I am a candidate for the presidency of France," the presidential hopeful said. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

France: Le Pen steps down as party leader

France voted on Sunday in the first round of a bitterly fought presidential election that could define the future of the European Union&nbsp;and is sure to be seen as a gauge of the anti-establishment anger that has brought upsets in Western politics.

Over 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers backed by rapid response units patrolled streets three days after a suspected Islamist gunman shot dead a policeman and wounded two others in the heart of the capital, Paris.

Voters will decide whether to back a pro-EU centrist newcomer, a scandal-ridden veteran conservative who wants to slash public expenditure, a far-left eurosceptic admirer of Fidel Castro, or a far-right nationalist who, as France&#39;s first woman president, would shut borders and ditch the euro.

The last polling stations were due to close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), and projections were likely to give early pointers to the outcome soon after.

The outcome will show whether the populist tide that saw Britain vote to leave the EU and Donald Trump elected president of the United States is still rising or starting to ebb.

But it also provides a choice between radically different recipes for reviving a listless economy that lags its neighbours, and where almost a quarter of under-25s have no job.

A high level of indecision added to the nervousness.

Hanan Fanidi, a 33-year-old financial project manager, was still unsure as she arrived at a polling station in Paris&#39;s 18th arrondissement.

&quot;I don&#39;t believe in anyone, actually. I haven&#39;t arrived at any candidate in particular who could advance things,&quot; she said. &quot;I&#39;m very, very pessimistic.&quot;

Despite fears that broad disillusionment with politics could keep voters away, pollsters estimated that the turnout, in fair weather nationwide, would be broadly in line with the last election five years ago, at around 80 percent.

Emmanuel Macron, 39, a centrist ex-banker who set up his party just a year ago, is the opinion polls&#39; favourite to win the first round and then beat far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen in the two-person runoff on May 7.

Changing the landscape

If they come first and second on Sunday, it would virtually reinvent a political landscape dominated for 60 years by mainstream groupings from the centre-left and centre-right.

&quot;It wouldn&#39;t be the classic left-versus-right divide but two views of the world clashing,&quot; said Ifop pollsters&#39; Jerome Fourquet. &quot;Macron bills himself as the progressive versus conservatives, Le Pen as the patriot versus the globalists.&quot;

While Macron offers a vision of gradual economic deregulation that would cause few ripples on global financial markets, Le Pen proposes a more disruptive programme of higher social spending, financed by money-printing, coupled with a withdrawal from the euro and possibly the EU.

Of the two other candidates close enough in opinion polls to be in with a good chance of making the runoff, Jean-Luc Melenchon offers a far-left tax-and-spend platform that has much in common with Le Pen&#39;s, although without her plans to restrict immigration.

And conservative Francois Fillon, rebounding after being plagued for months by a fake jobs scandal, promises economic shock therapy of deregulation and slashing taxes and state spending, cutting half a million state sector jobs.

The seven other candidates, including the ruling Socialist party&#39;s Benoit Hamon, lag far behind.

In a polling station in Lyon, long-time left-wing voter Julien Rossi, 42, said he had been won over by Macron. &quot;We&#39;re from the same generation. He goes down well abroad. He&#39;s the most open of the candidates.&quot;

The turnout at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) was 69.42 percent, according to official figures, compared to 70.59 percent in 2012. That year, the last polling stations closed at 7 p.m., an hour earlier than this year, and almost 80 percent eventually took part in the first round.

Some surveys have been predicting a turnout closer to the 70 percent that took the National Front&#39;s then-leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, into the second round in 2002. Pollsters are unclear whether a high turnout would favour his daughter in 2017.

It&#39;s in the economy

Pollsters say jobs, the economy and the general trustworthiness of politicians are voters&#39; main concerns.

But security has re-entered the debate since Thursday&#39;s killing of a policeman on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, and the arrest in Marseille on Tuesday of two men suspected of planning an imminent Islamist attack.

Le Pen has emphasised the Islamist threat and promised tougher border controls, and some argue that the incident increases her chances. But previous attacks, such as the killing of 130 people in Paris by Islamist gunmen in November 2015 ahead of regional polls, have not appeared to affect voting.

One polling station in Besancon, in eastern France, was evacuated on Sunday after a stolen vehicle was abandoned nearby with the engine running.

The possibility of a Le Pen-Melenchon run-off is not the most likely scenario but is one that alarms bankers and investors.

While Macron wants to further beef up the euro zone, Le Pen has told supporters &quot;the EU will die&quot;. She wants to return to the Franc, re-denominate the country&#39;s debt stock, tax imports and reject international treaties.

Melenchon also wants to radically overhaul the European Union and hold a referendum on whether to leave the bloc.

Both would struggle, in parliamentary elections in June, to win a majority to carry out such radical moves, but their growing popularity also worries France&#39;s EU partners.

&quot;It is no secret that we will not be cheering madly should Sunday&#39;s result produce a second round between Le Pen and Melenchon,&quot; German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said.

(Reuters)

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron are the favourites to progress to a run-off on May 7

France voted on Sunday in the first round of a bitterly fought presidential election that could define the future of the European Union and is sure to be seen as a gauge of the anti-establishment anger that has brought upsets in Western politics. Over 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers backed by rapid response units patrolled streets three days after a suspected Islamist gunman shot dead a policeman and wounded two others in the heart of the capital, Paris. Voters will decide whether to back a pro-EU centrist newcomer, a scandal-ridden veteran conservative who wants to slash public expenditure, a far-left eurosceptic admirer of Fidel Castro, or a far-right nationalist who, as France's first woman president, would shut borders and ditch the euro. The last polling stations were due to close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT), and projections were likely to give early pointers to the outcome soon after. The outcome will show whether the populist tide that saw Britain vote to leave the EU and Donald Trump elected president of the United States is still rising or starting to ebb. But it also provides a choice between radically different recipes for reviving a listless economy that lags its neighbours, and where almost a quarter of under-25s have no job. A high level of indecision added to the nervousness. Hanan Fanidi, a 33-year-old financial project manager, was still unsure as she arrived at a polling station in Paris's 18th arrondissement. "I don't believe in anyone, actually. I haven't arrived at any candidate in particular who could advance things," she said. "I'm very, very pessimistic." Despite fears that broad disillusionment with politics could keep voters away, pollsters estimated that the turnout, in fair weather nationwide, would be broadly in line with the last election five years ago, at around 80 percent. Emmanuel Macron, 39, a centrist ex-banker who set up his party just a year ago, is the opinion polls' favourite to win the first round and then beat far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen in the two-person runoff on May 7. Changing the landscape If they come first and second on Sunday, it would virtually reinvent a political landscape dominated for 60 years by mainstream groupings from the centre-left and centre-right. "It wouldn't be the classic left-versus-right divide but two views of the world clashing," said Ifop pollsters' Jerome Fourquet. "Macron bills himself as the progressive versus conservatives, Le Pen as the patriot versus the globalists." While Macron offers a vision of gradual economic deregulation that would cause few ripples on global financial markets, Le Pen proposes a more disruptive programme of higher social spending, financed by money-printing, coupled with a withdrawal from the euro and possibly the EU. Of the two other candidates close enough in opinion polls to be in with a good chance of making the runoff, Jean-Luc Melenchon offers a far-left tax-and-spend platform that has much in common with Le Pen's, although without her plans to restrict immigration. And conservative Francois Fillon, rebounding after being plagued for months by a fake jobs scandal, promises economic shock therapy of deregulation and slashing taxes and state spending, cutting half a million state sector jobs. The seven other candidates, including the ruling Socialist party's Benoit Hamon, lag far behind. In a polling station in Lyon, long-time left-wing voter Julien Rossi, 42, said he had been won over by Macron. "We're from the same generation. He goes down well abroad. He's the most open of the candidates." The turnout at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) was 69.42 percent, according to official figures, compared to 70.59 percent in 2012. That year, the last polling stations closed at 7 p.m., an hour earlier than this year, and almost 80 percent eventually took part in the first round. Some surveys have been predicting a turnout closer to the 70 percent that took the National Front's then-leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, into the second round in 2002. Pollsters are unclear whether a high turnout would favour his daughter in 2017. It's in the economy Pollsters say jobs, the economy and the general trustworthiness of politicians are voters' main concerns. But security has re-entered the debate since Thursday's killing of a policeman on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, and the arrest in Marseille on Tuesday of two men suspected of planning an imminent Islamist attack. Le Pen has emphasised the Islamist threat and promised tougher border controls, and some argue that the incident increases her chances. But previous attacks, such as the killing of 130 people in Paris by Islamist gunmen in November 2015 ahead of regional polls, have not appeared to affect voting. One polling station in Besancon, in eastern France, was evacuated on Sunday after a stolen vehicle was abandoned nearby with the engine running. The possibility of a Le Pen-Melenchon run-off is not the most likely scenario but is one that alarms bankers and investors. While Macron wants to further beef up the euro zone, Le Pen has told supporters "the EU will die". She wants to return to the Franc, re-denominate the country's debt stock, tax imports and reject international treaties. Melenchon also wants to radically overhaul the European Union and hold a referendum on whether to leave the bloc. Both would struggle, in parliamentary elections in June, to win a majority to carry out such radical moves, but their growing popularity also worries France's EU partners. "It is no secret that we will not be cheering madly should Sunday's result produce a second round between Le Pen and Melenchon," German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said. (Reuters)

Choice between extremes as French vote nears climax

France was on edge Saturday on the eve of its most unpredictable presidential election in decades, which will take place under heightened security after the jihadist killing of a policeman.

The shooting on Paris&#39;s world-renowned Champs Elysees avenue on Thursday, claimed by the Islamic State group, thrust questions of security to the fore of campaigning after nine months of relative calm.

On Saturday, police arrested a man carrying a knife at Paris&#39;s Gare du Nord station, briefly causing panic as some passengers rushed out of the way.

The French consulate in New York, where expatriates were casting ballots, was also briefly evacuated late Saturday after a suspicious vehicle raised fears of a bomb threat. The situation returned to normal after less than an hour and voting activities resumed.

France goes to the polls on Sunday in an election seen as crucial for the future of a deeply divided country and the beleaguered European Union.

Surveys suggest that nearly a quarter of voters are still undecided and that until now the French have been more concerned about jobs and the economy than terrorism.

But analysts said the policeman&#39;s shooting could shift opinions, perhaps handing an advantage to candidates seen as taking a hard line on security, such as far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

&nbsp;

&#39;Don&#39;t give in to fear&#39;

Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist former banker Emmanuel Macron are leading the polls but the race has tightened in the final days and any one of four candidates could reach the runoff on May 7.

Conservative Francois Fillon and hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon are both just a few points behind the frontrunners.&nbsp;

Around 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers will be deployed to protect voters on Sunday, with the contingent boosted in Paris after the Champs Elysees shooting.

The killing of policeman Xavier Jugele by 39-year-old gunman Karim Cheurfi was the latest in a string of terror attacks in France since 2015 that have claimed more than 230 lives.

US President Donald Trump tweeted that he thought the shooting &quot;will have a big effect&quot; on the election.

&quot;If it were to benefit someone that would clearly be Marine Le Pen who has dominated this issue throughout the campaign, or Francois Fillon,&quot; said Adelaide Zulfikarpasic of BVA pollsters.

Le Pen moved quickly after the shooting to present herself as the strongest defender against Islamist extremists, calling for France to &quot;immediately&quot; take back control of its borders from the EU and deport all foreigners on a terror watchlist.

Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve accused Le Pen of attempting to exploit the killing, &quot;as she does after every tragedy&quot;.

Macron described the shooting as an attack on democracy, urging voters: &quot;Do not give in to fear.&quot;

As well as in the US, voting began Saturday in several overseas French territories such as Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.

Adrien Gontier, an expat voting at the French embassy in Washington, said he was fulfilling his duty as a citizen.

&quot;In the United States, you can see what happens when people don&#39;t vote, or vote badly,&quot; he said. &quot;We don&#39;t want there to be a Trump in France.&quot;&nbsp;

A BVA poll conducted on Thursday and Friday showed Le Pen and Macron tied on 23 percent, ahead of Melenchon with 19.5 percent and Fillon on 19 percent.

A total of 11 candidates are in the running, most of them in single digits.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

14 years in prison

A clearer picture was meanwhile emerging of the Champs Elysees gunman&#39;s violent past.

Cheurfi was arrested in February on suspicion of plotting to kill police officers but released because of a lack of evidence.&nbsp;

A serial offender, he spent nearly 14 years in prison for a range of crimes including attacks on police. He had shown &quot;no signs of radicalisation&quot; while in custody, said France&#39;s anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins.

Three of his close associates were released after questioning late Saturday.

&quot;Their interviews notably allowed us to gather certain elements on the attacker&#39;s profile and personality,&quot; a source close to the inquiry said.

Cheurfi&#39;s former lawyer Jean-Laurent Panier described him as &quot;very solitary and introverted&quot;.

The shooting came days after two men were arrested in Marseille on suspicion of planning an imminent attack and follows a series of deadly strikes around Europe in the past month, targeting Stockholm, London and Saint Petersburg.

By sad coincidence, slain policeman Jugele had gone to the Bataclan concert hall -- one of the targets in November 2015&#39;s Paris attacks -- on the night of its reopening, as an ordinary concert-goer.

&quot;I am here with my friend to celebrate life and to say no to terrorism,&quot; he had said in a BBC radio interview that emerged Saturday.

Some 200 angry wives of police officers held a protest near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday, demanding better protection for their spouses while on duty.

(AFP)

France goes to the polls on Sunday in an election seen as crucial for the future of a deeply divided country

France was on edge Saturday on the eve of its most unpredictable presidential election in decades, which will take place under heightened security after the jihadist killing of a policeman. The shooting on Paris's world-renowned Champs Elysees avenue on Thursday, claimed by the Islamic State group, thrust questions of security to the fore of campaigning after nine months of relative calm. On Saturday, police arrested a man carrying a knife at Paris's Gare du Nord station, briefly causing panic as some passengers rushed out of the way. The French consulate in New York, where expatriates were casting ballots, was also briefly evacuated late Saturday after a suspicious vehicle raised fears of a bomb threat. The situation returned to normal after less than an hour and voting activities resumed. France goes to the polls on Sunday in an election seen as crucial for the future of a deeply divided country and the beleaguered European Union. Surveys suggest that nearly a quarter of voters are still undecided and that until now the French have been more concerned about jobs and the economy than terrorism. But analysts said the policeman's shooting could shift opinions, perhaps handing an advantage to candidates seen as taking a hard line on security, such as far-right leader Marine Le Pen. 'Don't give in to fear' Le Pen and 39-year-old centrist former banker Emmanuel Macron are leading the polls but the race has tightened in the final days and any one of four candidates could reach the runoff on May 7. Conservative Francois Fillon and hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon are both just a few points behind the frontrunners. Around 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers will be deployed to protect voters on Sunday, with the contingent boosted in Paris after the Champs Elysees shooting. The killing of policeman Xavier Jugele by 39-year-old gunman Karim Cheurfi was the latest in a string of terror attacks in France since 2015 that have claimed more than 230 lives. US President Donald Trump tweeted that he thought the shooting "will have a big effect" on the election. "If it were to benefit someone that would clearly be Marine Le Pen who has dominated this issue throughout the campaign, or Francois Fillon," said Adelaide Zulfikarpasic of BVA pollsters. Le Pen moved quickly after the shooting to present herself as the strongest defender against Islamist extremists, calling for France to "immediately" take back control of its borders from the EU and deport all foreigners on a terror watchlist. Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve accused Le Pen of attempting to exploit the killing, "as she does after every tragedy". Macron described the shooting as an attack on democracy, urging voters: "Do not give in to fear." As well as in the US, voting began Saturday in several overseas French territories such as Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. Adrien Gontier, an expat voting at the French embassy in Washington, said he was fulfilling his duty as a citizen. "In the United States, you can see what happens when people don't vote, or vote badly," he said. "We don't want there to be a Trump in France." A BVA poll conducted on Thursday and Friday showed Le Pen and Macron tied on 23 percent, ahead of Melenchon with 19.5 percent and Fillon on 19 percent. A total of 11 candidates are in the running, most of them in single digits. 14 years in prison A clearer picture was meanwhile emerging of the Champs Elysees gunman's violent past. Cheurfi was arrested in February on suspicion of plotting to kill police officers but released because of a lack of evidence. A serial offender, he spent nearly 14 years in prison for a range of crimes including attacks on police. He had shown "no signs of radicalisation" while in custody, said France's anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins. Three of his close associates were released after questioning late Saturday. "Their interviews notably allowed us to gather certain elements on the attacker's profile and personality," a source close to the inquiry said. Cheurfi's former lawyer Jean-Laurent Panier described him as "very solitary and introverted". The shooting came days after two men were arrested in Marseille on suspicion of planning an imminent attack and follows a series of deadly strikes around Europe in the past month, targeting Stockholm, London and Saint Petersburg. By sad coincidence, slain policeman Jugele had gone to the Bataclan concert hall -- one of the targets in November 2015's Paris attacks -- on the night of its reopening, as an ordinary concert-goer. "I am here with my friend to celebrate life and to say no to terrorism," he had said in a BBC radio interview that emerged Saturday. Some 200 angry wives of police officers held a protest near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday, demanding better protection for their spouses while on duty. (AFP)

France on edge as presidential vote looms

A month before the first round of France&#39;s presidential election, 43 per cent of voters are hesitant about who to vote for, a poll said on Friday, underlining the uncertainty surrounding the volatile election campaign.

Opinion polls show independent centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen likely to lead in the first round of the election on April 23 and that these two candidates would go through to a May 7 run-off that Macron would win easily.

But an opinion poll by Odoxa for franceinfo radio found that 43 per cent of voters were still hesitating between several candidates, which it said reflected an &quot;uncertainty unprecedented in (French) electoral history.&quot;

&quot;The level of voter indecision about the candidates is completely exceptional,&quot; Odoxa said.

Investors have been jittery about the possibility of Le Pen, leader of the anti-European Union, anti-immigration National Front, winning the election and taking France out of the euro.

The poll found that potential voters for right-wing candidates - Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon - were more settled in their choices than potential voters for Macron and the leading left-wing candidates, Benoit Hamon of the ruling Socialist Party and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Sixty per cent of Le Pen&#39;s potential voters and 57 percent of Fillon&#39;s had definitely decided on their candidate compared with 47 percent for Macron, 44 percent for Melenchon and 40 percent for Hamon, the poll found.

Fillon, once the front-runner, has slipped in the polls since media reports in late January that he had paid his wife, Penelope, and two children hundreds of thousands of euros of public funds for work they may not have carried out.

Fillon accused President Francois Hollande in a television interview on Thursday of being involved in what he alleges is a government plot to spread damaging media leaks about his affairs to destroy his chances of being elected.

(Reuters)

Odoxa, the company that conducted the poll, said it reflected an 'uncertainty unprecedented in (French) electoral history'

A month before the first round of France's presidential election, 43 per cent of voters are hesitant about who to vote for, a poll said on Friday, underlining the uncertainty surrounding the volatile election campaign. Opinion polls show independent centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen likely to lead in the first round of the election on April 23 and that these two candidates would go through to a May 7 run-off that Macron would win easily. But an opinion poll by Odoxa for franceinfo radio found that 43 per cent of voters were still hesitating between several candidates, which it said reflected an "uncertainty unprecedented in (French) electoral history." "The level of voter indecision about the candidates is completely exceptional," Odoxa said. Investors have been jittery about the possibility of Le Pen, leader of the anti-European Union, anti-immigration National Front, winning the election and taking France out of the euro. The poll found that potential voters for right-wing candidates - Le Pen and conservative Francois Fillon - were more settled in their choices than potential voters for Macron and the leading left-wing candidates, Benoit Hamon of the ruling Socialist Party and far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon. Sixty per cent of Le Pen's potential voters and 57 percent of Fillon's had definitely decided on their candidate compared with 47 percent for Macron, 44 percent for Melenchon and 40 percent for Hamon, the poll found. Fillon, once the front-runner, has slipped in the polls since media reports in late January that he had paid his wife, Penelope, and two children hundreds of thousands of euros of public funds for work they may not have carried out. Fillon accused President Francois Hollande in a television interview on Thursday of being involved in what he alleges is a government plot to spread damaging media leaks about his affairs to destroy his chances of being elected. (Reuters)

Forty-three per cent of French voters are hesitant about who to vote for: Poll

France&#39;s rightwing presidential candidate Francois&nbsp;Fillon&nbsp;was charged Tuesday with several offences over a fake jobs scandal, including misuse of public funds, his lawyer said.

&quot;He was charged this morning. The hearing was brought forward so that it could take place in a calm manner,&quot; lawyer Antonin Levy told AFP.

He was also charged with misuse of corporate assets, Levy said.

Fillon, 63, had been expected to go before investigating magistrates on Wednesday over the scandal, which has undermined his campaign for the presidency only six weeks from the first round of the election.

Following revelations in the Canard Enchaine newspaper at the end of January, the conservative candidate admitted to employing his wife Penelope and two of their children as parliamentary assistants, but has denied any wrongdoing.&nbsp;

Penelope was paid hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars) from public funds between 1986 and 2013, but she is accused of doing little work for the salary.&nbsp;

From May 2012 to December 2013, while employed at the parliament, Penelope was also paid 3,500 euros ($3,700) a month by a magazine owned by a friend of&nbsp;Fillon, the tycoon Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere.

After initially saying he would withdraw from the presidential race if charged,&nbsp;Fillon&nbsp;has vowed to continue, calling the investigation an attempted &quot;political assassination&quot;.&nbsp;

Defies calls to step aside&nbsp;

He has defied calls to step aside from colleagues in his Republicans party and has weathered a flurry of resignations from his campaign team, while the scandal has made an already unpredictable election even harder to call.&nbsp;

The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in opinion polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23.

Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump&#39;s victory in the United States and Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions.

Fillon, a devout Catholic, was the surprise winner of the Republicans&#39; primary in November after campaigning as a clean and honest candidate who would transform France with a &quot;radical&quot; economic programme.

He wants to cut public spending by 100 billion euros and cut 500,000 public sector jobs over the next five years.

He was the frontrunner in the presidential race before the scandal hit in late January, but is now shown in third place and eliminated in the first round.

(AFP)

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon has been accused of using state money to give jobs to his wife & children

France's rightwing presidential candidate Francois Fillon was charged Tuesday with several offences over a fake jobs scandal, including misuse of public funds, his lawyer said. "He was charged this morning. The hearing was brought forward so that it could take place in a calm manner," lawyer Antonin Levy told AFP. He was also charged with misuse of corporate assets, Levy said. Fillon, 63, had been expected to go before investigating magistrates on Wednesday over the scandal, which has undermined his campaign for the presidency only six weeks from the first round of the election. Following revelations in the Canard Enchaine newspaper at the end of January, the conservative candidate admitted to employing his wife Penelope and two of their children as parliamentary assistants, but has denied any wrongdoing. Penelope was paid hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars) from public funds between 1986 and 2013, but she is accused of doing little work for the salary. From May 2012 to December 2013, while employed at the parliament, Penelope was also paid 3,500 euros ($3,700) a month by a magazine owned by a friend of Fillon, the tycoon Marc Ladreit de Lacharriere. After initially saying he would withdraw from the presidential race if charged, Fillon has vowed to continue, calling the investigation an attempted "political assassination". Defies calls to step aside He has defied calls to step aside from colleagues in his Republicans party and has weathered a flurry of resignations from his campaign team, while the scandal has made an already unpredictable election even harder to call. The disarray appears to have benefited centrist, pro-business candidate Emmanuel Macron in particular, as well as far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who are shown in opinion polls to be the likely top two candidates in the first round of voting on April 23. Polls suggest 39-year-old Macron would beat Le Pen in the decisive second round on May 7 -- but after Donald Trump's victory in the United States and Britain's vote to leave the European Union, analysts caution against bold predictions. Fillon, a devout Catholic, was the surprise winner of the Republicans' primary in November after campaigning as a clean and honest candidate who would transform France with a "radical" economic programme. He wants to cut public spending by 100 billion euros and cut 500,000 public sector jobs over the next five years. He was the frontrunner in the presidential race before the scandal hit in late January, but is now shown in third place and eliminated in the first round. (AFP)

France's Fillon charged for misuse of public funds: Lawyer

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