In France, the race for the presidential election is in its final days of campaigning. Days ahead of the final vote in one of the biggest economies, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is trying to present a more moderate face to the voters.

The final week of the French Presidential race: Le Pen allies tone down Hijab Rhetoric

In less than a week to go for the second phase of the French polls and the race to the Elysee palace is now heating up. With both the candidates centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right Marine Le Pen pulling all the stops to ensure they come out on top.

French Presidential election 2022: Emmanuel Macron & Le Pen gearing up for debate on April 20

Incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron had a delayed start on the campaign road he was juggling between a war in Europe and an election at home but as domestic issues took center stage Macron bounced back to his 2017 self -full of energy and promises.

French Presidential Elections: Macron leads with 54%, Le Pen trails

Neither Macron, nor Le Pen: France erupts in protests against top presidential candidates ahead of elections

The Muslim headscarf debate is heating up in France amid the presidential elections 2022. People are protesting against Marine Le Pen and Muslim women said don't politicise our headscarves.

French election 2022: 'Don't politicise our headscarves,' says Muslim women to Le Pen

As run-off election to assume France's top office come nearer, French President Emmanuel Macron's main contender Marine Le Pen on Friday (April 15) expressed confidence saying she could win the election. She was visiting a pro-Macron town in southern France.

Le Pen got a mixed response as she was greeted by supporters and protesters alike. Protesters called her family "racist" and told her to go away. Le Pen appeared to project an optimist face as she said that odds of her victory were proportional to hate she has been getting.

"I have the people behind me and that’s the most important thing in a democracy," she told the press.

Le Pen has also been a candidate in past two presidential elections. Opinion polls show that she more popular than ever in France. A far-right candidate, Le Pen has been able to soften her image. She has pegged her campaign on cost-of-living issues.

Just nine days ahead of a runoff election that will determine who will lead the European Union's second-largest economy for the next five years, opinion polls show centrist President Emmanuel Macron is slightly ahead of Le Pen.

On Thursday (April 14), Le Pen held a major rally in the town of Avignon. While addressing some 4000 supporters, she said, ""victory has never been so near."

As run-off election to assume France's top office come nearer, French President Emmanuel Macron's main contender Marine Le Pen on Friday (April 15) expressed confidence saying she could win the election.

As run-off election to assume France's top office come nearer, French President Emmanuel Macron's main contender Marine Le Pen on Friday (April 15) expressed confidence saying she could win the election. She was visiting a pro-Macron town in southern France. Le Pen got a mixed response as she was greeted by supporters and protesters alike. Protesters called her family "racist" and told her to go away. Le Pen appeared to project an optimist face as she said that odds of her victory were proportional to hate she has been getting. "I have the people behind me and that’s the most important thing in a democracy," she told the press. Le Pen has also been a candidate in past two presidential elections. Opinion polls show that she more popular than ever in France. A far-right candidate, Le Pen has been able to soften her image. She has pegged her campaign on cost-of-living issues. Just nine days ahead of a runoff election that will determine who will lead the European Union's second-largest economy for the next five years, opinion polls show centrist President Emmanuel Macron is slightly ahead of Le Pen. On Thursday (April 14), Le Pen held a major rally in the town of Avignon. While addressing some 4000 supporters, she said, ""victory has never been so near."

I can win this election, says France's 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 |&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

In France, the first round of voting for the presidential election concluded. Partial results after the first round are putting incumbent president Emmanuel Macron in first place ahead of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

Macron finishes ahead of Marine Le Pen in first round of French presidential elections

French stock markets tanked after new opinion polls showed far-right candidate Marine Le Pen closing the gap with Emmanuel Macron. What explains the rise of this far-right demagogue? Can she spring an upset? Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you.

Gravitas: French markets spooked by Le Pen's surge

Eric Zemmour, France's Donald Trump, is running for President. He is anti-Muslim, anti-immigrants, He wants to ban Hijab and names that are not French. Zemmour is so far-right, that he makes Le Pen look moderate. Palki Sharma has a report.

Gravitas: Meet France's Donald Trump who is running for President

Far-right politician Marine Le Pen is emerging as a favourite in the French Presidential Polls. Who is Le Pen? What are her views? Can she defeat Emmanuel Macron? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Who is Marine Le Pen?

Veteran French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is closing the gap on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a possible election duel between the two of them next month, two new polls show.

Macron has long been favourite for the two-round election on April 10 and 24, with his handling of the diplomatic crisis caused by the war in Ukraine seen as boosting his chances.

But his estimated margin of victory over Le Pen is narrowing sharply as the election approaches, two polls published this week suggested.

If they faced each other in the second round, a poll by the Ifop-Fiducial group published on Monday indicated Macron would win by just 53 per cent versus 47 per cent for Le Pen, who had gained three points in a week.

A poll on Tuesday by Ipsos Sopra-Steria, meanwhile, showed Macron winning by 56 per cent to 44 per cent, again with Le Pen up by around three points in a week.

Aides to Macron sought to play down the change, with one advisor saying Tuesday that it was a simple correction after a sharp rise in support following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

"We knew he wasn't going to stay so high," the advisor told AFP on condition of anonymity.

But the shift in momentum is being seized on by Le Pen and her anti-immigration National Rally party, with between a quarter and a third of voters believed to be undecided about how to cast their ballots.

"I have never been so close to victory," Le Pen told Le Parisien newspaper in an interview published Saturday.

She has placed less emphasis on her traditional themes of Islam and immigration in favour of a grassroots campaign focused on the economic problems faced by low-income families and the working classes.

Inflation fears

Macron has largely shunned the election campaign so far, but during his first public walkabout to meet voters on Monday in the eastern town of Dijon, he heard plenty of complaints about inflation and rocketing fuel prices.

"Everything is going up... put yourself in the position of a French family. It can't carry on, people will go nuts," one 46-year-old salesman told him.

Macron has also been forced to defend his government's use of costly outside consulting firms such as the US-based McKinsey following a highly critical report from the Senate this month.

The investigation found that the value of such contracts had more than doubled between 2018 and 2021, reaching more than a billion euros ($1.1 billion) last year, a record.

Macron has denied that his governments used consultants more than their predecessors, while adding that additional help was required during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when ministries and civil servants were stretched thin.

"It's a complicated issue that will sway those who were already convinced that Macron is a 'president of the rich,' but it's not a widespread issue," political analyst Philippe Moreau Chevrolet told AFP, referring to the label given to Macron, a former investment banker, by his critics.

"It counts much less than questions around household income and spiralling inflation and even fears about food supplies," added Moreau Chevrolet, also the founder of MCBG Conseil, a PR agency specialised in political communication.

Experts emphasise that pre-election polls are a snapshot of voting intentions at the time they are conducted, and that the outcome of the election next month remains uncertain.

Veteran French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is closing the gap on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a possible election duel between the two of them next month, two new polls show.

Veteran French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is closing the gap on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a possible election duel between the two of them next month, two new polls show. Macron has long been favourite for the two-round election on April 10 and 24, with his handling of the diplomatic crisis caused by the war in Ukraine seen as boosting his chances. But his estimated margin of victory over Le Pen is narrowing sharply as the election approaches, two polls published this week suggested. If they faced each other in the second round, a poll by the Ifop-Fiducial group published on Monday indicated Macron would win by just 53 per cent versus 47 per cent for Le Pen, who had gained three points in a week. A poll on Tuesday by Ipsos Sopra-Steria, meanwhile, showed Macron winning by 56 per cent to 44 per cent, again with Le Pen up by around three points in a week. Aides to Macron sought to play down the change, with one advisor saying Tuesday that it was a simple correction after a sharp rise in support following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24. "We knew he wasn't going to stay so high," the advisor told AFP on condition of anonymity. But the shift in momentum is being seized on by Le Pen and her anti-immigration National Rally party, with between a quarter and a third of voters believed to be undecided about how to cast their ballots. "I have never been so close to victory," Le Pen told Le Parisien newspaper in an interview published Saturday. She has placed less emphasis on her traditional themes of Islam and immigration in favour of a grassroots campaign focused on the economic problems faced by low-income families and the working classes. Inflation fears Macron has largely shunned the election campaign so far, but during his first public walkabout to meet voters on Monday in the eastern town of Dijon, he heard plenty of complaints about inflation and rocketing fuel prices. "Everything is going up... put yourself in the position of a French family. It can't carry on, people will go nuts," one 46-year-old salesman told him. Macron has also been forced to defend his government's use of costly outside consulting firms such as the US-based McKinsey following a highly critical report from the Senate this month. The investigation found that the value of such contracts had more than doubled between 2018 and 2021, reaching more than a billion euros ($1.1 billion) last year, a record. Macron has denied that his governments used consultants more than their predecessors, while adding that additional help was required during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when ministries and civil servants were stretched thin. "It's a complicated issue that will sway those who were already convinced that Macron is a 'president of the rich,' but it's not a widespread issue," political analyst Philippe Moreau Chevrolet told AFP, referring to the label given to Macron, a former investment banker, by his critics. "It counts much less than questions around household income and spiralling inflation and even fears about food supplies," added Moreau Chevrolet, also the founder of MCBG Conseil, a PR agency specialised in political communication. Experts emphasise that pre-election polls are a snapshot of voting intentions at the time they are conducted, and that the outcome of the election next month remains uncertain.

French far-right leader Le Pen closing gap on Macron: Polls

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/blow-for-president-emmanuel-macron-as-le-pen-tops-european-union-election-in-france-221915">Emmanuel&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;</a>may have ended up with a disappointing second place in the European election in France, but his battle for&nbsp;influence&nbsp;in&nbsp;Brussels&nbsp;can now begin in earnest - and he is in a stronger position to wage that fight than two years ago.

The French leader may have failed to defeat Marine Le Pen's far-right party on Sunday, a duel&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;had played up ahead of the vote, but he now has a troop of European lawmakers he can call his own, giving him more leverage on the European stage.

"Even if he finished second behind Le Pen,&nbsp;Macron's party has more chances of being in a pivotal role - even one of kingmaker - than Marine Le Pen's party," Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, head of the ECFR think-tank's Paris office, told Reuters.

"Of course in terms of political capital, in terms of image, it's not very good for&nbsp;Macron," he said. "But from an institutional point of view, with this new European parliament configuration, he is now in a better position."

Macron's party, the pro-European Republique En Marche, was only created in 2016, which means he had no lawmakers in the European Parliament until now, limiting his&nbsp;influence.

Having finished less than one percentage point behind Le Pen, who did less well than five years ago, he is now on course to match the far-right leader's 23 seats in the new assembly.

That should be enough to become the biggest national contingent in the third-largest bloc in parliament, the centrist group currently known as ALDE, where&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;will now call the shots, bringing his youth and the weight of France to the fore.

As German Chancellor Angela Merkel gradually leaves the stage after almost 15 years in power,&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;is keen to take over the unofficial mantle of leader of the European project.

With the two hitherto dominant forces in the European assembly - the European Peoples' Party (EPP) to the right and the Socialists &amp; Democrats (S&amp;D) on the left - short of the 376 seats needed for a majority in the European Parliament, ALDE will become crucial for any coalition.

That's why&nbsp;Macron's strategists were sanguine about "disappointing" but "honourable" results that contrasted sharply with the bruising mid-term defeats handed out to previous French governments.

In&nbsp;Brussels,&nbsp;Macron's aides see themselves as essential: whoever wants to build a majority in the European Parliament will have to do so with&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;and ALDE.

"For the first time, the EPP and the S&amp;D will have to compromise with a centrist, pro-European force - in which we'll have a central and crucial role - and which will be a totally indispensable partner," a presidential adviser said.

REBALANCED FRANCO-GERMAN RELATIONSHIP

Macron's aura - inherited from his landslide 2017 defeat of Le Pen when other countries such as Britain and the United States were succumbing to populist forces - will be dented at the European Council table of EU leaders.

And with eurosceptic Viktor Orban securing a 52 per cent victory in Hungary,&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;will struggle to impose his integrationist, pro-EU agenda, Christopher Dembik, an economist at Saxo Bank in Paris, told Reuters.

However, with Merkel's conservatives losing seven percentage points from five years ago as the German far-right made gains,&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;could establish a more equal relationship with Germany, which over the past two years has frustrated most of his plans from trade policy to eurozone reform.

Macron&nbsp;should at least be able to block Merkel from imposing her lead candidate for the European Commission, Manfred Weber.

"In our view, Angela Merkel's favourite candidate is totally disqualified today," Pascal Canfin, number two on&nbsp;Macron's list of candidates told France Inter radio on Monday. The EPP will have to eject Orban from its ranks for any coalition deal to be approved by&nbsp;Macron's group, he added.

Elysee officials took heart in the surge by Germany's Greens, who have expressed more support for his pro-European agenda than conservatives and liberals in Berlin, and who could be tempted to collaborate in&nbsp;Brussels.

Other European politicians also see&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;playing a leading role in the EU stage.

"You may like him or not, but there's no doubt he will be the leader of the coming months in Europe, with a crucial role of kingmaker," Italy's former prime minister Matteo Renzi told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

Portugal's prime minister, Antonio Costa, a Socialist, also voiced support for&nbsp;Macron's European plans ahead of the vote, suggesting the French leader might be able to win allies beyond his centrist family in the European parliament.

With his eyes on the top EU posts,&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;didn't waste any time before starting negotiations with his European counterparts.

He called Merkel on Sunday night and will talk to other EU leaders ahead of an informal&nbsp;Brussels&nbsp;meeting on Tuesday which will kick off weeks of bargaining over who will run the EU's main institutions.

Spain's Pedro Sanchez, whose Socialists are on course to have the biggest contingent in the EU assembly's Socialist group, will dine with&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;at the Elysee Palace on Monday evening, a sign the two leaders see each other as powerbrokers.

Elysee strategists have long hoped to lure Spanish Socialists into their "grand coalition" of pro-EU progressive forces.

Macron's allies in the EU Parliament see a new, more influential era for the centrists, with outgoing ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt rejecting the idea that&nbsp;Macron's second-place showing to Le Pen was even a "defeat".

"What you call a defeat I call a victory," he said.

Emmanuel Macron may have ended up with a disappointing second place in the European election in France, but his battle for influence in Brussels can now begin in earnest - and he is in a stronger position to wage that fight than two years ago.

Emmanuel Macron may have ended up with a disappointing second place in the European election in France, but his battle for influence in Brussels can now begin in earnest - and he is in a stronger position to wage that fight than two years ago. The French leader may have failed to defeat Marine Le Pen's far-right party on Sunday, a duel Macron had played up ahead of the vote, but he now has a troop of European lawmakers he can call his own, giving him more leverage on the European stage. "Even if he finished second behind Le Pen, Macron's party has more chances of being in a pivotal role - even one of kingmaker - than Marine Le Pen's party," Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, head of the ECFR think-tank's Paris office, told Reuters. "Of course in terms of political capital, in terms of image, it's not very good for Macron," he said. "But from an institutional point of view, with this new European parliament configuration, he is now in a better position." Macron's party, the pro-European Republique En Marche, was only created in 2016, which means he had no lawmakers in the European Parliament until now, limiting his influence. Having finished less than one percentage point behind Le Pen, who did less well than five years ago, he is now on course to match the far-right leader's 23 seats in the new assembly. That should be enough to become the biggest national contingent in the third-largest bloc in parliament, the centrist group currently known as ALDE, where Macron will now call the shots, bringing his youth and the weight of France to the fore. As German Chancellor Angela Merkel gradually leaves the stage after almost 15 years in power, Macron is keen to take over the unofficial mantle of leader of the European project. With the two hitherto dominant forces in the European assembly - the European Peoples' Party (EPP) to the right and the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) on the left - short of the 376 seats needed for a majority in the European Parliament, ALDE will become crucial for any coalition. That's why Macron's strategists were sanguine about "disappointing" but "honourable" results that contrasted sharply with the bruising mid-term defeats handed out to previous French governments. In Brussels, Macron's aides see themselves as essential: whoever wants to build a majority in the European Parliament will have to do so with Macron and ALDE. "For the first time, the EPP and the S&D will have to compromise with a centrist, pro-European force - in which we'll have a central and crucial role - and which will be a totally indispensable partner," a presidential adviser said. REBALANCED FRANCO-GERMAN RELATIONSHIP Macron's aura - inherited from his landslide 2017 defeat of Le Pen when other countries such as Britain and the United States were succumbing to populist forces - will be dented at the European Council table of EU leaders. And with eurosceptic Viktor Orban securing a 52 per cent victory in Hungary, Macron will struggle to impose his integrationist, pro-EU agenda, Christopher Dembik, an economist at Saxo Bank in Paris, told Reuters. However, with Merkel's conservatives losing seven percentage points from five years ago as the German far-right made gains, Macron could establish a more equal relationship with Germany, which over the past two years has frustrated most of his plans from trade policy to eurozone reform. Macron should at least be able to block Merkel from imposing her lead candidate for the European Commission, Manfred Weber. "In our view, Angela Merkel's favourite candidate is totally disqualified today," Pascal Canfin, number two on Macron's list of candidates told France Inter radio on Monday. The EPP will have to eject Orban from its ranks for any coalition deal to be approved by Macron's group, he added. Elysee officials took heart in the surge by Germany's Greens, who have expressed more support for his pro-European agenda than conservatives and liberals in Berlin, and who could be tempted to collaborate in Brussels. Other European politicians also see Macron playing a leading role in the EU stage. "You may like him or not, but there's no doubt he will be the leader of the coming months in Europe, with a crucial role of kingmaker," Italy's former prime minister Matteo Renzi told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper. Portugal's prime minister, Antonio Costa, a Socialist, also voiced support for Macron's European plans ahead of the vote, suggesting the French leader might be able to win allies beyond his centrist family in the European parliament. With his eyes on the top EU posts, Macron didn't waste any time before starting negotiations with his European counterparts. He called Merkel on Sunday night and will talk to other EU leaders ahead of an informal Brussels meeting on Tuesday which will kick off weeks of bargaining over who will run the EU's main institutions. Spain's Pedro Sanchez, whose Socialists are on course to have the biggest contingent in the EU assembly's Socialist group, will dine with Macron at the Elysee Palace on Monday evening, a sign the two leaders see each other as powerbrokers. Elysee strategists have long hoped to lure Spanish Socialists into their "grand coalition" of pro-EU progressive forces. Macron's allies in the EU Parliament see a new, more influential era for the centrists, with outgoing ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt rejecting the idea that Macron's second-place showing to Le Pen was even a "defeat". "What you call a defeat I call a victory," he said.

Despite bruised ego, Macron starts real campaign for Brussels influence

French President Emmanuel Macron&#39;s centrist party and its allies were headed for victory after Sunday&#39;s first round parliamentary elections with 32.32 per cent of the vote, according to final results.

His Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) party and its ally MoDem outstripped the right on 21.56 per cent and the far-right National Front of Marine Le Pen on 13.20 per cent, according to results released by the interior ministry at 1:30 am Monday.

&quot;France is back,&quot; Prime Minister Edouard Philippe declared triumphantly.

&quot;For the past month, the president has shown confidence, willingness and daring in France and on the international stage,&quot; Philippe said, calling the result a vindication of Macron&#39;s &quot;winning strategy&quot;.

The vote was marked by record low turnout of 49 per cent, reflecting the fatalism among Macron&#39;s opponents in the face of his seemingly unstoppable advance, experts said.

The right-wing Republicans -- who had hoped to rebound from their defeat in the presidential vote -- were shown trailing in second with a predicted 80-132 seats while Marine Le Pen&#39;s far-right National Front (FN) was forecast to garner between one and 10 seats.

The FN&#39;s result showed the party struggling to rebound from Le Pen&#39;s bruising defeat by Macron in the presidential run-off.

FN vice-president Florian Philippot admitted to &quot;disappointment&quot; and called on voters to &quot;mobilise massively&quot; for the June 18 second round.

The worst losses, however, were for the Socialists of Macron&#39;s predecessor Francois Hollande, who were shown dropping a staggering 200 seats.

Conceding the party was facing &quot;unprecedented&quot; losses, PS chief Jean-Christophe Cambadelis appealed to voters to rally behind Macron&#39;s rivals to avoid the president monopolising power.

Parliament risked having &quot;no real oversight powers and no democratic debate worth speaking of,&quot; he warned.

Republicans leader Francois Baroin also cautioned against all the power being &quot;concentrated in one party&quot;.

The estimates based on partial results showed Macron&#39;s year-old REM and MoDem winning 32.2-32.9 per cent in the first round, ahead of the Republicans on 20.9-21.5 per cent and the FN on 13.1-14 per cent.

Few MPs are expected to be elected outright on Sunday.

If no candidate wins over 50 per cent, the two top-placed contenders go into the second round -- along with any other candidate who garners at least 12.5 per cent of registered voters.

France&#39;s youngest-ever president has been credited with restoring a lost sense of national pride since winning the top office last month at 39.

He has&nbsp;won praise for appointing a balanced cabinet that straddles France&#39;s long-entrenched left-right divide and taking a leading role in Europe&#39;s fight-back against US President Donald Trump on climate change.

If the seat projections are confirmed next week, he will have a strong mandate to push through the ambitious labour, economic and social reforms he promised on the campaign trail.

More than 50,000 police were on patrol during the vote, with France still jittery after a wave of jihadist attacks at home and across the Channel in Britain.

Political novices&nbsp;

Macron, who had never held elected office before becoming president, fielded political novices in around 200 constituencies -- part of his bid to rejuvenate the assembly.

They include Marie Sara, a retired bullfighter, who is taking on FN stalwart Gilbert Collard in southern France and 33-year-old junior digital economy minister Mounir Mahjoubi who went up against PS boss Cambadelis in northeast Paris.

Macron is also trying to usher in an era of cleaner politics. His government&#39;s first bill proposes to ban lawmakers from employing family members or performing consultancy work while in office.

The measures follow the scandal that destroyed the presidential bid of Republicans candidate Francois Fillon, who has been charged over payments to his wife and two of his children for suspected fake jobs as parliamentary assistants. Fillon denies the charges.

Macron&#39;s party has largely avoided controversy but one of his ministers who is running for re-election in Brittany, Richard Ferrand, is being probed over a&nbsp;property deal involving his girlfriend.

FN falls short&nbsp;

Forecasts show Le Pen&#39;s party will struggle to win the 15 seats it would need to form a parliamentary group and help shape the assembly&#39;s agenda.

The radical-left France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party of Jean-Luc Melenchon who finished fourth in the presidential race also fell short of expectations.

His camp was tipped to only take 10-23 seats.&nbsp;

Macron has urged voters to back his reform proposals including an overhaul of the rigid rules governing the job market, blamed by many economists for holding back growth.

The president was economy minister in the Socialist government that began loosening the labour laws last year, sparking mass demonstrations that lasted for months.

His Republique en Marche (REM) party and its ally MoDem outstripped the right on 21.56 per cent and the far-right National Front of Marine Le Pen on 13.20 per cent

French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party and its allies were headed for victory after Sunday's first round parliamentary elections with 32.32 per cent of the vote, according to final results. His Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) party and its ally MoDem outstripped the right on 21.56 per cent and the far-right National Front of Marine Le Pen on 13.20 per cent, according to results released by the interior ministry at 1:30 am Monday. "France is back," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe declared triumphantly. "For the past month, the president has shown confidence, willingness and daring in France and on the international stage," Philippe said, calling the result a vindication of Macron's "winning strategy". The vote was marked by record low turnout of 49 per cent, reflecting the fatalism among Macron's opponents in the face of his seemingly unstoppable advance, experts said. The right-wing Republicans -- who had hoped to rebound from their defeat in the presidential vote -- were shown trailing in second with a predicted 80-132 seats while Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front (FN) was forecast to garner between one and 10 seats. The FN's result showed the party struggling to rebound from Le Pen's bruising defeat by Macron in the presidential run-off. FN vice-president Florian Philippot admitted to "disappointment" and called on voters to "mobilise massively" for the June 18 second round. The worst losses, however, were for the Socialists of Macron's predecessor Francois Hollande, who were shown dropping a staggering 200 seats. Conceding the party was facing "unprecedented" losses, PS chief Jean-Christophe Cambadelis appealed to voters to rally behind Macron's rivals to avoid the president monopolising power. Parliament risked having "no real oversight powers and no democratic debate worth speaking of," he warned. Republicans leader Francois Baroin also cautioned against all the power being "concentrated in one party". The estimates based on partial results showed Macron's year-old REM and MoDem winning 32.2-32.9 per cent in the first round, ahead of the Republicans on 20.9-21.5 per cent and the FN on 13.1-14 per cent. Few MPs are expected to be elected outright on Sunday. If no candidate wins over 50 per cent, the two top-placed contenders go into the second round -- along with any other candidate who garners at least 12.5 per cent of registered voters. France's youngest-ever president has been credited with restoring a lost sense of national pride since winning the top office last month at 39. He has won praise for appointing a balanced cabinet that straddles France's long-entrenched left-right divide and taking a leading role in Europe's fight-back against US President Donald Trump on climate change. If the seat projections are confirmed next week, he will have a strong mandate to push through the ambitious labour, economic and social reforms he promised on the campaign trail. More than 50,000 police were on patrol during the vote, with France still jittery after a wave of jihadist attacks at home and across the Channel in Britain. Political novices Macron, who had never held elected office before becoming president, fielded political novices in around 200 constituencies -- part of his bid to rejuvenate the assembly. They include Marie Sara, a retired bullfighter, who is taking on FN stalwart Gilbert Collard in southern France and 33-year-old junior digital economy minister Mounir Mahjoubi who went up against PS boss Cambadelis in northeast Paris. Macron is also trying to usher in an era of cleaner politics. His government's first bill proposes to ban lawmakers from employing family members or performing consultancy work while in office. The measures follow the scandal that destroyed the presidential bid of Republicans candidate Francois Fillon, who has been charged over payments to his wife and two of his children for suspected fake jobs as parliamentary assistants. Fillon denies the charges. Macron's party has largely avoided controversy but one of his ministers who is running for re-election in Brittany, Richard Ferrand, is being probed over a property deal involving his girlfriend. FN falls short Forecasts show Le Pen's party will struggle to win the 15 seats it would need to form a parliamentary group and help shape the assembly's agenda. The radical-left France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party of Jean-Luc Melenchon who finished fourth in the presidential race also fell short of expectations. His camp was tipped to only take 10-23 seats. Macron has urged voters to back his reform proposals including an overhaul of the rigid rules governing the job market, blamed by many economists for holding back growth. The president was economy minister in the Socialist government that began loosening the labour laws last year, sparking mass demonstrations that lasted for months.

French President Emmanuel Macron headed for overwhelming parliamentary majority

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

French centrist Emmanuel Macron and his far-right presidential rival Marine Le Pen clashed over terrorism, the economy and Europe Wednesday in a bad-tempered TV debate that laid bare their profoundly different visions for the country.

The duel ahead of this Sunday&#39;s election was billed as a confrontation between Macron&#39;s call for openness and pro-market reforms and Le Pen&#39;s France-first nationalism.&nbsp;

The tone was set in the opening minutes, with Le Pen branding the former economy minister and investment banker &quot;the candidate of the elite&quot; and the &quot;darling of the system&quot;.

Macron replied that Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front (FN) party, was &quot;the heir of a system which has prospered from the fury of the French people for decades&quot;, adding: &quot;You play with fear.&quot;

The 39-year-old frequently branded Le Pen a liar and even a &quot;parasite of the system&quot;, who he said lived off the frustrations of France&#39;s blocked political system.

On Europe, Le Pen accused Macron of being &quot;submissive&quot; towards German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying: &quot;France will be led by a woman, either me or Mrs Merkel.&quot;Mrs Merkel.&quot;

She also accused Macron of an &quot;indulgent attitude&quot; towards Islamic fundamentalism and constantly sought to remind viewers of his role as a minister in unpopular President Francois Hollande&#39;s Socialist government.

But Macron was in combative form throughout, repeatedly portraying Le Pen&#39;s proposals as simplistic, defeatist or dangerous and targeting her proposals to withdraw France from the euro in particular.

The euro policy &quot;was the big nonsense of Marine Le Pen&#39;s programme,&quot; he said midway through the 140-minute debate.

Le Pen called the euro, shared by 19 countries in the European Union and blamed by some in France for a rise in prices, as &quot;the currency of bankers, it&#39;s not the people&#39;s currency.&quot;

Trailing in the polls, the debate was probably her last chance to change the dynamics of the race ahead of the final weekend of a long and unpredictable campaign.

A poll by the Elabe group for the BFM channel immediately afterwards showed that 63 percent of people interviewed found Macron the most convincing versus 34 percent for Le Pen.

This broadly mirrors forecasts for Sunday&#39;s vote.

Macron would win around 59 percent to 41 percent if the vote were held now, surveys suggest, but previous debates during the rollercoaster French campaign have shifted public opinion.

Normalisation of far-right

The duel marked a new step into the mainstream for Le Pen, whose party was once considered by France&#39;s political establishment to be an extremist fringe that should be boycotted.

When her father Jean-Marie Le Pen made it into the final round of the presidential election in 2002, his conservative opponent Jacques Chirac refused to debate with him out of fear of &quot;normalising hate and intolerance&quot;.

In the first round of the election on April 23, Marine Le Pen finished second scoring 21.3 percent after softening the FN&#39;s image over the past six years -- but without fully removing doubt about the party&#39;s core beliefs.

She sees her rise as the consequence of growing right-wing nationalism and a backlash against globalisation seen in the election of Donald Trump in the United States and Britain&#39;s decision to leave the European Union.

&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; she said in her opening comments.

Abstention factor

The debate was unlikely to have swayed any committed supporters of either candidate, but it could influence the roughly 18 percent of undecided voters and others who were planning to abstain.

Many supporters of Communist-backed candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who came fourth in the first round, have said they will not vote on Sunday, comparing the final round as a choice between &quot;the plague and cholera&quot;.

President Hollande and members of the government have led warnings about the risk of a Le Pen presidency.

&quot;We are in a zone of absolute danger,&quot; warned Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem before the debate. &quot;Do not play Russian roulette with our democracy.&quot;

Hollande told reporters that &quot;we shouldn&#39;t think the result is a foregone conclusion&quot; and urged Macron, his former adviser and economy minister, to make clear his different vision of France in Europe and the world.

Macron quit the government last August to concentrate on his new centrist political movement En Marche, which has drawn 250,000 members in 12 months.

(AFP)

Le Pen, who is trailing Macron in opinion polls, said he represented 'uncontrolled globalisation'

French centrist Emmanuel Macron and his far-right presidential rival Marine Le Pen clashed over terrorism, the economy and Europe Wednesday in a bad-tempered TV debate that laid bare their profoundly different visions for the country. The duel ahead of this Sunday's election was billed as a confrontation between Macron's call for openness and pro-market reforms and Le Pen's France-first nationalism. The tone was set in the opening minutes, with Le Pen branding the former economy minister and investment banker "the candidate of the elite" and the "darling of the system". Macron replied that Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front (FN) party, was "the heir of a system which has prospered from the fury of the French people for decades", adding: "You play with fear." The 39-year-old frequently branded Le Pen a liar and even a "parasite of the system", who he said lived off the frustrations of France's blocked political system. On Europe, Le Pen accused Macron of being "submissive" towards German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying: "France will be led by a woman, either me or Mrs Merkel."Mrs Merkel." She also accused Macron of an "indulgent attitude" towards Islamic fundamentalism and constantly sought to remind viewers of his role as a minister in unpopular President Francois Hollande's Socialist government. But Macron was in combative form throughout, repeatedly portraying Le Pen's proposals as simplistic, defeatist or dangerous and targeting her proposals to withdraw France from the euro in particular. The euro policy "was the big nonsense of Marine Le Pen's programme," he said midway through the 140-minute debate. Le Pen called the euro, shared by 19 countries in the European Union and blamed by some in France for a rise in prices, as "the currency of bankers, it's not the people's currency." Trailing in the polls, the debate was probably her last chance to change the dynamics of the race ahead of the final weekend of a long and unpredictable campaign. A poll by the Elabe group for the BFM channel immediately afterwards showed that 63 percent of people interviewed found Macron the most convincing versus 34 percent for Le Pen. This broadly mirrors forecasts for Sunday's vote. Macron would win around 59 percent to 41 percent if the vote were held now, surveys suggest, but previous debates during the rollercoaster French campaign have shifted public opinion. Normalisation of far-right The duel marked a new step into the mainstream for Le Pen, whose party was once considered by France's political establishment to be an extremist fringe that should be boycotted. When her father Jean-Marie Le Pen made it into the final round of the presidential election in 2002, his conservative opponent Jacques Chirac refused to debate with him out of fear of "normalising hate and intolerance". In the first round of the election on April 23, Marine Le Pen finished second scoring 21.3 percent after softening the FN's image over the past six years -- but without fully removing doubt about the party's core beliefs. She sees her rise as the consequence of growing right-wing nationalism and a backlash against globalisation seen in the election of Donald Trump in the United States and Britain's decision to leave the European Union. "I am the candidate of the people of France such as we love it, of the nation that protects jobs, security, our borders," she said in her opening comments. Abstention factor The debate was unlikely to have swayed any committed supporters of either candidate, but it could influence the roughly 18 percent of undecided voters and others who were planning to abstain. Many supporters of Communist-backed candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who came fourth in the first round, have said they will not vote on Sunday, comparing the final round as a choice between "the plague and cholera". President Hollande and members of the government have led warnings about the risk of a Le Pen presidency. "We are in a zone of absolute danger," warned Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem before the debate. "Do not play Russian roulette with our democracy." Hollande told reporters that "we shouldn't think the result is a foregone conclusion" and urged Macron, his former adviser and economy minister, to make clear his different vision of France in Europe and the world. Macron quit the government last August to concentrate on his new centrist political movement En Marche, which has drawn 250,000 members in 12 months. (AFP)

France's Macron, Le Pen clash in fiery final debate ahead of presidential elections

French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen face off in a final televised debate on Wednesday which is expected to be bitter, personal and potentially decisive ahead of the run-off vote this weekend.

The stakes are high ahead of the contest between the pro-European Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, and far-right leader Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front party.

Their starkly different views on Europe, immigration, the economy and French identity will be explored for the first time face-to-face, after a week marked by bruising clashes between them.

Polls show Macron holding a hefty but narrowing lead in the polls of 59 percent versus 41 percent, but previous debates during the rollercoaster French campaign have quickly shifted public opinion.

&quot;Our goal is to avoid being dragged into mud-slinging,&quot; an aide to Macron told AFP on condition of anonymity ahead of the two hours and 20 minutes of exchanges between the candidates.

Whatever the outcome, the event marks a new step into the mainstream for Le Pen, whose party was once considered by France&#39;s political establishment to be an extremist fringe of racists to be boycotted.

When her father Jean-Marie made it into the final round of the presidential election in 2002, his conservative opponent Jacques Chirac refused to debate him out of fear of &quot;normalising hate and intolerance&quot;.

Fifteen years later, Le Pen scored 21.3 percent in the first round of the French election on April 23 after successfully softening the FN&#39;s image -- but without fully removing doubt about the party&#39;s core beliefs.

She has consistently sought to paint her rival as the continuation of unpopular outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande and a champion of unbridled globalisation, the financial sector and immigration.

&quot;If he finds himself in difficulty, he can always ask Francois Hollande to come and hold his hand. I won&#39;t complain,&quot; Le Pen tweeted archly on Tuesday.

With Le Pen trailing in the polls, the face-off will be her biggest chance in front of a television audience to impress millions of views or induce an error by her opponent that could tilt Sunday&#39;s election in her favour.

Euro in spotlight&nbsp;

Macron, who was economy minister under Hollande, is expected to be wary of making mistakes but has signalled his intention to take on Le Pen and challenge what he calls her &quot;dangerous&quot; ideas for tackling the country&#39;s deep economic and social problems.

&quot;I want to go head-to-head, to get to the bottom of the issues, to show that these are false solutions,&quot; the independent centrist told BFM television Tuesday.

Recent uncertainty about Le Pen&#39;s stance on withdrawing France from the euro common currency could also give him an opportunity to target what is seen as a risky and unpopular policy by many voters.

&quot;Macron would do well to put maximum emphasis on the EU issue in the debate, especially the currency,&quot; veteran political analyst Philippe Braud told AFP. &quot;It&#39;s the issue that causes the most concern, especially for businesses. It&#39;s not for love of Europe.&quot;

&#39;Smokescreen&#39;&nbsp;

Le Pen said Sunday that a new franc would be introduced for daily use while the euro would be retained for &quot;large companies who trade internationally&quot;.

&quot;The franc to buy your baguette and the euro for multinationals... it&#39;s not so much backtracking but a smokescreen in the last days of the campaign,&quot; wrote journalist Jacques-Olivier Martin in the daily Le Figaro on Wednesday.

In the face of the attacks on Macron&#39;s background as a highly educated civil servant and banker, he is expected to emphasise his personal story as a self-made man born to two doctors in provincial Amiens.

&quot;I wasn&#39;t born in a chateau,&quot; he said this week, alluding to the Le Pen family mansion on the outskirts of Paris where Marine and her sisters were brought up.

Sparks flew when they faced each other in the presidential debates before the first round of voting, when Le Pen memorably accused Macron of waffling for seven minutes and saying nothing.

Macron said she was transforming France&#39;s millions of Muslims into &quot;enemies of the republic&quot;.

&quot;Everyone expects both of them to be on the offensive,&quot; said historian Christian Delporte. &quot;But Le Pen would be wrong to be too aggressive.&quot;

In the end, both candidates -- Macron because of his youth and the fact he has never held elected office, and Le Pen as an underdog formerly seen as a fringe extremist -- &quot;will need to come across as presidential&quot;, said Delporte, who specialises in political communication.

For both, the debate will be a chance to reach out to disgruntled voters -- a recent survey found that seven in 10 voters are unhappy with the choice before them.

(AFP)

Pro-European Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, and far-right leader Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front party, are vying to be the next France president.

French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen face off in a final televised debate on Wednesday which is expected to be bitter, personal and potentially decisive ahead of the run-off vote this weekend. The stakes are high ahead of the contest between the pro-European Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, and far-right leader Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front party. Their starkly different views on Europe, immigration, the economy and French identity will be explored for the first time face-to-face, after a week marked by bruising clashes between them. Polls show Macron holding a hefty but narrowing lead in the polls of 59 percent versus 41 percent, but previous debates during the rollercoaster French campaign have quickly shifted public opinion. "Our goal is to avoid being dragged into mud-slinging," an aide to Macron told AFP on condition of anonymity ahead of the two hours and 20 minutes of exchanges between the candidates. Whatever the outcome, the event marks a new step into the mainstream for Le Pen, whose party was once considered by France's political establishment to be an extremist fringe of racists to be boycotted. When her father Jean-Marie made it into the final round of the presidential election in 2002, his conservative opponent Jacques Chirac refused to debate him out of fear of "normalising hate and intolerance". Fifteen years later, Le Pen scored 21.3 percent in the first round of the French election on April 23 after successfully softening the FN's image -- but without fully removing doubt about the party's core beliefs. She has consistently sought to paint her rival as the continuation of unpopular outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande and a champion of unbridled globalisation, the financial sector and immigration. "If he finds himself in difficulty, he can always ask Francois Hollande to come and hold his hand. I won't complain," Le Pen tweeted archly on Tuesday. With Le Pen trailing in the polls, the face-off will be her biggest chance in front of a television audience to impress millions of views or induce an error by her opponent that could tilt Sunday's election in her favour. Euro in spotlight Macron, who was economy minister under Hollande, is expected to be wary of making mistakes but has signalled his intention to take on Le Pen and challenge what he calls her "dangerous" ideas for tackling the country's deep economic and social problems. "I want to go head-to-head, to get to the bottom of the issues, to show that these are false solutions," the independent centrist told BFM television Tuesday. Recent uncertainty about Le Pen's stance on withdrawing France from the euro common currency could also give him an opportunity to target what is seen as a risky and unpopular policy by many voters. "Macron would do well to put maximum emphasis on the EU issue in the debate, especially the currency," veteran political analyst Philippe Braud told AFP. "It's the issue that causes the most concern, especially for businesses. It's not for love of Europe." 'Smokescreen' Le Pen said Sunday that a new franc would be introduced for daily use while the euro would be retained for "large companies who trade internationally". "The franc to buy your baguette and the euro for multinationals... it's not so much backtracking but a smokescreen in the last days of the campaign," wrote journalist Jacques-Olivier Martin in the daily Le Figaro on Wednesday. In the face of the attacks on Macron's background as a highly educated civil servant and banker, he is expected to emphasise his personal story as a self-made man born to two doctors in provincial Amiens. "I wasn't born in a chateau," he said this week, alluding to the Le Pen family mansion on the outskirts of Paris where Marine and her sisters were brought up. Sparks flew when they faced each other in the presidential debates before the first round of voting, when Le Pen memorably accused Macron of waffling for seven minutes and saying nothing. Macron said she was transforming France's millions of Muslims into "enemies of the republic". "Everyone expects both of them to be on the offensive," said historian Christian Delporte. "But Le Pen would be wrong to be too aggressive." In the end, both candidates -- Macron because of his youth and the fact he has never held elected office, and Le Pen as an underdog formerly seen as a fringe extremist -- "will need to come across as presidential", said Delporte, who specialises in political communication. For both, the debate will be a chance to reach out to disgruntled voters -- a recent survey found that seven in 10 voters are unhappy with the choice before them. (AFP)

France election: Macron, Le Pen to lock horns in final TV debate

Stock markets mostly rose Tuesday following the previous session&#39;s record runs triggered by the first-round result of France&#39;s presidential election.

Gains were strongest in the US, where the Nasdaq surged above 6,000 for the first time and the blue-chip Dow index jumped more than one per cent following several strong earnings reports from big companies.

The increases were more modest among European equity indices, while the euro reached its highest level so far of 2017 against the dollar. &nbsp;

Global shares had soared Monday after centrist Emmanuel Macron topped the initial vote and looked well on course to beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the May 7 run-off.

&quot;Markets have continued their push higher from yesterday, although at a much more relaxed pace,&quot; said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG trading group.&nbsp;

&quot;The immediate impact of Macron&#39;s first-round success is wearing off, but the relief is still palpable among investors.&quot;

The outlook also improved for the euro currency, which no longer looks vulnerable to a so-called Frexit threatened by Le Pen.

&quot;The risk of both the euro zone and the broader European Union unraveling dissipated in a meaningful way with centrist Emmanuel Macron finishing first in last week&#39;s preliminary election and projected to take the next and final round of voting on May 7,&quot; said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions.

In the US, gains were propelled in part by strong earnings with three Dow members posting strong advances after reporting solid earnings. Industrial giant Caterpillar surged 7.9 per cent, DuPont 3.6 per cent and McDonald&#39;s 5.6 perc ent.

Analysts also have been heartened by talk in recent days from the White House touting news of a long-awaited tax cut plan, with President Donald Trump expected to release details on Wednesday.

Key figures&nbsp;at 2100 GMT&nbsp;

New York - Dow: UP 1.1 per cent at&nbsp;20,996.12 (close)

New York - S&amp;P 500: UP 0.6 per cent at 2,388.61 (close)

New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.7 per cent at 6,025.49 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2&nbsp;per cent at 7,275.64 points (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.1 per cent at 12,467.04 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.2&nbsp;per cent at 5,277.88 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.2&nbsp;per cent at 3,583.16

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 per cent at 19,079.33 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.3 per cent at 24,455.94 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.2 per cent at 3,134.57 (close)

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0934 from $1.0867 at 2100 GMT

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2835 from $1.2793

Dollar/yen: UP at 111.12 yen from 109.78 yen

Oil - Brent North Sea: UP 50 cents at $52.10 per barrel

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 33 cents at $49.56 per barrel&nbsp;

(AFP)

The outlook also improved for the euro currency, after Macron fared better than eurosceptic Marine Le Pen in the first round of French polls

Stock markets mostly rose Tuesday following the previous session's record runs triggered by the first-round result of France's presidential election. Gains were strongest in the US, where the Nasdaq surged above 6,000 for the first time and the blue-chip Dow index jumped more than one per cent following several strong earnings reports from big companies. The increases were more modest among European equity indices, while the euro reached its highest level so far of 2017 against the dollar. Global shares had soared Monday after centrist Emmanuel Macron topped the initial vote and looked well on course to beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the May 7 run-off. "Markets have continued their push higher from yesterday, although at a much more relaxed pace," said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG trading group. "The immediate impact of Macron's first-round success is wearing off, but the relief is still palpable among investors." The outlook also improved for the euro currency, which no longer looks vulnerable to a so-called Frexit threatened by Le Pen. "The risk of both the euro zone and the broader European Union unraveling dissipated in a meaningful way with centrist Emmanuel Macron finishing first in last week's preliminary election and projected to take the next and final round of voting on May 7," said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions. In the US, gains were propelled in part by strong earnings with three Dow members posting strong advances after reporting solid earnings. Industrial giant Caterpillar surged 7.9 per cent, DuPont 3.6 per cent and McDonald's 5.6 perc ent. Analysts also have been heartened by talk in recent days from the White House touting news of a long-awaited tax cut plan, with President Donald Trump expected to release details on Wednesday. Key figures at 2100 GMT New York - Dow: UP 1.1 per cent at 20,996.12 (close) New York - S&P 500: UP 0.6 per cent at 2,388.61 (close) New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.7 per cent at 6,025.49 (close) London - FTSE 100: UP 0.2 per cent at 7,275.64 points (close) Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.1 per cent at 12,467.04 (close) Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.2 per cent at 5,277.88 (close) EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.2 per cent at 3,583.16 Tokyo - Nikkei 225: UP 1.1 per cent at 19,079.33 (close) Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 1.3 per cent at 24,455.94 (close) Shanghai - Composite: UP 0.2 per cent at 3,134.57 (close) Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0934 from $1.0867 at 2100 GMT Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2835 from $1.2793 Dollar/yen: UP at 111.12 yen from 109.78 yen Oil - Brent North Sea: UP 50 cents at $52.10 per barrel Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 33 cents at $49.56 per barrel (AFP)

French election result revs up global stocks; Nasdaq touches 6,000

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

French President Francois Hollande on Monday urged voters to reject far-right leader Marine Le Pen in next month&#39;s presidential runoff against pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron.

Macron is the clear favourite to become France&#39;s youngest-ever president after topping Sunday&#39;s first round of voting with 24.01 percent of votes, ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen on 21.3 percent, according to final results.

The vote revealed a country deeply divided, with 39-year-old Macron, an advocate of open borders and free trade, leading the vote in cities and Le Pen topping the polls in rural areas that feel left behind by globalisation.

In a solemn address to voters, Hollande warned of the &quot;risk for our country&quot; of a far-right victory and said he himself would vote for Macron, who served as his economy minister for two years.

The Socialist president joined a long line of politicians urging voters to back Macron in order to thwart the anti-immigration, anti-EU Le Pen.

Le Pen seized on the flurry of endorsements for Macron from the ruling Socialists and main opposition Republicans -- both of which crashed out in the first round -- as proof he was the choice of a discredited old guard.

Visiting a market in the northern town of Rouvroy on Monday, 48-year-old Le Pen lashed out at the &quot;rotten old republican front&quot; -- the ad-hoc anti-FN coalition formed by mainstream parties whenever the party is at the gates of power.

&quot;I&#39;ve come here to start the second round campaign in the only way I know -- on the ground with the French people,&quot; she said.

She later told France 2 television: &quot;Nothing in either Mr Macron&#39;s policies or his behaviour suggests the slightest proof of love for France,&quot; and insisted, &quot;We are going to win.&quot;

Le Pen, who is also FN leader, also said she was setting party affairs to one side in order to concentrate on the campaign.

&quot;I will feel freer, I will be above partisan considerations, it&#39;s an important act,&quot; Le Pen said.

Macron received several congratulatory calls on Monday from European leaders relieved to find him in pole position.

Thanking Hollande in a tweet for his support, the former investment banker called on the French to &quot;remain true to France&#39;s values&quot; in the May 7 runoff.

He and Le Pen will take part in a TV debate on May 3.

According to two opinions that were carried out on Sunday night, Macron would beat Le Pen by 62-64 percent over 36-38 percent.

&#39;Healing wounds&#39;&nbsp;

Sunday&#39;s results were a stunning blow to France&#39;s traditional political class, with voters fleeing the ruling Socialists and conservative Republicans who have governed for the past half-century.

Both Macron and Le Pen campaigned as rebels who transcended the left-right divide.&nbsp;

Republicans candidate Francois Fillon was seen as the favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife and two of his children fictitious jobs as parliamentary assistants.

In the end, Fillon trailed in third with 20.01 percent, ahead of radical left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon on 19.58 percent.

On Monday, Fillon told the party&#39;s top brass he lacked &quot;the legitimacy&quot; to lead them into parliamentary elections in June.&nbsp;

&quot;I need to rethink my life and heal my family&#39;s wounds,&quot; he told them, according to a statement.

Fillon and fifth-placed Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon have both rallied behind Macron.&nbsp;

But &nbsp;Melenchon has pointedly avoided backing the centrist. The leaders of the Republicans squabbled Monday over whether to endorse Macron openly or simply urge supporters not to vote for Le Pen.&nbsp;

&#39;Patriots v nationalists&#39;&nbsp;

Addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters in Paris on Sunday evening, Macron said he aimed to unite &quot;patriots&quot; against &quot;the threat of nationalists&quot;.

Le Pen, who has been hoping to emulate Donald Trump&#39;s victory in the US, said the French faced a choice between &quot;runaway globalisation&quot; and a protectionist France.

Her plans to restore France&#39;s borders with its European neighbours, pull out of the eurozone and hold a referendum on leaving the EU had sown fear of another devastating blow to the bloc after Britain&#39;s vote to leave.

The euro and European stocks rose Monday, buoyed by expectations that Macron is the hot favourite for next president.

Le Pen gained over 1.2 million new voters compared with her last presidential bid in 2012, securing 7.7 million ballots, a result she hailed as &quot;historic&quot;.

But her share of the vote was far below a March poll high of 27 percent.

She follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what was a political earthquake for France.

Le Pen senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out.

Sunday&#39;s first round capped a rollercoaster campaign in a demoralised France, which has been rocked by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and is struggling to shake off a deep economic malaise.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(AFP)

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen is currently topping the polls in rural areas that feel left behind by globalisation

French President Francois Hollande on Monday urged voters to reject far-right leader Marine Le Pen in next month's presidential runoff against pro-EU candidate Emmanuel Macron. Macron is the clear favourite to become France's youngest-ever president after topping Sunday's first round of voting with 24.01 percent of votes, ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen on 21.3 percent, according to final results. The vote revealed a country deeply divided, with 39-year-old Macron, an advocate of open borders and free trade, leading the vote in cities and Le Pen topping the polls in rural areas that feel left behind by globalisation. In a solemn address to voters, Hollande warned of the "risk for our country" of a far-right victory and said he himself would vote for Macron, who served as his economy minister for two years. The Socialist president joined a long line of politicians urging voters to back Macron in order to thwart the anti-immigration, anti-EU Le Pen. Le Pen seized on the flurry of endorsements for Macron from the ruling Socialists and main opposition Republicans -- both of which crashed out in the first round -- as proof he was the choice of a discredited old guard. Visiting a market in the northern town of Rouvroy on Monday, 48-year-old Le Pen lashed out at the "rotten old republican front" -- the ad-hoc anti-FN coalition formed by mainstream parties whenever the party is at the gates of power. "I've come here to start the second round campaign in the only way I know -- on the ground with the French people," she said. She later told France 2 television: "Nothing in either Mr Macron's policies or his behaviour suggests the slightest proof of love for France," and insisted, "We are going to win." Le Pen, who is also FN leader, also said she was setting party affairs to one side in order to concentrate on the campaign. "I will feel freer, I will be above partisan considerations, it's an important act," Le Pen said. Macron received several congratulatory calls on Monday from European leaders relieved to find him in pole position. Thanking Hollande in a tweet for his support, the former investment banker called on the French to "remain true to France's values" in the May 7 runoff. He and Le Pen will take part in a TV debate on May 3. According to two opinions that were carried out on Sunday night, Macron would beat Le Pen by 62-64 percent over 36-38 percent. 'Healing wounds' Sunday's results were a stunning blow to France's traditional political class, with voters fleeing the ruling Socialists and conservative Republicans who have governed for the past half-century. Both Macron and Le Pen campaigned as rebels who transcended the left-right divide. Republicans candidate Francois Fillon was seen as the favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife and two of his children fictitious jobs as parliamentary assistants. In the end, Fillon trailed in third with 20.01 percent, ahead of radical left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon on 19.58 percent. On Monday, Fillon told the party's top brass he lacked "the legitimacy" to lead them into parliamentary elections in June. "I need to rethink my life and heal my family's wounds," he told them, according to a statement. Fillon and fifth-placed Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon have both rallied behind Macron. But Melenchon has pointedly avoided backing the centrist. The leaders of the Republicans squabbled Monday over whether to endorse Macron openly or simply urge supporters not to vote for Le Pen. 'Patriots v nationalists' Addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters in Paris on Sunday evening, Macron said he aimed to unite "patriots" against "the threat of nationalists". Le Pen, who has been hoping to emulate Donald Trump's victory in the US, said the French faced a choice between "runaway globalisation" and a protectionist France. Her plans to restore France's borders with its European neighbours, pull out of the eurozone and hold a referendum on leaving the EU had sown fear of another devastating blow to the bloc after Britain's vote to leave. The euro and European stocks rose Monday, buoyed by expectations that Macron is the hot favourite for next president. Le Pen gained over 1.2 million new voters compared with her last presidential bid in 2012, securing 7.7 million ballots, a result she hailed as "historic". But her share of the vote was far below a March poll high of 27 percent. She follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what was a political earthquake for France. Le Pen senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out. Sunday's first round capped a rollercoaster campaign in a demoralised France, which has been rocked by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and is struggling to shake off a deep economic malaise. (AFP)

French election: Hollande urges voters to reject Le Pen

Indian shares rose on Monday and the rupee strengthened as investors breathed a sigh of relief after the market&#39;s favoured candidate, Emmanuel Macron, won the first round of the French presidential election.

The outcome led to a mass unwinding of safe-haven trades in favour of riskier assets, although in India gains were tempered as investors awaited a slew of quarterly earnings reports, including that of Reliance Industries Ltd due later in the day.

&quot;There&#39;s a good chance in France for Macron to win, which is positive for global markets,&quot; said Neeraj Dewan, director at Quantum Securities.

Macron will now face far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a May 7 runoff, with opinion polls on Sunday predicting an easy win for him in the final clash.

The broader NSE Nifty rose 0.62 percent to 9,175.60 by 0622 GMT, while the benchmark BSE Sensex was 0.52 percent higher at 29,518.15.

The rupee strengthened to 64.4850/4900 per dollar from its close of 64.61/62 on Friday, but bonds fell, with the benchmark 10-year bond yield rising 2 basis points to 6.94 percent.

Cement stocks were among the biggest gainers on the NSE index, following better-than-expected quarterly results by ACC Ltd on Friday. The Nifty realty index climbed as much as 3.9 percent to its highest since July 2014.

ACC gained as much as 6.2 percent and was the top percentage gainer on the Nifty.

HDFC Bank Ltd rose as much as 2.8 percent to a record high after the country&#39;s second-biggest lender by assets on Friday reported higher-than-expected profit for the March quarter.

But IT stocks fell on continued concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump&#39;s order last week to a review the country&#39;s visa program to encourage hiring Americans. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Infosys Ltd, and Wipro Ltd dropped more than 1 percent each.

Indian firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Wipro are top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme, using it to send computer engineers to service clients in the U.S., their largest overseas market.

(Reuters)

The outcome led to a mass unwinding of safe-haven trades in favour of riskier assets

Indian shares rose on Monday and the rupee strengthened as investors breathed a sigh of relief after the market's favoured candidate, Emmanuel Macron, won the first round of the French presidential election. The outcome led to a mass unwinding of safe-haven trades in favour of riskier assets, although in India gains were tempered as investors awaited a slew of quarterly earnings reports, including that of Reliance Industries Ltd due later in the day. "There's a good chance in France for Macron to win, which is positive for global markets," said Neeraj Dewan, director at Quantum Securities. Macron will now face far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a May 7 runoff, with opinion polls on Sunday predicting an easy win for him in the final clash. The broader NSE Nifty rose 0.62 percent to 9,175.60 by 0622 GMT, while the benchmark BSE Sensex was 0.52 percent higher at 29,518.15. The rupee strengthened to 64.4850/4900 per dollar from its close of 64.61/62 on Friday, but bonds fell, with the benchmark 10-year bond yield rising 2 basis points to 6.94 percent. Cement stocks were among the biggest gainers on the NSE index, following better-than-expected quarterly results by ACC Ltd on Friday. The Nifty realty index climbed as much as 3.9 percent to its highest since July 2014. ACC gained as much as 6.2 percent and was the top percentage gainer on the Nifty. HDFC Bank Ltd rose as much as 2.8 percent to a record high after the country's second-biggest lender by assets on Friday reported higher-than-expected profit for the March quarter. But IT stocks fell on continued concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's order last week to a review the country's visa program to encourage hiring Americans. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Infosys Ltd, and Wipro Ltd dropped more than 1 percent each. Indian firms like Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, and Wipro are top beneficiaries of the H-1B visa programme, using it to send computer engineers to service clients in the U.S., their largest overseas market. (Reuters)

Sensex, rupee rise as French vote brings relief

Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday emerged as the projected winners of a nail-biting first round presidential vote in France.

The likely result clears the way for a straight two-way fight between the pair in a second and final round on May 7, with opinion polls saying Macron is the favourite.

Here are some of the first reactions to Sunday&#39;s vote:

European Union&nbsp;

European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated the pro-EU Macron after projections showed him ahead in the first round and wished him &quot;good luck&quot; in the run-off.

&quot;To see the flags of #France and the EU greet the result of @emmanuelmacron, it&#39;s the hope and future of our generation,&quot; tweeted EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister.

Michel Barnier, the European Commission&#39;s chief negotiator on Britain&#39;s withdrawal from the EU, hinted at concerns that Le Pen could lead France away from the bloc.

&quot;Patriot and European, I will put my trust in Emmanuel Macron on May 7. France must remain European,&quot; the Frenchman tweeted.

Germany&nbsp;

Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman wished Macron &quot;all the best for the next two weeks&quot;.

&quot;It&#39;s good that Emmanuel Macron was successful with his course for a strong EU and social market economy,&quot; Steffen Seibert said in a tweet.

Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel predicted that the 39-year-old Macron would be the next president of France.

&quot;I&#39;m sure he will sweep away the far-right, right-wing populism and the anti-Europeans in the second round,&quot; Social Democrat Gabriel said in a video posted on Twitter during a trip to Jordan&#39;s capital Amman.

Writing on Twitter, he added: &quot;I&#39;m glad that @EmmanuelMacron is leading the field. He was the only truly pro-European candidate.&quot;

Britain&nbsp;

Former Conservative finance minister George Osborne, recently appointed editor of London&#39;s Evening Standard newspaper, hailed a good result for the centre.

&quot;Congratulations to my friend&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/" shape="rect" target="_blank">@EmmanuelMacron</a>. Proof you can win from the centre. At last, the chance for the leadership that France needs,&quot; he tweeted.

Denmark&nbsp;

Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed cautious optimism that former banker Macron would emerge victorious over Le Pen.

&quot;Congratulations&nbsp;<a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron" shape="rect" target="_blank">@EmmanuelMacron</a>. We should await the final election, but Europe needs an openminded and reform oriented France =&gt; Good luck!&quot;

Norway&nbsp;

Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende, whose country is not a member of the European Union, tweeted: &quot;We need more not less cooperation in #Europe. Positive that @EmmanuelMacron is projected to win first round of #franceelections.

The Netherlands&nbsp;

Geert Wilders, Dutch MP and leader of the anti-Islam anti-immigrant Freedom Party, swung behind Le Pen, welcoming the result as a &quot;bright day for patriots in France and elsewhere who want more national sovereignty and less EU and immigration.

&quot;I have just sent her my sincere congratulations. Now on the way to a vigorous second round, I am hoping for a President Le Pen.&quot;

(AFP)

Earlier, Macron and Le Pen emerged as the projected winners of the first round of the election vote

Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday emerged as the projected winners of a nail-biting first round presidential vote in France. The likely result clears the way for a straight two-way fight between the pair in a second and final round on May 7, with opinion polls saying Macron is the favourite. Here are some of the first reactions to Sunday's vote: European Union European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated the pro-EU Macron after projections showed him ahead in the first round and wished him "good luck" in the run-off. "To see the flags of #France and the EU greet the result of @emmanuelmacron, it's the hope and future of our generation," tweeted EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister. Michel Barnier, the European Commission's chief negotiator on Britain's withdrawal from the EU, hinted at concerns that Le Pen could lead France away from the bloc. "Patriot and European, I will put my trust in Emmanuel Macron on May 7. France must remain European," the Frenchman tweeted. Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman wished Macron "all the best for the next two weeks". "It's good that Emmanuel Macron was successful with his course for a strong EU and social market economy," Steffen Seibert said in a tweet. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel predicted that the 39-year-old Macron would be the next president of France. "I'm sure he will sweep away the far-right, right-wing populism and the anti-Europeans in the second round," Social Democrat Gabriel said in a video posted on Twitter during a trip to Jordan's capital Amman. Writing on Twitter, he added: "I'm glad that @EmmanuelMacron is leading the field. He was the only truly pro-European candidate." Britain Former Conservative finance minister George Osborne, recently appointed editor of London's Evening Standard newspaper, hailed a good result for the centre. "Congratulations to my friend @EmmanuelMacron. Proof you can win from the centre. At last, the chance for the leadership that France needs," he tweeted. Denmark Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen expressed cautious optimism that former banker Macron would emerge victorious over Le Pen. "Congratulations @EmmanuelMacron. We should await the final election, but Europe needs an openminded and reform oriented France => Good luck!" Norway Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende, whose country is not a member of the European Union, tweeted: "We need more not less cooperation in #Europe. Positive that @EmmanuelMacron is projected to win first round of #franceelections. The Netherlands Geert Wilders, Dutch MP and leader of the anti-Islam anti-immigrant Freedom Party, swung behind Le Pen, welcoming the result as a "bright day for patriots in France and elsewhere who want more national sovereignty and less EU and immigration. "I have just sent her my sincere congratulations. Now on the way to a vigorous second round, I am hoping for a President Le Pen." (AFP)

World's reaction to France's presidential election

The killing of a policeman by a suspected Islamist militant pushed national security to the top of the French political agenda on Friday, two days before the presidential election.

With the first round of voting in the two-stage election taking place on Sunday, far-right nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen promised tougher immigration and border controls to beat &quot;Islamist terrorism&quot; if elected.

Centrist Emmanuel Macron, who narrowly leads a tight race ahead of Le Pen, said the solutions were not as simple as she suggested, and that there was &quot;no such thing as zero risk&quot;.

Anyone who said otherwise was irresponsible, said Macron, a former economy minister in the government that Le Pen has repeatedly criticised for its security record.

There are four leading candidates in a race that is still too close to call. Sunday&#39;s voting will be followed by a runoff on May 7 between the top two candidates.

The first poll conducted entirely after Thursday&#39;s attack suggested Le Pen had gained some ground on Macron.

While he was still seen winning the first round with 24.5 per cent, his score slipped half a percentage point while Le Pen&#39;s rose by one to 23 per cent.

Conservative Francois Fillon, a former prime minister, and the far left&#39;s Jean-Luc Melenchon were both down half a per centage point on 19 per cent in the Odoxa poll for the newspaper Le Point.

The attack on the Champs-Elysees boulevard in the very heart of the capital added a new source of unpredictability to an election that will decide the management of France&#39;s 2.2 trillion euro economy, which vies with Britain for the rank of fifth largest in the world.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump told the Associated Press on Friday he thought the attack will &quot;probably help&quot; Le Pen because she is the candidate who is &quot;strongest on borders, and she&#39;s the strongest on what&#39;s been going on in France.&quot;

Trump told the AP in an interview he was not explicitly endorsing Le Pen but that he believes the attack will affect how French people vote on Sunday.

The outcome could also have a bearing on France&#39;s place in the world and in a European Union still reeling from Britain&#39;s decision to leave. While Macron is ardently pro-EU, Le Pen wants to quit its single currency and potentially hold a referendum on leaving the bloc.

All the candidates are seeking to woo the huge number of undecideds - some 31 per cent of those likely to vote, according to an Ipsos poll on Friday.

Fillon also seized on the attack, which was claimed by the militant group Islamic State, saying the fight against &quot;Islamist totalitarianism&quot; should be the priority of the next president. &quot;It&#39;s us or them,&quot; he said.

Trump tweet

Financial markets, though, shrugged off the latest twist in the campaign, with French benchmark bond yields hitting a three-month low.

The Champs-Elysees shooting is the latest in a series of attacks by Islamist militants on France since 2015, in which more than 200 people have been killed. A truck ploughed into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice last year, killing more than 80, while coordinated attacks on the Bataclan concert hall and other sites in Paris claimed about 130 lives in November 2015. There have also been attacks on a satirical weekly and a kosher store.

However, previous attacks that have taken place shortly before elections, including the November 2015 attacks in Paris ahead of regional polls, and a shooting in a Jewish school before the 2012 presidentials, did not appear to boost the scores of those espousing tougher national security.

An assault on a soldier in February at Paris&#39;s Louvre museum by a man wielding a machete also had no obvious impact on this year&#39;s opinion polls, which have consistently said that voters see unemployment and the trustworthiness of politicians as bigger issues.

Security forces on alert&nbsp;

One policeman was shot dead and two others were wounded in Thursday night&#39;s attack.

Investigators are trying to assess whether the gunman had accomplices, anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference, adding that the shooter had never shown any signs of radicalisation despite a long police history.

After an emergency meeting of security officials, Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said security forces, including elite units, were on alert to back up the 50,000 police earmarked to ensure safety during the election.

&quot;The government is fully mobilised. Nothing must be allowed to impede the fundamental democratic process of our country,&quot; Cazeneuve told reporters. &quot;It falls to us not to give in to fear and intimidation and manipulation, which would play into the hands of the enemy.&quot;

Controls on immigration and national security are cornerstones of Le Pen&#39;s National Front agenda, and on Friday she said she would reinstate border checks and expel foreigners who are on intelligence services&#39; watch lists.

Macron was quick to respond.

&quot;I&#39;ve heard Madame Le Pen saying again recently that, with her in charge, certain attacks would have been avoided,&quot; he told RTL Radio. &quot;There&#39;s no such thing as zero risk. Anyone who pretends (otherwise) is both irresponsible and deceitful.&quot;

Tight race

In an Elabe poll conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, and published on Friday, both Fillon and Melenchon were seen narrowing Macron and Le Pen&#39;s lead.

Should both Macron and Le Pen make it to the second round, he was likely to win the runoff by 65 per cent to 35, according to the survey for BFM TV and L&#39;Express magazine.

Fillon, who has slowly clawed back some ground lost after a fake jobs scandal, saw his score in the first round rise half a percentage point to 20 per cent.

Melenchon, who would hike taxes on the rich and spend 100 billion euros ($107 billion) of borrowed money on vast housebuilding and renewable energy projects, gained 1.5 points to 19.5 per cent as he built further on the momentum he has generated with strong performances in television debates.

If Melenchon makes it to the runoff, he was projected by the survey to beat either Le Pen or Fillon by comfortable margins, although he was seen losing to Macron by 41 per cent to 59.

(Reuters)

There are four leading candidates in a race that is still too close to call. Sunday's voting will be followed by a runoff on May 7 between the top two candidates

The killing of a policeman by a suspected Islamist militant pushed national security to the top of the French political agenda on Friday, two days before the presidential election. With the first round of voting in the two-stage election taking place on Sunday, far-right nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen promised tougher immigration and border controls to beat "Islamist terrorism" if elected. Centrist Emmanuel Macron, who narrowly leads a tight race ahead of Le Pen, said the solutions were not as simple as she suggested, and that there was "no such thing as zero risk". Anyone who said otherwise was irresponsible, said Macron, a former economy minister in the government that Le Pen has repeatedly criticised for its security record. There are four leading candidates in a race that is still too close to call. Sunday's voting will be followed by a runoff on May 7 between the top two candidates. The first poll conducted entirely after Thursday's attack suggested Le Pen had gained some ground on Macron. While he was still seen winning the first round with 24.5 per cent, his score slipped half a percentage point while Le Pen's rose by one to 23 per cent. Conservative Francois Fillon, a former prime minister, and the far left's Jean-Luc Melenchon were both down half a per centage point on 19 per cent in the Odoxa poll for the newspaper Le Point. The attack on the Champs-Elysees boulevard in the very heart of the capital added a new source of unpredictability to an election that will decide the management of France's 2.2 trillion euro economy, which vies with Britain for the rank of fifth largest in the world. US President Donald Trump told the Associated Press on Friday he thought the attack will "probably help" Le Pen because she is the candidate who is "strongest on borders, and she's the strongest on what's been going on in France." Trump told the AP in an interview he was not explicitly endorsing Le Pen but that he believes the attack will affect how French people vote on Sunday. The outcome could also have a bearing on France's place in the world and in a European Union still reeling from Britain's decision to leave. While Macron is ardently pro-EU, Le Pen wants to quit its single currency and potentially hold a referendum on leaving the bloc. All the candidates are seeking to woo the huge number of undecideds - some 31 per cent of those likely to vote, according to an Ipsos poll on Friday. Fillon also seized on the attack, which was claimed by the militant group Islamic State, saying the fight against "Islamist totalitarianism" should be the priority of the next president. "It's us or them," he said. Trump tweet Financial markets, though, shrugged off the latest twist in the campaign, with French benchmark bond yields hitting a three-month low. The Champs-Elysees shooting is the latest in a series of attacks by Islamist militants on France since 2015, in which more than 200 people have been killed. A truck ploughed into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice last year, killing more than 80, while coordinated attacks on the Bataclan concert hall and other sites in Paris claimed about 130 lives in November 2015. There have also been attacks on a satirical weekly and a kosher store. However, previous attacks that have taken place shortly before elections, including the November 2015 attacks in Paris ahead of regional polls, and a shooting in a Jewish school before the 2012 presidentials, did not appear to boost the scores of those espousing tougher national security. An assault on a soldier in February at Paris's Louvre museum by a man wielding a machete also had no obvious impact on this year's opinion polls, which have consistently said that voters see unemployment and the trustworthiness of politicians as bigger issues. Security forces on alert One policeman was shot dead and two others were wounded in Thursday night's attack. Investigators are trying to assess whether the gunman had accomplices, anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference, adding that the shooter had never shown any signs of radicalisation despite a long police history. After an emergency meeting of security officials, Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said security forces, including elite units, were on alert to back up the 50,000 police earmarked to ensure safety during the election. "The government is fully mobilised. Nothing must be allowed to impede the fundamental democratic process of our country," Cazeneuve told reporters. "It falls to us not to give in to fear and intimidation and manipulation, which would play into the hands of the enemy." Controls on immigration and national security are cornerstones of Le Pen's National Front agenda, and on Friday she said she would reinstate border checks and expel foreigners who are on intelligence services' watch lists. Macron was quick to respond. "I've heard Madame Le Pen saying again recently that, with her in charge, certain attacks would have been avoided," he told RTL Radio. "There's no such thing as zero risk. Anyone who pretends (otherwise) is both irresponsible and deceitful." Tight race In an Elabe poll conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, and published on Friday, both Fillon and Melenchon were seen narrowing Macron and Le Pen's lead. Should both Macron and Le Pen make it to the second round, he was likely to win the runoff by 65 per cent to 35, according to the survey for BFM TV and L'Express magazine. Fillon, who has slowly clawed back some ground lost after a fake jobs scandal, saw his score in the first round rise half a percentage point to 20 per cent. Melenchon, who would hike taxes on the rich and spend 100 billion euros ($107 billion) of borrowed money on vast housebuilding and renewable energy projects, gained 1.5 points to 19.5 per cent as he built further on the momentum he has generated with strong performances in television debates. If Melenchon makes it to the runoff, he was projected by the survey to beat either Le Pen or Fillon by comfortable margins, although he was seen losing to Macron by 41 per cent to 59. (Reuters)

Security dominates French presidential election after Paris shooting

Firebrand leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon was found the most convincing performer by French viewers of Tuesday night&#39;s televised debate among the 11 candidates running in this month&#39;s presidential election, a snap poll showed.

The poll by Elabe for BFM TV said Melenchon had managed to convince 25 per cent of those who had watched the four-hour long debate. Some 21 per cent found centrist Emmanuel Macron as the most convincing, the second best score.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen came in fourth behind conservative Francois Fillon, with 11 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.

However, Macron was seen in the same poll as having the best program of all the candidates by 23 per cent of viewers, followed by Melenchon with 22 per cent and Fillon with 18 per cent.

The two leading candidates, Macron and Le Pen, clashed sharply over Europe during the debate.

Voting in the first round of the election is set for April 23 with a runoff between the two leading candidates on May 7.

(Reuters)

Jean-Luc Melenchon managed to convince 25% of the viewers, followed by Macron, Fillon and Le Pen

Firebrand leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon was found the most convincing performer by French viewers of Tuesday night's televised debate among the 11 candidates running in this month's presidential election, a snap poll showed. The poll by Elabe for BFM TV said Melenchon had managed to convince 25 per cent of those who had watched the four-hour long debate. Some 21 per cent found centrist Emmanuel Macron as the most convincing, the second best score. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen came in fourth behind conservative Francois Fillon, with 11 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. However, Macron was seen in the same poll as having the best program of all the candidates by 23 per cent of viewers, followed by Melenchon with 22 per cent and Fillon with 18 per cent. The two leading candidates, Macron and Le Pen, clashed sharply over Europe during the debate. Voting in the first round of the election is set for April 23 with a runoff between the two leading candidates on May 7. (Reuters)

French election: Leftist Melenchon most convincing in live TV debate

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