The leaders of France and Britain on Tuesday announced an anti-terror action plan to crack down on radicalisation through social media.

After talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said both countries agreed that social networks were not doing enough to stamp out terror propaganda.

Speaking after terror attacks in Manchester and London, Macron said the two countries had worked on a &quot;very concrete&quot; action plan.

He said one of the key measures would aim at preventing the incitement of &quot;hate and terrorism&quot; on the internet.

May said she and Macron agreed that &quot;more should be done to tackle the terrorist threat online&quot;.

She said the British and French campaign was aimed to &quot;ensure the internet cannot... be used to host the radicalising material that leads to so much harm.&quot;

May said the British government was already working with social media companies &quot;to halt the spread of extremist material and poisonous propaganda that warps young minds&quot;, adding: &quot;But we know they need to do more.

&quot;Today we can announce that the UK and France will work together to encourage organisations to do more and abide by their social responsibility to step up their efforts to remove harmful content from their networks.&quot;

The campaign includes exploring the possibility of legal penalties against tech companies if they fail to take the necessary action to remove unacceptable content, May said.

Britain was rocked by a suicide bombing at a pop concert in Manchester on May 22 which killed 22 people, including children, followed two weeks later by a knife and van attack in central London, which left eight dead.

France has been a constant target for jihadist attacks since 2015, with more than 230 people killed.

After their press conference the two leaders headed to the Stade de France to watch a friendly match between the French and English football teams.

May and Macron agreed that 'more should be done to tackle the terrorist threat online'

The leaders of France and Britain on Tuesday announced an anti-terror action plan to crack down on radicalisation through social media. After talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said both countries agreed that social networks were not doing enough to stamp out terror propaganda. Speaking after terror attacks in Manchester and London, Macron said the two countries had worked on a "very concrete" action plan. He said one of the key measures would aim at preventing the incitement of "hate and terrorism" on the internet. May said she and Macron agreed that "more should be done to tackle the terrorist threat online". She said the British and French campaign was aimed to "ensure the internet cannot... be used to host the radicalising material that leads to so much harm." May said the British government was already working with social media companies "to halt the spread of extremist material and poisonous propaganda that warps young minds", adding: "But we know they need to do more. "Today we can announce that the UK and France will work together to encourage organisations to do more and abide by their social responsibility to step up their efforts to remove harmful content from their networks." The campaign includes exploring the possibility of legal penalties against tech companies if they fail to take the necessary action to remove unacceptable content, May said. Britain was rocked by a suicide bombing at a pop concert in Manchester on May 22 which killed 22 people, including children, followed two weeks later by a knife and van attack in central London, which left eight dead. France has been a constant target for jihadist attacks since 2015, with more than 230 people killed. After their press conference the two leaders headed to the Stade de France to watch a friendly match between the French and English football teams.

France and UK announce anti-terror action plan

French voters went back to the polls on Sunday for the first round of parliamentary elections that are tipped to give President Emmanuel Macron&#39;s centrist party a commanding majority.

Polling stations opened across France at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and voting will continue in the largest cities until 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) with exit polls released immediately afterwards.

Macron has enjoyed a smooth start in the five weeks since he beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen to become France&#39;s youngest-ever president, naming a cabinet that crosses left-right lines and making a big impression at international summits.

His untested Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) party, which he only founded in April 2016, now needs a clear majority in the National Assembly for him to push through the reforms he has promised.

A host of opinion polls show Macron&#39;s party taking around 30 per cent of the vote on Sunday, putting it in pole position to secure a landslide in the second round next Sunday.

Some predictions show REM could take around 400 seats in the 577-seat chamber. The party has already had a boost after its candidates came first in 10 of the 11 French overseas constituencies that voted before the mainland.

If no candidate wins over 50 per cent in the first round, the two top-placed go into the second round -- as well as any candidate who won the votes of over 12.5 per cent of the electorate.

More than 50,000 police will be on patrol in a country still under a state of emergency following a wave of attacks that have killed more than 230 people since 2015.

In the latest incident, which took place on Tuesday, a 40-year-old self-radicalised Algerian was shot and wounded after attacking a policeman with a hammer outside Paris&#39; Notre Dame cathedral.

&nbsp;

Breaking the mould&nbsp;

French voters have traditionally rallied behind their new leader in the legislative elections that follow the presidential ballot.

Macron&#39;s predecessors Francois Hollande in 2012, Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007 and Jacques Chirac in 2002 all won outright majorities. Unlike Macron, however, they all came from long-established parties.

REM reflects the president&#39;s desire for a new brand of politics.&nbsp;

Initially dismissed by Macron&#39;s opponents as a movement of young activists without any real roots, it will field 530 candidates on Sunday.

In a bid to renew the political scene, many have never stood for office before, such as Marie Sara, a rare female bullfighter, who is taking on a senior member of Le Pen&#39;s National Front in southern France, Gilbert Collard.

&nbsp;

Cleaning up politics

Macron has banned all REM candidates from employing family members if elected and they must not perform consultancy work while lawmakers.

The edicts follow the scandal that sunk the presidential chances of Francois Fillon, candidate for the rightwing Republicans party, who is facing criminal charges for paying his wife Penelope more than 900,000 euros ($1.0 million) as his parliamentary assistant.&nbsp;

Fillon denies the charges.&nbsp;

Given Macron&#39;s attempts to clean up French politics, he faced embarrassment on Friday when his small centrist ally, the MoDem party, was placed under preliminary investigation on suspicion of employing fake parliamentary assistants at the European Parliament.

One of Macron&#39;s ministers, Richard Ferrand, is also being probed over a property deal involving his wife.

With the political tide turning against the main parties of left and right, they have warned that a landslide could be bad for democracy.

&quot;I don&#39;t think it would be healthy for the democratic debate over the next five years,&quot; said Francois Baroin, who is leading the Republicans as they try to bounce back from Fillon&#39;s failure in the presidential election.

The Socialists of former president Hollande fear heavy losses after a disastrous performance in the presidential election.

&nbsp;

Le Pen defiant

Le Pen&#39;s party meanwhile looks set to struggle to win 15 seats nationally, a score that would represent another deep disappointment after she was soundly beaten by Macron.

But Le Pen remains defiant, telling AFP this week that with other parties likely to agree to work with Macron, &quot;we will be the only opposition force&quot;.

Macron has appealed to voters to give him a strong mandate to overhaul the labour market whose rigid rules on hiring and firing are blamed by many economists for preventing growth.

The president was economy minister in the previous Socialist government that began introducing the reforms, sparking mass demonstrations in 2016 that lasted for months.

(AFP)

Some predictions show Macron's party could take around 400 seats in the 577-seat chamber

French voters went back to the polls on Sunday for the first round of parliamentary elections that are tipped to give President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party a commanding majority. Polling stations opened across France at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and voting will continue in the largest cities until 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) with exit polls released immediately afterwards. Macron has enjoyed a smooth start in the five weeks since he beat far-right candidate Marine Le Pen to become France's youngest-ever president, naming a cabinet that crosses left-right lines and making a big impression at international summits. His untested Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move, REM) party, which he only founded in April 2016, now needs a clear majority in the National Assembly for him to push through the reforms he has promised. A host of opinion polls show Macron's party taking around 30 per cent of the vote on Sunday, putting it in pole position to secure a landslide in the second round next Sunday. Some predictions show REM could take around 400 seats in the 577-seat chamber. The party has already had a boost after its candidates came first in 10 of the 11 French overseas constituencies that voted before the mainland. If no candidate wins over 50 per cent in the first round, the two top-placed go into the second round -- as well as any candidate who won the votes of over 12.5 per cent of the electorate. More than 50,000 police will be on patrol in a country still under a state of emergency following a wave of attacks that have killed more than 230 people since 2015. In the latest incident, which took place on Tuesday, a 40-year-old self-radicalised Algerian was shot and wounded after attacking a policeman with a hammer outside Paris' Notre Dame cathedral. Breaking the mould French voters have traditionally rallied behind their new leader in the legislative elections that follow the presidential ballot. Macron's predecessors Francois Hollande in 2012, Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007 and Jacques Chirac in 2002 all won outright majorities. Unlike Macron, however, they all came from long-established parties. REM reflects the president's desire for a new brand of politics. Initially dismissed by Macron's opponents as a movement of young activists without any real roots, it will field 530 candidates on Sunday. In a bid to renew the political scene, many have never stood for office before, such as Marie Sara, a rare female bullfighter, who is taking on a senior member of Le Pen's National Front in southern France, Gilbert Collard. Cleaning up politics Macron has banned all REM candidates from employing family members if elected and they must not perform consultancy work while lawmakers. The edicts follow the scandal that sunk the presidential chances of Francois Fillon, candidate for the rightwing Republicans party, who is facing criminal charges for paying his wife Penelope more than 900,000 euros ($1.0 million) as his parliamentary assistant. Fillon denies the charges. Given Macron's attempts to clean up French politics, he faced embarrassment on Friday when his small centrist ally, the MoDem party, was placed under preliminary investigation on suspicion of employing fake parliamentary assistants at the European Parliament. One of Macron's ministers, Richard Ferrand, is also being probed over a property deal involving his wife. With the political tide turning against the main parties of left and right, they have warned that a landslide could be bad for democracy. "I don't think it would be healthy for the democratic debate over the next five years," said Francois Baroin, who is leading the Republicans as they try to bounce back from Fillon's failure in the presidential election. The Socialists of former president Hollande fear heavy losses after a disastrous performance in the presidential election. Le Pen defiant Le Pen's party meanwhile looks set to struggle to win 15 seats nationally, a score that would represent another deep disappointment after she was soundly beaten by Macron. But Le Pen remains defiant, telling AFP this week that with other parties likely to agree to work with Macron, "we will be the only opposition force". Macron has appealed to voters to give him a strong mandate to overhaul the labour market whose rigid rules on hiring and firing are blamed by many economists for preventing growth. The president was economy minister in the previous Socialist government that began introducing the reforms, sparking mass demonstrations in 2016 that lasted for months. (AFP)

Macron seeks majority as France votes for new parliament

French President Emmanuel Macron met Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin near Paris on Monday, promising some frank talking with the Kremlin leader after an election campaign in which his team accused Russian media of trying to interfere.

Macron, in a press conference, standing right beside Putin, blasted Russia Today and Sputnik for carrying election&nbsp;&quot;propaganda&quot; during the recently held presidential elections, AFP Reported.

Here is the footage of the press conference, though the French president spoke in French.

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Macron calls RT and Sputnik purveyors of propaganda and lies while standing adjacent to Putin. <a href="https://t.co/7cKW09I1lv">https://t.co/7cKW09I1lv</a>
&mdash; Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) <a href="https://twitter.com/nktpnd/status/869228285812760576">May 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Macron, who took office two weeks ago, has said dialogue with Russia is vital in tackling a number of international disputes. Nevertheless, relations have been beset by mistrust, with Paris and Moscow backing opposing sides in the Syrian civil war and at odds over the Ukraine conflict.

The French president also raised the issue of chemical weapons in Syria.

He said that the use of chemical weapons will be treated as a red line and any violation will attract strong response&nbsp;from them.

&quot;Any use of chemical weapons would results in reprisals and an immediate riposte, at least where France is concerned,&quot; Macron said at a joint news conference with Putin in which he added that his aim was the fight against terrorism in the country.

Fresh from talks with his Western counterparts at a NATO meeting in Brussels and a G7 summit in Sicily, Macron was hosting the Russian president at the sumptuous 17th Century palace of Versailles outside Paris.

The 39-year-old French leader and Putin exchanged a cordial, businesslike handshake and smiles when the latter stepped from his limousine for a red carpet welcome, with Macron appearing to say &quot;welcome&quot; to him in French.

The two men then entered the palace to start their talks.

&quot;It&#39;s indispensable to talk to Russia because there are a number of international subjects that will not be resolved without a tough dialogue with them,&quot; Macron told reporters at the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, where the Western leaders agreed to consider new measures against Moscow if the situation in Ukraine did not improve.

&quot;I will be demanding in my exchanges with Russia,&quot; he added.

Relations between Paris and Moscow were increasingly strained under former President Francois Hollande.

Putin, 64, cancelled his last planned visit in October after Hollande accused Russia of war crimes in Syria and refused to roll out the red carpet for him.

Then during the French election campaign the Macron camp alleged Russian hacking and disinformation efforts, at one point refusing accreditation to the Russian state-funded Sputnik and RT news outlets which it said were spreading Russian propaganda and fake news.

Two days before the May 7 election runoff, Macron&#39;s team said thousands of hacked campaign emails had been put online in a leak that one New York-based analyst said could have come from a group tied to Russian military intelligence.

Moscow and RT itself rejected allegations of meddling in the election.

Putin also offered Macron&#39;s far-right opponent Marine Le Pen a publicity coup when he granted her an audience a month before the election&#39;s first round.

Nonetheless, Russia&#39;s ambassador to Paris, Alexander Orlov said on Monday that he expected this first meeting between the two men to be full of &quot;smiles&quot; and marking the beginning of &quot;a very good and long relationship&quot;.

Orlov, speaking on Europe 1 radio, said he believed that Macron was &quot;much more flexible&quot; on the Syrian question, though he did not say why he thought this. Putin would certainly invite Macron to pay a visit to Moscow, he said.

Putin&#39;s schedule included a trip to a newly opened Russian Orthodox cathedral in Paris - a call he had been due to make for its inauguration in October, but which was cancelled along with that trip.

Clever Move

Macron decisively beat Le Pen, an open Putin admirer in a fraught presidential election campaign, and afterwards the Russian president said in a congratulatory message that he wanted to put mistrust aside and work with him.

Hollande&#39;s former diplomatic adviser, Jacques Audibert, noted how Putin had been excluded from what used to be the Group of Eight nations as relations with the West soured. Meeting in a palace so soon after the G7 summit was a clever move by Macron.

&quot;Putin likes these big symbolic things. I think it&#39;s an excellent political opportunity, the choice of place is perfect,&quot; he told CNews TV. &quot;It adds a bit of grandeur to welcome Putin to Versailles.&quot;

The Versailles exhibition commemorates a visit to France 300 years ago by Peter the Great, known for his European tastes.

A Russian official told reporters in Moscow on Friday that the meeting was an opportunity &quot;to get a better feel for each other&quot; and that the Kremlin expected &quot;a frank conversation&quot; on Syria.

While Moscow backs President Bashar al-Assad, France supports rebel groups trying to overthrow him. France has also taken a tough line on European Union sanctions on Russia, first imposed when it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and cancelled a $1.3 billion warship supply contract in 2015.

During the campaign, Macron backed expanded sanctions if there were no progress with Moscow implementing a peace accord for eastern Ukraine, where Kiev&#39;s forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists.

Since being elected, Macron appears to have toned down the rhetoric, although he noted the two leaders still had &quot;diverging positions&quot; in their first phone call.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Macron was hosting Putin at the palace of Versailles to reset relations with Russia, already beset by mistrust

French President Emmanuel Macron met Russia's Vladimir Putin near Paris on Monday, promising some frank talking with the Kremlin leader after an election campaign in which his team accused Russian media of trying to interfere. Macron, in a press conference, standing right beside Putin, blasted Russia Today and Sputnik for carrying election "propaganda" during the recently held presidential elections, AFP Reported. Here is the footage of the press conference, though the French president spoke in French. Macron calls RT and Sputnik purveyors of propaganda and lies while standing adjacent to Putin. https://t.co/7cKW09I1lv — Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) May 29, 2017 × Macron, who took office two weeks ago, has said dialogue with Russia is vital in tackling a number of international disputes. Nevertheless, relations have been beset by mistrust, with Paris and Moscow backing opposing sides in the Syrian civil war and at odds over the Ukraine conflict. The French president also raised the issue of chemical weapons in Syria. He said that the use of chemical weapons will be treated as a red line and any violation will attract strong response from them. "Any use of chemical weapons would results in reprisals and an immediate riposte, at least where France is concerned," Macron said at a joint news conference with Putin in which he added that his aim was the fight against terrorism in the country. Fresh from talks with his Western counterparts at a NATO meeting in Brussels and a G7 summit in Sicily, Macron was hosting the Russian president at the sumptuous 17th Century palace of Versailles outside Paris. The 39-year-old French leader and Putin exchanged a cordial, businesslike handshake and smiles when the latter stepped from his limousine for a red carpet welcome, with Macron appearing to say "welcome" to him in French. The two men then entered the palace to start their talks. "It's indispensable to talk to Russia because there are a number of international subjects that will not be resolved without a tough dialogue with them," Macron told reporters at the end of the G7 summit on Saturday, where the Western leaders agreed to consider new measures against Moscow if the situation in Ukraine did not improve. "I will be demanding in my exchanges with Russia," he added. Relations between Paris and Moscow were increasingly strained under former President Francois Hollande. Putin, 64, cancelled his last planned visit in October after Hollande accused Russia of war crimes in Syria and refused to roll out the red carpet for him. Then during the French election campaign the Macron camp alleged Russian hacking and disinformation efforts, at one point refusing accreditation to the Russian state-funded Sputnik and RT news outlets which it said were spreading Russian propaganda and fake news. Two days before the May 7 election runoff, Macron's team said thousands of hacked campaign emails had been put online in a leak that one New York-based analyst said could have come from a group tied to Russian military intelligence. Moscow and RT itself rejected allegations of meddling in the election. Putin also offered Macron's far-right opponent Marine Le Pen a publicity coup when he granted her an audience a month before the election's first round. Nonetheless, Russia's ambassador to Paris, Alexander Orlov said on Monday that he expected this first meeting between the two men to be full of "smiles" and marking the beginning of "a very good and long relationship". Orlov, speaking on Europe 1 radio, said he believed that Macron was "much more flexible" on the Syrian question, though he did not say why he thought this. Putin would certainly invite Macron to pay a visit to Moscow, he said. Putin's schedule included a trip to a newly opened Russian Orthodox cathedral in Paris - a call he had been due to make for its inauguration in October, but which was cancelled along with that trip. Clever Move Macron decisively beat Le Pen, an open Putin admirer in a fraught presidential election campaign, and afterwards the Russian president said in a congratulatory message that he wanted to put mistrust aside and work with him. Hollande's former diplomatic adviser, Jacques Audibert, noted how Putin had been excluded from what used to be the Group of Eight nations as relations with the West soured. Meeting in a palace so soon after the G7 summit was a clever move by Macron. "Putin likes these big symbolic things. I think it's an excellent political opportunity, the choice of place is perfect," he told CNews TV. "It adds a bit of grandeur to welcome Putin to Versailles." The Versailles exhibition commemorates a visit to France 300 years ago by Peter the Great, known for his European tastes. A Russian official told reporters in Moscow on Friday that the meeting was an opportunity "to get a better feel for each other" and that the Kremlin expected "a frank conversation" on Syria. While Moscow backs President Bashar al-Assad, France supports rebel groups trying to overthrow him. France has also taken a tough line on European Union sanctions on Russia, first imposed when it annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and cancelled a $1.3 billion warship supply contract in 2015. During the campaign, Macron backed expanded sanctions if there were no progress with Moscow implementing a peace accord for eastern Ukraine, where Kiev's forces have been battling pro-Russian separatists. Since being elected, Macron appears to have toned down the rhetoric, although he noted the two leaders still had "diverging positions" in their first phone call. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

France's Macron calls Russia Today, Sputnik 'propaganda' while standing beside Putin

France&#39;s new President Emmanuel Macron says he was ready for his &quot;moment of truth&quot; with US counterpart Donald Trump -- when they shook hands for the first time.

&quot;You have to show you won&#39;t make little concessions, even symbolic ones,&quot; Macron, 39, told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche on Sunday.

Footage of the handshake as the pair met for lunch at the US embassy in Brussels ahead of a NATO summit on Thursday has gone viral.

As cameras rolled, Macron held on tight to Trump&#39;s notorious power grip as the two men sat next to each other, the Frenchman&#39;s mouth clenched and eyes firmly fixed at the 70-year-old tycoon&#39;s squinty stare.

After some five seconds, Trump was the first to open his hand but Macron insisted on being the last to let go.

&quot;It&#39;s not the be-all-and-end-all... but a moment of truth,&quot; Macron said.

&quot;I don&#39;t miss a thing, that&#39;s how you get respect.&quot;

(AFP)

Footage of the handshake as the pair met for lunch at the US embassy in Brussels ahead of a NATO summit on Thursday has gone viral

France's new President Emmanuel Macron says he was ready for his "moment of truth" with US counterpart Donald Trump -- when they shook hands for the first time. "You have to show you won't make little concessions, even symbolic ones," Macron, 39, told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche on Sunday. Footage of the handshake as the pair met for lunch at the US embassy in Brussels ahead of a NATO summit on Thursday has gone viral. As cameras rolled, Macron held on tight to Trump's notorious power grip as the two men sat next to each other, the Frenchman's mouth clenched and eyes firmly fixed at the 70-year-old tycoon's squinty stare. After some five seconds, Trump was the first to open his hand but Macron insisted on being the last to let go. "It's not the be-all-and-end-all... but a moment of truth," Macron said. "I don't miss a thing, that's how you get respect." (AFP)

Macron speaks about 'moment of truth' handshake with Trump

Emmanuel Macron was confronted on Monday with pressing reminders of the challenges facing him as France&#39;s next president, even as allies and some former rivals signalled their willingness to work closely with him.

The 39-year-old centrist&#39;s victory over far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in Sunday&#39;s election came as a huge relief to European Union allies who had feared another populist upheaval to follow Britain&#39;s vote last year to leave the EU and Donald Trump&#39;s election as US president.

&quot;He carries the hopes of millions of French people, and of many people in Germany and the whole of Europe,&quot; German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference in Berlin.

&quot;He ran a courageous pro-European campaign, stands for openness to the world and is committed decisively to a social market economy,&quot; the EU&#39;s most powerful leader added, congratulating Macron on his &quot;spectacular&quot; election success.

But even while pledging to help France tackle unemployment, Merkel rejected suggestions Germany should do more to support Europe&#39;s economy by importing more from its partners to bring down its big trade surplus.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker put it bluntly: &quot;With France, we have a particular problem ... The French spend too much money and they spend too much in the wrong places. This will not work over time.&quot;

The euro fell from six-month highs against the dollar on confirmation of Macron&#39;s widely expected victory by a margin of 66 per cent to 34 per cent.

Investors took profit on a roughly 3 per cent gain for the currency since he won the first round two on April 23.

France&#39;s economic malaise, especially high unemployment, had undermined the popularity of outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande to the point where he decided not even to run again as a candidate.

&quot;This year, I wanted Emmanuel Macron to be here with me so that a torch could be passed on,&quot; said Hollande, appearing with Macron at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to commemorate Victory in Europe Day and the surrender of Nazi forces on May 8, 1945 at the end of World War Two.

Elsewhere in Paris, more than 1,500 people, led by the powerful CGT labour federation, marched in protest against Macron&#39;s planned liberalisation of labour laws.

&quot;If he continues with the idea of executive orders in July, that means he will sweep away consultation and dialogue, so there will be a problem one way or another. We shall see,&quot; Jean-Claude Mailly, secretary general of the hardline leftist Force Ouvriere union told France Info radio.&nbsp;

Parliamentary majority

On assuming office next Sunday as France&#39;s youngest leader since Napoleon, Macron faces the immediate challenge of securing a majority in the June parliamentary election to have a realistic chance of implementing his plans for lower state spending, higher investment and reform of the tax, labour and pension systems.

With the two mainstream parties - the conservative Republicans and the left-wing Socialists - both failing to reach the presidential runoff vote, his chances of winning a majority that supports his election pledges will depend on him widening his centrist base.&nbsp;

The Socialists are torn between the radical left of their defeated candidate Benoit Hamon and the more centrist, pro-business branch led by Manuel Valls, who was prime minister under Hollande.

On Monday, key members of the centrist arm of The Republicans appeared ready to work with Macron despite the party hierarchy calling for unity to oppose the new president and calling those that were wavering &quot;traitors&quot;.

&quot;I can work in a government majority,&quot; said Bruno Le Maire, a senior Republicans official, who had been an aide of presidential candidate Francois Fillon, and is tipped by some to become the new foreign minister.

&quot;The situation is too serious for sectarianism and to be partisan,&quot; he said, later adding that Macron&#39;s victory was positive for France.

However, a senior Republican, Christian Estrosi, who had backed Macron and been rumoured to rally behind him, said on Monday he had turned down a ministerial post in order to focus on his home city of Nice.

&quot;I will say things clearly: my only ambition is to serve my city and my region and not to enter the government,&quot; Estrosi later told reporters.

Macron&#39;s party chief, Richard Ferrand, told a news conference his &quot;En Marche!&quot; movement will now change its name to &quot;En Marche la R&eacute;publique&quot; or &quot;Republic on the Move&quot;, so as to structure itself more like a traditional party.

He also said the names of Macron&#39;s 577 candidates in the legislative elections would be announced this Thursday.

Macron stepped down from the chairmanship of the movement on Thursday and 68-year-old former Socialist government adviser Catherine Barbaroux was named as interim president.&nbsp;

Le Pen, 48, defiantly claimed the mantle of France&#39;s main opposition in calling on &quot;all patriots&quot; to constitute a &quot;new political force&quot;.

Her tally was almost double the score that her father Jean-Marie, the last far-right candidate to make the presidential runoff, achieved in 2002, when he was trounced by the conservative Jacques Chirac.

(Reuters)

More than 1,500 people, led by the powerful CGT labour federation, marched in Paris in protest against Macron's planned liberalisation of labour laws.

Emmanuel Macron was confronted on Monday with pressing reminders of the challenges facing him as France's next president, even as allies and some former rivals signalled their willingness to work closely with him. The 39-year-old centrist's victory over far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in Sunday's election came as a huge relief to European Union allies who had feared another populist upheaval to follow Britain's vote last year to leave the EU and Donald Trump's election as US president. "He carries the hopes of millions of French people, and of many people in Germany and the whole of Europe," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference in Berlin. "He ran a courageous pro-European campaign, stands for openness to the world and is committed decisively to a social market economy," the EU's most powerful leader added, congratulating Macron on his "spectacular" election success. But even while pledging to help France tackle unemployment, Merkel rejected suggestions Germany should do more to support Europe's economy by importing more from its partners to bring down its big trade surplus. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker put it bluntly: "With France, we have a particular problem ... The French spend too much money and they spend too much in the wrong places. This will not work over time." The euro fell from six-month highs against the dollar on confirmation of Macron's widely expected victory by a margin of 66 per cent to 34 per cent. Investors took profit on a roughly 3 per cent gain for the currency since he won the first round two on April 23. France's economic malaise, especially high unemployment, had undermined the popularity of outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande to the point where he decided not even to run again as a candidate. "This year, I wanted Emmanuel Macron to be here with me so that a torch could be passed on," said Hollande, appearing with Macron at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to commemorate Victory in Europe Day and the surrender of Nazi forces on May 8, 1945 at the end of World War Two. Elsewhere in Paris, more than 1,500 people, led by the powerful CGT labour federation, marched in protest against Macron's planned liberalisation of labour laws. "If he continues with the idea of executive orders in July, that means he will sweep away consultation and dialogue, so there will be a problem one way or another. We shall see," Jean-Claude Mailly, secretary general of the hardline leftist Force Ouvriere union told France Info radio. Parliamentary majority On assuming office next Sunday as France's youngest leader since Napoleon, Macron faces the immediate challenge of securing a majority in the June parliamentary election to have a realistic chance of implementing his plans for lower state spending, higher investment and reform of the tax, labour and pension systems. With the two mainstream parties - the conservative Republicans and the left-wing Socialists - both failing to reach the presidential runoff vote, his chances of winning a majority that supports his election pledges will depend on him widening his centrist base. The Socialists are torn between the radical left of their defeated candidate Benoit Hamon and the more centrist, pro-business branch led by Manuel Valls, who was prime minister under Hollande. On Monday, key members of the centrist arm of The Republicans appeared ready to work with Macron despite the party hierarchy calling for unity to oppose the new president and calling those that were wavering "traitors". "I can work in a government majority," said Bruno Le Maire, a senior Republicans official, who had been an aide of presidential candidate Francois Fillon, and is tipped by some to become the new foreign minister. "The situation is too serious for sectarianism and to be partisan," he said, later adding that Macron's victory was positive for France. However, a senior Republican, Christian Estrosi, who had backed Macron and been rumoured to rally behind him, said on Monday he had turned down a ministerial post in order to focus on his home city of Nice. "I will say things clearly: my only ambition is to serve my city and my region and not to enter the government," Estrosi later told reporters. Macron's party chief, Richard Ferrand, told a news conference his "En Marche!" movement will now change its name to "En Marche la République" or "Republic on the Move", so as to structure itself more like a traditional party. He also said the names of Macron's 577 candidates in the legislative elections would be announced this Thursday. Macron stepped down from the chairmanship of the movement on Thursday and 68-year-old former Socialist government adviser Catherine Barbaroux was named as interim president. Le Pen, 48, defiantly claimed the mantle of France's main opposition in calling on "all patriots" to constitute a "new political force". Her tally was almost double the score that her father Jean-Marie, the last far-right candidate to make the presidential runoff, achieved in 2002, when he was trounced by the conservative Jacques Chirac. (Reuters)

France's Macron reminded of huge challenges ahead

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/emmanuel-macron-elected-french-president-15319">victory</a> of 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron in the recent French presidential election has brought someone&nbsp;new, and very young,&nbsp;to the table of world leaders.

So when the next annual summit of G-20 world leaders takes place two months from now (July 7-8) <a href="http://www.hamburg.com/g20-2017/">in Hamburg, Germany</a>, how will Macron&nbsp;compare in age to the other world leaders present?

Here&#39;s a chart looking at the age of present G-20 world leaders:

<iframe class="highcharts-iframe" src="//cloud.highcharts.com/embed/obuqywe" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 600px"></iframe>

We see that Macron is the youngest in the group with the only other G-20 leader under 50 being Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada.

The oldest G-20 leader at present is King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia at 81 while India&#39;s own leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 66 years old right now.&nbsp;

(WION)

How does the age of new French leader Emmanuel Macron compare to that of other world leaders?

The victory of 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron in the recent French presidential election has brought someone new, and very young, to the table of world leaders. So when the next annual summit of G-20 world leaders takes place two months from now (July 7-8) in Hamburg, Germany, how will Macron compare in age to the other world leaders present? Here's a chart looking at the age of present G-20 world leaders: We see that Macron is the youngest in the group with the only other G-20 leader under 50 being Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada. The oldest G-20 leader at present is King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia at 81 while India's own leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi is 66 years old right now. (WION)

Infographic: How old are our world leaders?

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 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

Pro-European Emmanuel Macron is set to face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France&#39;s presidential run-off, results showed Sunday, making him clear favourite to emerge as the country&#39;s youngest leader in its history.

Macron topped Sunday&#39;s first round with 23.7 percent of votes, slightly ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen with 21.9 percent, according to near-final results from the interior ministry.

They will contest the run-off on May 7.

&quot;For months and again today I&#39;ve heard the doubts, the anger and the fears of the French people. Their desire for change too,&quot; 39-year-old Macron told thousands of cheering supporters in Paris.

He pledged to unite &quot;patriots&quot; behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and &quot;the threat of nationalists&quot;.

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<h5>Macron pledged to unite &#39;patriots&#39; behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and &#39;the threat of nationalists&#39;</h5>
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The euro rose sharply against the dollar as fears of France pulling out of the single currency and European Union receded following the breakthrough of Macron, former economy minister under outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande.&nbsp;

An ex-investment banker whose marriage to his former school teacher has fascinated France, Macron said the results were a clear rejection of traditional parties.

Neither candidate from the mainstream Republicans and Socialists made it through to the second round for the first time in six decades in a stunning shakeup of national politics.

&quot;The challenge is to break completely with the system which has been unable to find solutions to the problems of our country for more than 30 years,&quot; Macron said, already eyeing crucial parliamentary elections in June.

The outcome capped an extraordinary campaign in a deeply divided and demoralised France, which has been hit by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and remains stuck with low economic growth.&nbsp;

Le Pen hailed a &quot;historic vote&quot; in front of her supporters, adding: &quot;The first stage has been passed.&quot;

Macron, who had never before stood for election and only started his grassroots centrist movement 12 months ago, will go into the run-off as the clear frontrunner.

New polls released Sunday evening showed pro-business Macron easily beating Le Pen, who has hardened her anti-immigration and anti-Europe rhetoric over the last week.

The French vote was being closely watched as a bellwether for populist sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US President and Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU.

Throughout the campaign, Macron insisted France was &quot;contrarian&quot; -- ready to elect a pro-globalisation liberal at a time when rightwing nationalists are making gains around the world.

&quot;It&#39;s a victory for openness, social-mindedness,&quot; Macron supporter Marie-Helene Visconti, a 60-year-old artist, told AFP at his election party where the EU flag was waved alongside the French tricolore.

Le Pen follows father 
Le Pen follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what came as a political earthquake for France.

Le Pen Senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out.

Though Le Pen came in behind Macron, there was joy at the FN&#39;s election party in Henin-Beaumont, a former coal mining town in northern France, with outbursts of the Marseillaise national anthem.

Le Pen said the second round would be a battle over France&#39;s future, with her vision of a France out of the EU and behind reinforced borders radically different from her opponent&#39;s.

&quot;The major issue of this election is runaway globalisation, which is putting our civilisation in danger,&quot; she told supporters.&nbsp;

&quot;Either we continue on the path of complete deregulation, with no borders and no protection... mass immigration and free movement of terrorists... or you choose France,&quot; she added.&nbsp;

Far-right expert Nonna Mayer at Sciences Po university said a Le Pen victory was not impossible, &quot;but it seems unlikely that she will carry the second round&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;If she wins, it will obviously be an anti-Europe, protectionist, exclusionist line that wins and which could have troubling consequences for Europe and France,&quot; she added.

Despite Macron&#39;s plans to &quot;relaunch the building of Europe&quot;, the combined scores of staunch eurosceptics Le Pen, far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon and nationalist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan add up to nearly 50 percent.&nbsp;

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Sunday congratulated Macron and wished him &quot;good luck&quot;.&nbsp;

Macron endorsements 
Macron also drew immediate support from his defeated rivals from the Socialists and Republicans.

Socialist Benoit Hamon, projected to win a humiliating six percent, said the left had suffered a &quot;historic drubbing&quot; but urged voters to keep out Le Pen who he said was &quot;an enemy of the republic&quot;.&nbsp;

Scandal-hit Republicans candidate Francois Fillon followed suit, saying: &quot;There is no other choice than voting against the far-right.&quot;

Fillon was seen as a favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife a fictitious job as his parliamentary assistant.

He was on course Sunday to score 20 percent.

The former prime minister has accused Hollande of being behind a campaign to destabilise him and said in a concession speech the obstacles he had faced were &quot;too numerous, too cruel&quot;.

Support for Communist-backed Melenchon, meanwhile, had surged in recent weeks on the back of assured performances in two televised debates.

He was on course for around 19.2 percent of the vote, underlining the strength of anti-establishment sentiment.

High security

The vote took place under heavy security after Thursday&#39;s killing of a policeman on Paris&#39;s Champs-Elysees avenue claimed by the Islamic State group.

With France still under the state of emergency imposed after the Paris attacks of November 2015, around 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers were deployed to guard voters.

Thursday&#39;s shooting was the latest in a bloody series of attacks that have cost more than 230 lives since 2015.

Nearly 47 million people were eligible to vote in the eurozone&#39;s second biggest economy and turnout was forecast to be high at around 80 percent. The results will be seen as a credit to French pollsters, who successfully forecast the results.

(AFP)

The centrist Macron topped Sunday's first round with 23.7% of votes, slightly ahead of the far-right Le Pen with 21.9%

Pro-European Emmanuel Macron is set to face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France's presidential run-off, results showed Sunday, making him clear favourite to emerge as the country's youngest leader in its history. Macron topped Sunday's first round with 23.7 percent of votes, slightly ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen with 21.9 percent, according to near-final results from the interior ministry. They will contest the run-off on May 7. "For months and again today I've heard the doubts, the anger and the fears of the French people. Their desire for change too," 39-year-old Macron told thousands of cheering supporters in Paris. He pledged to unite "patriots" behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and "the threat of nationalists". Macron pledged to unite 'patriots' behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernise the country against Le Pen and 'the threat of nationalists' × The euro rose sharply against the dollar as fears of France pulling out of the single currency and European Union receded following the breakthrough of Macron, former economy minister under outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande. An ex-investment banker whose marriage to his former school teacher has fascinated France, Macron said the results were a clear rejection of traditional parties. Neither candidate from the mainstream Republicans and Socialists made it through to the second round for the first time in six decades in a stunning shakeup of national politics. "The challenge is to break completely with the system which has been unable to find solutions to the problems of our country for more than 30 years," Macron said, already eyeing crucial parliamentary elections in June. The outcome capped an extraordinary campaign in a deeply divided and demoralised France, which has been hit by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and remains stuck with low economic growth. Le Pen hailed a "historic vote" in front of her supporters, adding: "The first stage has been passed." Macron, who had never before stood for election and only started his grassroots centrist movement 12 months ago, will go into the run-off as the clear frontrunner. New polls released Sunday evening showed pro-business Macron easily beating Le Pen, who has hardened her anti-immigration and anti-Europe rhetoric over the last week. The French vote was being closely watched as a bellwether for populist sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US President and Britain's vote to leave the EU. Throughout the campaign, Macron insisted France was "contrarian" -- ready to elect a pro-globalisation liberal at a time when rightwing nationalists are making gains around the world. "It's a victory for openness, social-mindedness," Macron supporter Marie-Helene Visconti, a 60-year-old artist, told AFP at his election party where the EU flag was waved alongside the French tricolore. Le Pen follows father Le Pen follows in the footsteps of her father Jean-Marie, who made it through to the 2002 presidential run-off in what came as a political earthquake for France. Le Pen Senior went on to suffer a stinging defeat when mainstream parties closed ranks to keep him out. Though Le Pen came in behind Macron, there was joy at the FN's election party in Henin-Beaumont, a former coal mining town in northern France, with outbursts of the Marseillaise national anthem. Le Pen said the second round would be a battle over France's future, with her vision of a France out of the EU and behind reinforced borders radically different from her opponent's. "The major issue of this election is runaway globalisation, which is putting our civilisation in danger," she told supporters. "Either we continue on the path of complete deregulation, with no borders and no protection... mass immigration and free movement of terrorists... or you choose France," she added. Far-right expert Nonna Mayer at Sciences Po university said a Le Pen victory was not impossible, "but it seems unlikely that she will carry the second round". "If she wins, it will obviously be an anti-Europe, protectionist, exclusionist line that wins and which could have troubling consequences for Europe and France," she added. Despite Macron's plans to "relaunch the building of Europe", the combined scores of staunch eurosceptics Le Pen, far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon and nationalist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan add up to nearly 50 percent. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Sunday congratulated Macron and wished him "good luck". Macron endorsements Macron also drew immediate support from his defeated rivals from the Socialists and Republicans. Socialist Benoit Hamon, projected to win a humiliating six percent, said the left had suffered a "historic drubbing" but urged voters to keep out Le Pen who he said was "an enemy of the republic". Scandal-hit Republicans candidate Francois Fillon followed suit, saying: "There is no other choice than voting against the far-right." Fillon was seen as a favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife a fictitious job as his parliamentary assistant. He was on course Sunday to score 20 percent. The former prime minister has accused Hollande of being behind a campaign to destabilise him and said in a concession speech the obstacles he had faced were "too numerous, too cruel". Support for Communist-backed Melenchon, meanwhile, had surged in recent weeks on the back of assured performances in two televised debates. He was on course for around 19.2 percent of the vote, underlining the strength of anti-establishment sentiment. High security The vote took place under heavy security after Thursday's killing of a policeman on Paris's Champs-Elysees avenue claimed by the Islamic State group. With France still under the state of emergency imposed after the Paris attacks of November 2015, around 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers were deployed to guard voters. Thursday's shooting was the latest in a bloody series of attacks that have cost more than 230 lives since 2015. Nearly 47 million people were eligible to vote in the eurozone's second biggest economy and turnout was forecast to be high at around 80 percent. The results will be seen as a credit to French pollsters, who successfully forecast the results. (AFP)

French election: Macron, Le Pen to contest May 7 run-off

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

French presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron attacked far-right leader Marine Le Pen over her economic policy and plans to scrap the euro on Tuesday in an unprecedented debate between all 11 contenders ahead of this month&#39;s election.

The televised debate was at times chaotic and often dominated by the anti-capitalist and virulently anti-EU smaller candidates who made their first major appearance ahead of the first round of the two-stage vote on April 23.&nbsp;

The most telling clash between the frontrunners came at the end of the first section when 39-year-old Macron took on what is considered one of Le Pen&#39;s vulnerabilities -- her plans to scrap the euro and revert to the franc.

&quot;What you are proposing, Madame Le Pen, is a reduction in French people&#39;s spending power because, by withdrawing from the euro, for savers, workers, it&#39;s a reduction in spending power,&quot; he said.

Polls show only a third of French voters support scrapping the euro, many of them anxious about the impact of a devaluation which would hit their savings and spur inflation.

Macron, taking a more aggressive approach than in a first debate on March 20, accused her of wanting to start an &quot;economic war&quot; with France&#39;s neighbours and denounced nationalism in Europe, which had torn the continent apart and filled graveyards near his hometown Amiens in northeast France.

When Le Pen, 48, replied that Macron was defending the EU by reverting to &quot;old classics&quot; of 50 years ago about Europe&#39;s peace-keeping record, Macron retorted with a rare attack on her father, former far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.

&quot;You are repeating the lies that we&#39;ve heard for 40 years and that we heard from the mouth of your father,&quot; he said.

With just 19 days until the first round of voting in a rollercoaster contest, the debate could influence the momentum of the campaign, with around a third of voters still unsure of how they will vote.&nbsp;

Polls show far-right candidate Le Pen and centrist independent Macron in a dead heat at around 25 per cent heading into the first round on April 23. Macron is seen easily winning the second round on May 7.

&#39;Unfettered globalisation&#39;&nbsp;

Le Pen put in a steady performance under fire, warning about the closure of factories, and the danger of Islamists and immigrants eroding France&#39;s national identity.

&quot;I consider that in this election our civilisation is at stake,&quot; she said at the start of the debate, promising to restore order and combat &quot;unfettered globalisation&quot;.

When questioned about legal problems surrounding her National Front party including campaign financing and the use of expenses at the European parliament, she said she considered herself to be &quot;politically persecuted&quot;.&nbsp;

Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon scoffed at her defence, saying it was &quot;amusing to see you playing the victim while spending your time attacking immigrants&quot;.

One candidate who needed to shine was conservative Francois Fillon, who is seeking to claw back ground after his campaign was almost derailed by criminal charges over claims he paid his wife hundreds of thousands of euros for fake parliamentary jobs.

Unlike the first debate, Tuesday&#39;s featured all of the candidates and not just the top five, prompting fears it could become unwieldy.

They included autoworker Philippe Poutou, who proposed the expropriation of the French banking system, and Communist firebrand Nathalie Arthaud who vowed to protect French workers from being &quot;strangled by the capitalist system&quot;.

Other anti-EU nationalists such as Francois Asselineau, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan and Jacques Cheminade, as well as farmer-politician Jean Lassalle, had a rare showcase on the national stage.

&#39;Race to the bottom&#39;?&nbsp;

It was the first time that all candidates had debated before the first round of a presidential election in France with many observers sceptical about whether the format would help inform voters.

Writing in Le Monde before the debate, Michel Noblecourt, noted that President Francois Hollande -- who decided in December not to seek re-election -- warned that the &quot;dangerous&quot; innovation in French politics risked &quot;a race to the bottom&quot;.

&quot;The non-candidate president was perhaps not wrong,&quot; Noblecourt said.

An editorial in Le Figaro also said &quot;it is not certain that at the end of this unique debate voters will be more enlightened&quot;.

The final result of an election that is being watched closely around the world is still seen as highly unpredictable.

Dissatisfaction and outright hostility towards mainstream politics is high in France and surveys show around a third of voters plan to abstain.

(AFP)

Polls show far-right candidate Le Pen and centrist independent Macron in a dead heat

French presidential frontrunner Emmanuel Macron attacked far-right leader Marine Le Pen over her economic policy and plans to scrap the euro on Tuesday in an unprecedented debate between all 11 contenders ahead of this month's election. The televised debate was at times chaotic and often dominated by the anti-capitalist and virulently anti-EU smaller candidates who made their first major appearance ahead of the first round of the two-stage vote on April 23. The most telling clash between the frontrunners came at the end of the first section when 39-year-old Macron took on what is considered one of Le Pen's vulnerabilities -- her plans to scrap the euro and revert to the franc. "What you are proposing, Madame Le Pen, is a reduction in French people's spending power because, by withdrawing from the euro, for savers, workers, it's a reduction in spending power," he said. Polls show only a third of French voters support scrapping the euro, many of them anxious about the impact of a devaluation which would hit their savings and spur inflation. Macron, taking a more aggressive approach than in a first debate on March 20, accused her of wanting to start an "economic war" with France's neighbours and denounced nationalism in Europe, which had torn the continent apart and filled graveyards near his hometown Amiens in northeast France. When Le Pen, 48, replied that Macron was defending the EU by reverting to "old classics" of 50 years ago about Europe's peace-keeping record, Macron retorted with a rare attack on her father, former far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. "You are repeating the lies that we've heard for 40 years and that we heard from the mouth of your father," he said. With just 19 days until the first round of voting in a rollercoaster contest, the debate could influence the momentum of the campaign, with around a third of voters still unsure of how they will vote. Polls show far-right candidate Le Pen and centrist independent Macron in a dead heat at around 25 per cent heading into the first round on April 23. Macron is seen easily winning the second round on May 7. 'Unfettered globalisation' Le Pen put in a steady performance under fire, warning about the closure of factories, and the danger of Islamists and immigrants eroding France's national identity. "I consider that in this election our civilisation is at stake," she said at the start of the debate, promising to restore order and combat "unfettered globalisation". When questioned about legal problems surrounding her National Front party including campaign financing and the use of expenses at the European parliament, she said she considered herself to be "politically persecuted". Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon scoffed at her defence, saying it was "amusing to see you playing the victim while spending your time attacking immigrants". One candidate who needed to shine was conservative Francois Fillon, who is seeking to claw back ground after his campaign was almost derailed by criminal charges over claims he paid his wife hundreds of thousands of euros for fake parliamentary jobs. Unlike the first debate, Tuesday's featured all of the candidates and not just the top five, prompting fears it could become unwieldy. They included autoworker Philippe Poutou, who proposed the expropriation of the French banking system, and Communist firebrand Nathalie Arthaud who vowed to protect French workers from being "strangled by the capitalist system". Other anti-EU nationalists such as Francois Asselineau, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan and Jacques Cheminade, as well as farmer-politician Jean Lassalle, had a rare showcase on the national stage. 'Race to the bottom'? It was the first time that all candidates had debated before the first round of a presidential election in France with many observers sceptical about whether the format would help inform voters. Writing in Le Monde before the debate, Michel Noblecourt, noted that President Francois Hollande -- who decided in December not to seek re-election -- warned that the "dangerous" innovation in French politics risked "a race to the bottom". "The non-candidate president was perhaps not wrong," Noblecourt said. An editorial in Le Figaro also said "it is not certain that at the end of this unique debate voters will be more enlightened". The final result of an election that is being watched closely around the world is still seen as highly unpredictable. Dissatisfaction and outright hostility towards mainstream politics is high in France and surveys show around a third of voters plan to abstain. (AFP)

French election 2017: Macron attacks Le Pen on economic policy

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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