French presidential election: Voting starts in first round as Macron seeks new term
France's presidential election
Voting started at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) in France on Sunday (April 10) in the first round of a presidential election. It will close at 1800 GMT, when the first exit polls will be published.
In total twelve candidates are running for president. These include two far-right candidates, a communist, a hard-left veteran, and contenders from the beleaguered mainstream centre-right and centre-left parties.
Political analysts have warned that the election, overshadowed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, could lead to unpredictable outcomes with turnout a major factor.
Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is posing an unexpected threat to President Emmanuel Macron's re-election hopes.
The polls suggest a close-fought contest, with Macron's projected lead in the runoff within the margin of error.
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Pro-European Union, centrist Macron's focus on an unpopular plan to increase the retirement age along with a steep rise in inflation have dented the president's ratings.
Meanwhile, anti-immigration, eurosceptic far-right Le Pen has been boosted by a months-long focus on the cost of living issues.
The big drop in support for her rival on the far-right, Eric Zemmour also helped in accelerating her approval ratings.
Also see |From Emmanuel Macron to Marine Le Pen: Top challengers for Elysee Palace
French political scientist Pascal Perrineau said "There is an uncertainty," referring to the unprecedentedly high numbers of voters who were still undecided or who changed their minds.
Advocacy group 'A Vote' went door to door to inform and encourage young people to vote in the election.
Pollster Ipsos last month forecast a record number of voters would abstain in this month's election. If it is confirmed then would raise the likelihood of a surprise, analysts said.
Since the 1980s, turnout rates in French elections have been on a downwards trend. Interior Ministry data shows more than a fifth of French voters sat out at least one round in 2017.
(With inputs from agencies)