France began voting in a presidential runoff election Sunday with repercussions for Europe's future. 9News
began voting in a presidential runoff election Sunday with repercussions for Europe's future, with centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron the front-runner but fighting a tough challenge from far-right rival Marine Le Pen.
Le Pen's support in France's electorate has grown during this campaign to her highest level ever, and much will depend Sunday on how many people turn out to vote. Many of those expected to choose Macron are doing so to keep out Le Pen and ideas seen as too extreme and anti-democratic, such as her plan to ban the Muslim headscarf in public, or her ties to Russia.
The outcome could depend on how left-wing voters make up their minds: between backing Macron or abstaining and leaving him to fend for himself against Le Pen. Le Pen has sought to appeal to working class voters struggling with surging prices amid the fallout of Russia's war in Ukraine - an approach that even Macron acknowledged has found resonance in the wider public.
France's presidential campaign has been especially challenging for voters of immigrant heritage and religious minorities. Polling suggests that much of France's Muslim population — the largest in Western Europe — voted for far left candidates in the first round, so their voice could be decisive.
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