French election 2022 – live: Macron and Le Pen face off as polls say 28% to abstain

Voters are casting their ballots for Emmanuel Macron or Marine Le Pen as the next French president - but pollsters are predicting the highest percentage of voters abstaining in decades.

France‘s main polling institutes Ipsos and Ifop said they saw the likely abstention rate at 28 per cent. This would be up from the 2017 election, which was the highest level since 1969 at the time.

The pollsters increased their estimate after the 5pm turnout rate of 63 per cent was released.

All recent opinion polls converge toward a win for centrist president Macron hoping for re-election - yet the margin over his far-right rival varies broadly.

Mr Macron has played down his chances of success, urging voters not to take his victory as a given and insisting that a Le Pen victory is still a possibility.

Speaking in the medieval village of Figeac on Friday, Mr Macron said: “Think about what British citizens were saying a few hours before Brexit or (people) in the United States before Trump’s election happened: ‘I’m not going, what’s the point?’”

“I can tell you that they regretted it the next day,” he added.

The first exit poll is expected at 8pm local time (7pm BST), but the official results will not be published until Monday.

Key Points

• Polls open in France as Macron takes on Le Pen

• Macron cites Brexit and Trump in plea to voters

• Incumbent president retains poll lead after TV debate

• When will election results be announced?

• Macron and Le Pen make last ditch effort to win presidential race

• Le Pen drawing on anger I haven’t quelled, Macron says

• Midday turnout up from first round

• Pollsters predict biggest abstention rate in decades

Voters in London believe election could bring ‘big change'

17:00 , Zoe Tidman

French voters in the UK on both sides of the political spectrum have said they believe the presidential election could bring a “big change” to the nation in the form of a shift to the right.

Reports from the polls in London:

French voters at UK polls believe ‘big change’ coming in nation’s politics

Pollsters predict biggest abstention rate in decades

16:45 , Zoe Tidman

Pollsters are predicting the highest abstention level in over 50 years in today’s vote between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen.

France‘s main polling institutes Ipsos and Ifop said on Sunday they saw the likely abstention rate at the end of the day at 28 per cent.

They increased their estimate after the turnout rate as of 5pm was released.

If their prediction turns out to be true, it would top the quarter of voters who abstained in 2017 in what was the lowest turnout ever recorded in a French presidential election final since 1969.

Analysts say a low turnout adds to uncertainty surrounding the final result.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Turnout also lower than previous election

16:30 , Zoe Tidman

This turnout rate is also below the 65.3 per cent recorded at the same time in the 2017 election.

Voter turnout now down from first round

16:27 , Zoe Tidman

Voter turnout was at 63 per cent as of 5pm French time:

This is now down from the first round, when turnout was 65 per cent at the same time.

Election day report from international correspondent in Paris

16:00 , Zoe Tidman

The French are going to the polls today for a closely watched election that holds enormous implications for France, Europe and the world, Bourzou Daghari in Paris writes.

He takes a look at the factors at play - including worries over voter turnout for Emmanuel Macron.

Read his report on election day here:

‘There are going to be surprises’: French vote but result remains uncertain

Former Le Pen aide ‘caught in car going 170km/h on way to vote'

15:36 , Zoe Tidman

French media is reporting a former top aide to Marine Le Pen was caught in a car speeding while on the way to vote.

The vehicle was reportedly stopped after going 170km/h on a motorway.

According to Le Parisien, Florian Philippot said he was not the one driving and carried on his journey to the polling station by train after being help up by police. “Nothing will prevent me from going to vote against Macron,” he said.

Mr Philippot used to be the vice president of the National Front party - now National Rally - under Ms Le Pen.

It looks like he made it to the polling station after all:

Voter turnout in overseas territories already finished voting

15:00 , Zoe Tidman

Voting is happening on the French mainland today, having already taken place in its overseas territories in the Caribbean and Americas.

Here are the latest voter turnout for some of these:

Macron meets voters in seaside town

14:19 , Zoe Tidman

Emmanuel Macron has been seen chatting to voters in Le Touquet, a seaside town in northern France, where he cast his ballot today:

Marine Le Pen ‘calm'

14:02 , Zoe Tidman

As she voted in northern France today, Marine Le Pen, the far-right challenger, said she was calm and had “confidence in the French”.

There she is voting earlier today:

Macron thanks ballot workers

13:49 , Zoe Tidman

Emmanuel Macron has thanked those working on the election today.

“To the thousands of French who allow the ballot to take place: thank you. In the voting offices in our towns and villages, you are the beating heart of our democracy,” he tweeted:

Midday turnout up from first round

13:25 , Zoe Tidman

Although down from the previous election, turnout at midday was higher than in the first round two weeks ago.

The interior ministry says it was 26.41 per cent at 12pm today:

It was below this at the same time in the first round of the 2022 election, when voters had a much larger choice of candidates. Here is a reminder:

Low turn-out so far

13:00 , Rory Sullivan

Voter turnout in the run-off election stood at 26.41 per cent at midday local time, the French interior ministry has said.

This is roughly two points down from voting levels five years ago.

Macron and Le Pen cast votes

12:40 , Rory Sullivan

World watches on as France heads to the polls

12:19 , Rory Sullivan

French voters head to the polls on Sunday, for the second time this month, facing a stark choice between two candidates with far different visions for the country, Europe and the world in a closely watched, high-stakes election with broad ramifications beyond the country’s borders, writes Borzou Daragahi.

Read his reports from Paris here:

France heads to the polls as the world watches on

A lesser evil: Young French struggle to back Macron despite worries over Le Pen

11:40 , Rory Sullivan

For many young people in France, the choice between voting for Emmanuel Macron or Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s presidential run-off is unpalatable.

“I feel like I can’t really give him my vote here, even just to block Le Pen,” one young French voter told The Independent, adding that she sees him as “condescending and arrogant”.

Read the rest of my report here:

A lesser evil: Young French struggle to back Macron despite worries over Le Pen

French politicians vote in run-off election

11:09 , Rory Sullivan

Like many other leading French politicians, the Socialist party’s presidential candidate Anne Hidalgo has tweeted from the ballot box this morning.

Here’s the Paris mayor’s post:

French voters head to the polls

10:40 , Rory Sullivan

When will the French election results be announced?

10:10 , Rory Sullivan

#icymi

Joe Sommerlad explains when we’re likely to hear the results of today’s vote:

When will the French election results be announced?

Watch live: French polling opens as Le Pen takes on Macron

09:40 , Rory Sullivan

How France's old-school voting system works

09:12 , Rory Sullivan

For those wanting to know more about how France’s voting system works, here’s a useful explainer:

EXPLAINER: How France's old-school voting system works

French election in photos

08:40 , Rory Sullivan

Candidates both have ‘huge weakness’, says pollster

08:11 , Rory Sullivan

The polls have now been open for just over two hours. They will close at 8pm local time (6pm GMT).

Speaking of the candidates, Bernard Sananes, who works for the pollster Elabe, said: “Each of them has a huge weakness.”

“Emmanuel Macron is considered arrogant by more than one in two voters and Marine Le Pen remains scary for half of them.”

Voting opens in France

07:37 , Rory Sullivan

Voting opened in France earlier this morning.

Will Emmanuel Macron become the first French president in two decades to be reelected? Or will Marine Le Pen become the first woman to hold the presidency?

The opinion polls suggest the incumbent president will see off his far-right rival. However, he has warned France not to take his victory for granted.

The warning comes as pollsters predict a record-high number of people will not vote.

Good morning

07:21 , Rory Sullivan

Good morning, the decisive second round of the French election is taking place today.

Stay tuned as I bring you the last updates on the run-off between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen.

Pictured: Citizens register to vote at a French consulate in New York

06:00 , Thomas Kingsley

ICYMI: Macron cites Brexit and Trump in last-ditch election bid

04:30 , Thomas Kingsley

In his final attempt to stir voters before Sunday’s election Emmanuel Macron pointed to Brexit and the election of Donald Trump.

Addressing voters from the picturesque medieval village Figeac, which set the stage for his final day of campaigning, Macron said: “Think about what British citizens were saying a few hours before Brexit or (people) in the United States before Trump’s election happened: ‘I’m not going, what’s the point?’ I can tell you that they regretted it the next day.”

Read the full story below:

French elections: Macron cites Brexit and Trump in last-ditch bid

France’s two presidential contenders: Who’s proposing what

03:30 , Thomas Kingsley

It’s crunch time for voters in France as incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, is meeting far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen of the National Rally at the ballot box for Sunday’s final presidential vote. With foreign policy an issue as war ravages Europe's east, along with worries over inflation in one of the world's biggest economies, the stakes could not be higher.

Read here for a look at their key proposals.

France heads to the polls as the world watches on

02:30 , Thomas Kingsley

French voters head to the polls on Sunday, for the second time this month, facing a stark choice between two candidates with far different visions for the country, Europe and the world in a closely watched, high-stakes election with broad ramifications beyond the country’s borders.

The second round of voting for the presidency sees incumbent Emmanuel Macron face off against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, the same match-up as five years ago.

Read the full story below:

France heads to the polls as the world watches on

Pictured: Citizens register to vote at a French consulate in California

01:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Macron in pole position to win Sunday’s election

Saturday 23 April 2022 23:30 , Thomas Kingsley

French president Emmanuel Macron is in the pole position to win re-election Sunday in the country's presidential runoff, yet his lead over far-right rival Marine Le Pen depends on one major uncertainty: voters who could decide to stay home.

A Macron victory in this vote — which could have far-reaching repercussions for Europe's future direction and western efforts to stop the war in Ukraine — would make him the first French president in 20 years to win a second term.

All opinion polls in recent days converge toward a win for the 44-year-old pro-European centrist — yet the margin over his nationalist rival varies broadly, from 6 to 15 percentage points, depending on the poll. Polls also forecast a possibly record-high number of people who will either cast a blank vote or not vote at all.

Overseas French territories allowed voters to start casting ballots Saturday in polling stations that ranged from near the Caribbean shore in the Antilles to the savannahs of French Guiana on the South American coast.

Back on the French mainland, workers assembled a stage Saturday beneath the Eiffel Tower where Macron is expected to make his post-election speech, win or lose.

Pictured: Emmanuel Macron walks along a beach in Le Touquet ahead of this Sunday’s election

Saturday 23 April 2022 22:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Voices | Is Marine Le Pen actually far right? It depends who you talk to

Saturday 23 April 2022 21:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Le Pen’s policy proposals have only changed slightly from her 2012 and 2017 manifestos, but her image – and her party’s – has undergone a radical refurbishment over the last few years, Safya Khan-Ruf writes.

But is Marine Le Pen actually far right? That is the question mainstream television channels are debating before the second round of the French elections on 24 April.

Le Pen’s answer? That the term “far right” is pejorative and should not be used to describe her party – a party which has been known for decades for its fascist roots, as well as its anti-immigrant, racist and Islamophobic rhetoric.

Read the full Voices piece below:

Opinion: Is Marine Le Pen actually far right? It depends who you talk to

When will the French election results be announced?

Saturday 23 April 2022 20:28 , Sam Rkaina

France’s electorate goes to the polls on Sunday 24 April to decide who will be the next president, following the elimination of 10 other candidates in the first on 10 April, including socialist Jean-Luc Melenchon, far-right contender Eric Zemmour and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.

An exit poll is expected to be published at 7pm GMT on Sunday with the official final results announced the following day.

For the full story on when the elections will come in, click here.

Friday polling put Macron 15% ahead

Saturday 23 April 2022 19:37 , Sam Rkaina

A key survey result published on Friday suggests Macron is on course to win on Sunday.

The Ipsos-Sopra Steria poll put Mr Macron on 57.5%, with Ms Le Pen on 42.5% in the two-candidate contest.

While the polls indicate that Mr Macron has a strong lead, the gap is narrower than in 2017, when he beat Ms Le Pen with a landslide 66% of the second round vote.

Macron in pole position to win Sunday’s election

Saturday 23 April 2022 21:17 , Thomas Kingsley

French president Emmanuel Macron is in the pole position to win re-election Sunday in the country's presidential runoff, yet his lead over far-right rival Marine Le Pen depends on one major uncertainty: voters who could decide to stay home.

A Macron victory in this vote — which could have far-reaching repercussions for Europe's future direction and western efforts to stop the war in Ukraine — would make him the first French president in 20 years to win a second term.

All opinion polls in recent days converge toward a win for the 44-year-old pro-European centrist — yet the margin over his nationalist rival varies broadly, from 6 to 15 percentage points, depending on the poll. Polls also forecast a possibly record-high number of people who will either cast a blank vote or not vote at all.

Overseas French territories allowed voters to start casting ballots Saturday in polling stations that ranged from near the Caribbean shore in the Antilles to the savannahs of French Guiana on the South American coast.

Back on the French mainland, workers assembled a stage Saturday beneath the Eiffel Tower where Macron is expected to make his post-election speech, win or lose.

French elections: Macron cites Brexit and Trump in last-ditch bid

Saturday 23 April 2022 10:03 , Emily Atkinson

French president Emmanuel Macron has pointed to Brexit and the election of Donald Trump in an eleventh-hour bid for support as pollsters warn of a record-breaking number of people choosing not to cast their vote in Sunday’s presidential run-off.

The incumbent centrist is currently in pole position to win Sunday’s vote, but Macron’s lead over his far-right component Marine Le Pen could be toppled by hesitant voters who decide to stay home.

All opinion polls in recent days point toward a Macron victory - the latest showing that the 44-year-old pro-European is on course to win with 55 per cent of the vote.

“Think about what British citizens were saying a few hours before Brexit or (people) in the United States before Trump’s election happened: ‘I’m not going, what’s the point?’ I can tell you that they regretted it the next day,” he said from the medieval village of Figeac.

“The next day they woke up with a hangover,” he added.

French elections: Macron cites Brexit and Trump in last-ditch bid

When is the French presidential election and what are the polls saying?

Saturday 23 April 2022 06:00 , Thomas Kingsley

The French presidential election reaches its climax with a runoff vote on Sunday 24 April, offering the electorate a straight choice between the centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron and his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.

Before then, the candidates, representing the parties La Republique En Marche! and National Rally respectively, will meet on Wednesday evening for what promises to be a fiery head-to-head televised debate, a two-hour event beginning at 7pm GMT.

The first round of voting on 10 April saw Mr Macron secure 27.8 per cent of the vote and Ms Le Pen 23.1 per cent as another ten candidates were knocked out of contention, including socialist Jean-Luc Melenchon and another far-right contender, Eric Zemmour, whose even more extreme positions on immigration enabled Ms Le Pen to position herself as a more moderate choice than she has previously appeared.

Our reporter, Joe Sommerlad, has the full story below:

When is the French presidential election and what are the polls saying?

Who does the former French president support in the election?

Saturday 23 April 2022 05:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has declared his public support for Emmanuel Macron to win a second term after the incumbent came out in pole position in the first round of the country’s presidential election.

The endorsement by Mr Sarkozy, who remains an influential figure on the French right, may complicate the way many voters see the centrist La République En Marche leader.

On the one hand, Mr Sarkozy’s backing is likely to attract conservatives who previously favoured his Les Républicains party – which received a drubbing at the weekend with just 4.8 per cent of the vote.

How France's presidential election could impact Ukraine war

Saturday 23 April 2022 04:00 , Thomas Kingsley

France may be thousands of kilometers away from the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, but what happens in French voting stations this month could have repercussions there.

Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has close ties to Russia and wants to weaken the EU and NATO, which could undercut Western efforts to stop the war in Ukraine. Le Pen is trying to unseat centrist President Emmanuel Macron, who has a slim lead in polls ahead of France's 24 April runoff election.

Read the full story below:

How France's presidential election could impact Ukraine war

Tensions over race, religion in France's presidential race

Saturday 23 April 2022 03:00 , Thomas Kingsley

From attacks on “wokeism” to crackdowns on mosques, France’s presidential campaign has been especially challenging for voters of immigrant heritage and religious minorities, as discourse painting them as “the other” has gained ground across a swath of French society.

French voters head to polls on Sunday in a runoff vote between centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron and nationalist rival Marine Le Pen, wrapping up a campaign that experts have seen as unusually dominated by discriminatory discourse and proposals targeting immigration and Islam.

With Le Pen proposing to ban women from wearing Muslim headscarves in public, women like 19-year-old student Naila Ouazarf are in a bind.

Tensions over race, religion in France's presidential race

Voices | Islamophobia is the driving force of the French election – for Muslims like me there is no ‘choice’

Saturday 23 April 2022 02:00 , Thomas Kingsley

As expected, Marine Le Pen is facing Emmanuel Macron in the second and final round of the French presidential elections. It feels like deja-vu, although this time around Muslim lives are much more at stake than in 2017. In other words, either way, it looks extremely terrible for French Muslims, let alone French visibly Muslim women: “hijabis” as we call ourselves, “veiled” as they like to refer to us.

I know everything I need to know about these candidates without having to closely follow their campaigns. Without even having to watch their three-hour-long “Grand Débat” a few days before the second round of elections. I know what they’re saying about me and the likes of me. I know that because every five years it’s the same rhetoric.

Read the full Voices piece by Assia Belgacem

Opinion: As a French Muslim hijabi, neither Macron or Le Pen appeal to me

Pictured: Citizens register to vote at a French consulate in California

Saturday 23 April 2022 21:14 , Thomas Kingsley

ICYMI: Imprisoned Navalny urges France to vote for Macron because of Le Pen’s Russia links

Saturday 23 April 2022 01:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Imprisoned Moscow critic Alexei Navalny has called on French voters to support president Emmanuel Macron this weekend as he warned of far-right opponent Marine Le Pen’s links to president Vladimir Putin.

The Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption activist’s comments came as centrist Macron and his far-right contender Le Pen prepare to meet on Wednesday evening in a face-to-face television debate that could prove decisive ahead of Sunday’s vote.

Despite Macron coming out on top of most recent opinion polls, Le Pen - an anti-immigration nationalist who has seen her popularity soar this year by drawing off public anger over inflation and wage stagnation - threatens to significantly narrow the gap in public support.

Our reporter, Emily Atkinson, has the full story below:

Imprisoned Navalny urges France to vote for Macron because of Le Pen’s Russia links

ICYMI: Macron hits back at hecklers during campaign rally

Friday 22 April 2022 23:06 , Thomas Kingsley

Emmanuel Macron took on protesters during his last campaign rally ahead of the French election on Sunday.

Macron was addressing the crowd in Figeac, south west France, when protesters unfurled a banner opposing the privatization of state services.

"Every fight is a good fight...I believe in respect" he said, engaging the hecklers. "Be glad you are in a democracy where you can address a presidential candidate like that" he added.

The incumbent is is on course for victory over right-wing Marine Le Pen, holding 55 per cent of the vote in the latest polls.

Read the full story below:

'Be glad you are in a democracy': Macron hits back at heckler during campaign rally

French finance minister warns of ‘new era of higher inflation’

Friday 22 April 2022 21:55 , Thomas Kingsley

France is about to enter “a new era of higher inflation” due to rising prices following Russia’s war in Ukraine, finance minister Bruno Le Maire has warned ahead of this weekend’s election.

“I think by 2023, inflation will decline progressively as we manage to balance offer and demand in the energy sector, but we have to be clear about this: we are entering a new era of higher inflation,” Mr Le Maire told BFM TV on Friday.

France’s inflation figure stood at 5.1 per cent in March. Euro zone inflation in March, while marginally lower than earlier reported, still surged to an all-time high of 7.4 per cent.

Our reporter, Alisha Rahaman Sarkar, has the full story below:

French finance minister warns of ‘new era of higher inflation’

ICYMI: European leaders back Macron as French campaign nears end

Friday 22 April 2022 21:00 , Thomas Kingsley

Just days before France's crucial presidential runoff vote, the center-left leaders of Germany, Spain and Portugal urged French voters Thursday to choose centrist President Emmanuel Macron over far-right nationalist rival Marine Le Pen.

And in another sign of the wide international influence the result of Sunday's French presidential vote will have, imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny also spoke up a day earlier, urging French voters to back Macron and alleging that Le Pen is too closely linked to Russian authorities.

Read the full report below:

European leaders back Macron as French campaign nears end

Voices | Vote for Macron — even if you don’t like him — or face what we faced with Trump

Friday 22 April 2022 20:30 , Thomas Kingsley

On April 21, 2002, I was 10 years old and huddled in front of the television with my family. We were watching the results of the first round of the French presidential election.

In France, people vote for their president twice: the first time, they pick between a handful of candidates across a variety of parties, and the two people who get the most votes make it to the second round; the second time, people vote again, and whoever gets the majority of votes out of that final two is elected president.

In 2002, Lionel Jospin, the Socialist candidate, was widely expected to make it to the second round alongside Jacques Chirac, the sitting president running for re-election. I was born in 1991, at a time when the Socialist Party was a given contender in any election. It was the de facto left-wing party, and it would face off against the de facto right-wing party (whose name changed a few times over the years).

Read the full Voices pieces by Clémence Michallon below:

Vote for Macron, even if you don’t like him, or face what we faced with Trump

When will the French election results be announced?

Friday 22 April 2022 20:00 , Thomas Kingsley

French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen wrapped up their campaign trails ahead of this weekend’s vote.

Mr Macron, who represents the La Republique En Marche! party met voters in the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis and Ms Le Pen, of the National Rally party was in the northern town of Arras.

France’s electorate goes to the polls on Sunday 24 April to decide who will be the next president, following the elimination of 10 other candidates in the first on 10 April, including socialist Jean-Luc Melenchon, far-right contender Eric Zemmour and Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.

Our reporter, Joe Sommerlad, has the full story below:

When will the French election results be announced?

Carlos Ghosn says he 'smells something fishy' after French international arrest warrant

Friday 22 April 2022 19:30 , Thomas Kingsley

Fugitive former car executive Carlos Ghosn said on Friday that he "smells something fishy" before the French elections, in response to an international warrant sought by a French magistrate, Lebanon's Al Jadeed TV reported.

The warrant is sought in connection with a case linked to a probe into suspect money flows between Renault and an Omani dealership.

Watch: ‘Be glad you are in a democracy,' Macron hits back at hecklers during campaign rally

Friday 22 April 2022 19:00 , Thomas Kingsley

France's Macron warns of post-Trump election-like 'hangover' ahead of presidential vote

Friday 22 April 2022 18:30 , Thomas Kingsley

French president Emmanuel Macron compared France's choice in Sunday's presidential runoff to that of US voters before they elected Donald Trump into the White House, whilst warning that his current polling lead was not a guarantee of victory.

“The next day they woke up with a hangover,” Mr Macron told BFM TV on Friday, saying that the situation in France is very similar as it involves a very fundamental choice about the direction of the country. He also pointed to opinion polls' inability to predict the outcomes of either the US election or the Brexit referendum in 2016.

Surveys by France's leading pollsters published on Thursday and Friday showed support for Macron over far-right challenger Marine Le Pen stable or up slightly, albeit with turnout slipping to a historic low.

Emmanuel Macron claims Le Pen’s higher election score ‘a failure for him’

Friday 22 April 2022 18:00 , Thomas Kingsley

French president Emmanuel Macron says the fact that Marine Le Pen is set to get a higher score at the election this weekend compared to five years ago is a failure for him.

His comments come after the latest polls show Macron is on course for victory on Sunday with 55 per cent of the vote.

French election could be a bigger shock to markets than Brexit or Trump

Friday 22 April 2022 17:24 , Thomas Kingsley

French voters are expected to hand Emmanuel Macron five more years in office on Sunday, favoring the president over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen after a strong showing in a fiery debate.

With polls indicating the presidential election is narrower than when the two candidates faced off in 2017, traders are forecasting for a potential surprise Le Pen win, which would rattle Europe's second biggest economy as fears of a recession in the region grow.

“It could be bigger than Brexit. It could be bigger than Trump, if Le Pen prevails,” said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets.

NEW: Polls show Macron pulling away from LePen

Friday 22 April 2022 16:54 , Thomas Kingsley

The latest polls have shown Emmanuel Macron pulling away from Marine Le Pen and on course for victory with 55 per cent of the vote according to IFOP Fiducial Poll.

Marine Le Pen: Background and family

Friday 22 April 2022 15:58 , Zoe Tidman

Want to know more about Marine Le Pen and her background? Joe Sommerlad takes a look at her life and family:

Marine Le Pen: The far-right French presidential challenger and her family in profile

YouGov final poll predicts Macron win

Friday 22 April 2022 15:15 , Zoe Tidman

Here is a YouGov’s final poll on the French presidential election:

Where are the candidates today?

Friday 22 April 2022 14:54 , Zoe Tidman

Marine Le Pen has been campaigning in her stronghold of northern France today in a last-ditch effort to try to close the gap between herself and Emmanuel Macron in polls.

She visited a hospital in Berck-sur-Mer in the Pas-de-Calais region.

The far-right candidate also went to a street market in Etaples near Le Touquet - a pointed choice on the final day of campaigning given that it is the constituency in which Emmanuel Macron himself votes.

After his radio interview this morning, Mr Macron was set to travel to Figeac, a town deep in France’s southern heartland.

His supporters have gathered with flags for the final rally of his re-election campaign:

Macron admits failing to tackle anger in France

Friday 22 April 2022 14:02 , Zoe Tidman

Emmanuel Macron has admitted failing to tackle some of the anger felt by voters in France, saying his opponent Marine Le Pen is using it to drive her campaign ahead of Sunday’s vote.

Two days before the pair face each other in the final round of the election, the incumbent said far-right Ms Le Pen was capitalising on the “fears and resentment” of the electorate

Rory Sullivan has more on the president’s comments this morning:

Ahead of French vote, Macron says Le Pen capitalising on anger he failed to address

Emmanuel Macron: Background and family

Friday 22 April 2022 12:47 , Zoe Tidman

France’s president Emmanuel Macron is expected to win a second term in the Elysee Palace in Sunday’s runoff vote against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.

But who is the centrist president? Joe Sommerlad takes a look at his background and family:

Emmanuel Macron: The French president and his family in profile

Melenchon as prime minister? Macron answers

Friday 22 April 2022 11:50 , Zoe Tidman

Emmanuel Macron has been asked whether he would have Jean-Luc Melenchon, the far-left and environmentally-minded politician who came third in the first round of voting, as prime minister.

An interviewer mentioned how Mr Macron had said he wanted the person in this role to be in charge of climate.

The president danced around the question and described how the prime minister is chosen: it is based on the make-up of parliament, which will be decided in a vote in summer.

“I’m fighting first to gain the trust of our fellow citizens on Sunday. And then there will be the parliamentary elections. And there will be a prime minister chosen in light of these elections,” he said.

New poll puts Macron winning with 57 per cent of votes

Friday 22 April 2022 11:20 , Zoe Tidman

Emmanuel Macron is seen winning the presidential election with 57 per cent of the vote compared to Marine Le Pen, according to a new poll by Poll OpinionWay - Kea Partners.

Le Pen managed to draw on failures and anger I failed to pacify, Macron says

Friday 22 April 2022 10:45 , Zoe Tidman

Speaking about his rival this morning, Emmanuel Macron said: “She has managed to draw on some of what we did not manage to do, on some of the things I did not manage to do to pacify some of the anger, respond quickly to what voters want and in particular show herself as offering security to the middle and working French classes.”

He added to France Inter radio: “The far-right lives on fears and resentment.”

Reuters

Macron and Le Pen trade blows in interviews

Friday 22 April 2022 10:24 , Zoe Tidman

Emmanuel Macron also said this morning the far-right lives “on fears and resentment” as he traded blows with Marine Le Pen in media interviews this morning.

Meanwhile his far-right opponent accused the president of embodying an elitism that has failed ordinary people.

“He does not like the French,” she told Europe 1 radio on Friday.

Marine Le Pen pushing out messages on social media

Friday 22 April 2022 09:41 , Zoe Tidman

Marine Le Pen’s Twitter account is being very active this morning, sharing clips from interviews and campaign pictures every 10 minutes or so:

Here are a few snippets:

“I want to fight against Islamism”

Ms Len Pen promises zero tolerance on crime and to deport foreign offenders

“I will make savings on immigration by giving child benefits only to French people, by limiting family reunification”

Macron says EU cannot allow new iron curtain

Friday 22 April 2022 08:58 , Zoe Tidman

Some more from Emmanuel Macron’s media interviews this morning.

The president said the EU nations must not allow a new iron curtain to fall across the continent - but it was also important to take account of differing views within the bloc towards Russia and the war in Ukraine.

Marine Le Pen says she has ‘spent eight months trying to drag French away from abstention’

Friday 22 April 2022 08:49 , Zoe Tidman

Both candidates are doing media rounds as the election approaches.

“I’ve spent eight months in this presidential campaign trying to drag French out of abstention,” Marine Le Pen said this morning.

The far-right leader said she believed the split between the French people and their representatives can be closed with “democratic utensils” including proportional representation and referendums triggered by the population itselfs.

Le Pen drawing on anger I haven’t quelled, Macron says

Friday 22 April 2022 08:05 , Zoe Tidman

Emmanuel Macron has said he had not managed to quell some of the anger felt in the country and that his far-right rival Marine Le Pen was using some of that in her campaign.

“And there we have it. She has made some progress, she has covered herself up by turning this into our problem, and she has managed to draw on this,” the president - hoping to be re-elected at the weekend - told France Inter radio.

Reuters

Tory and Brexit supporters back far-right Marine Le Pen, poll suggests

Friday 22 April 2022 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Conservative and Brexit supporters want far-right candidate Marine Le Pen to become president of France, a poll by YouGov has suggested.

At least 37 per cent of Tory voters backed the right-wing leader, while just 24 per cent support the centrist Emmanuel Macron.

The two will go head-to-head in a critical run-off on Sunday, with polls putting Mr Macron as little as six points ahead of his rival.

The margin is even greater among Leave voters at the 2016 Brexit referendum, who prefer Ms Le Pen over the current president by 35 per cent to 19 per cent.

Rob Merrick has more.

Tory and Brexit voters back far-right Marine Le Pen to become French president

Le Pen calls on voters to choose 'between Macron and France'

Friday 22 April 2022 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

At her final campaign rally in Arras, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen urged voters to choose between “Macron and France”.

“To block [Macron], you cannot abstain, you must vote,” she told her supporters, according to France24.

She added: “You must vote for the only front that is truly republican, the anti-Macron front.”

Slamming her opponent’s “unbounded arrogance”, Ms Le Pen projected herself as a nationalist “president who will respect the French” compared to Mr Macron “who does not like them”.

Macron and Le Pen make last effort to win presidential race

Friday 22 April 2022 06:28 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Incumbent French president Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen made a last-ditch effort on Thursday to woo voters ahead of Sunday’s presidential election.

While Ms Le Pen headed to her stronghold in Arras, Mr Macron visited the multicultural Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, where the far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon made massive inroads during the first-round vote.

According to French election rules, all campaigning must end by Friday midnight.

Following Wednesday’s fiery marathon debate, Mr Macron has a six to 13 point lead over Ms Le Pen, according to the latest opinion polls.

From attacks on “wokeism” to crackdowns on mosques, France’s presidential poll campaign has been especially challenging for voters of immigrant heritage and religious minorities.

Macron warns Muslim voters against consequences of electing Le Pen

Friday 22 April 2022 05:19 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Incumbent French president Emmanuel Macron in the last leg of the campaign tried to woo disaffected left-wing voters and warned them against the consequences on the Muslim community if his far-right rival Marine Le Pen is voted to power.

While visiting the multicultural Paris commune of Saint-Denis, Mr Macron accused his rival of trying to exclude foreign citizens from social housing, Politico reported.

As an example, he said, “a young Moroccan lady who has two children, who work at the hospital, who was applauded every evening during the pandemic … with Madame Le Pen’s program, we will take away her social housing and her family benefits”.

“It’s a programme of discord,” Mr Macron added while slamming Ms Le Pen for “mixing up terrorism, insecurity, immigration, Islam and Islamism all the time”.

When will the French election results be announced?

Friday 22 April 2022 03:00 , Liam James

France’s electorate goes to the polls on Sunday 24 April to decide who will be the next president (Joe Sommerlad writes).

An exit poll is expected to be published at 7pm GMT on Sunday with the official final results announced the following day.

Mr Macron secured 27.8 per cent of the vote 11 days ago to Ms Le Pen’s 23.1 per cent and is currently leading in opinion polls by as much as 56 per cent to 44 per cent, although Sunday’s ballot is expected to prove a close contest nonetheless.

When will the French election results be announced?

Macron wins TV debate but sounded arrogant, say French voters

Friday 22 April 2022 02:00 , Liam James

French voters believe President Emmanuel Macron was the big winner of the televised political debate with far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, but they also believe he came across as arrogant, according to a poll (Borzhou Daragahi writes).

The survey, conducted by the firm Elabe for France’s BFM television channel and L’Express magazine, indicated that 59 per cent of watchers viewed Mr Macron as the winner of the fiery confrontation with Ms Le Pen, who was seen as the winner by just 39 per cent.

The French leader, according to numerous polls, is expected to win Sunday’s vote with between 52 and 56 per cent of the vote. But Ms Le Pen, who won only a third of votes in a 2017 election match-up against Mr Macron, remains within striking distance, and a surprise victory for the challenger cannot be ruled out.

Among supporters of leftwing first-round presidential contender Jean-Luc Melenchon, 61 per cent saw Mr Macron as the winner of the debate as opposed to 36 per cent who regarded Ms Le Pen as the winner.

Macron wins TV debate but sounded arrogant, say French voters

ICYMI: Imprisoned Navalny urges France to vote for Macron because of Le Pen’s Russia links

Saturday 23 April 2022 00:01 , Thomas Kingsley

Imprisoned Moscow critic Alexei Navalny has called on French voters to support president Emmanuel Macron this weekend as he warned of far-right opponent Marine Le Pen’s links to president Vladimir Putin.

The Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption activist’s comments came as centrist Macron and his far-right contender Le Pen prepare to meet on Wednesday evening in a face-to-face television debate that could prove decisive ahead of Sunday’s vote.

Despite Macron coming out on top of most recent opinion polls, Le Pen - an anti-immigration nationalist who has seen her popularity soar this year by drawing off public anger over inflation and wage stagnation - threatens to significantly narrow the gap in public support.

Our reporter, Emily Atkinson, has the full story below:

Imprisoned Navalny urges France to vote for Macron because of Le Pen’s Russia links

Macron retains poll lead after TV debate

Friday 22 April 2022 00:45 , Liam James

Emmanuel Macron remained ahead of his opponent Marine Le Pen in the French presidential race after a heated television debate on Wednesday, a poll showed.

The incumbent was seen as winning re-election with an unchanged 56 per cent of the vote, according to a survey by OpinionWay/Kea Partners conducted between 20-21 April.

But uncertainty about the final result remained high as the poll also projected a 72 per cent voter turnout – which would be the lowest since 1969.

Viewers of the only debate between the two final candidates deemed Mr Macron prone to bouts of arrogance but also found him more convincing and fit to be president, a separate Elabe poll for BFM TV showed.

Ms Le Pen, who focused on expressing empathy with people she said had “suffered” since Mr Macron beat her in 2017, was judged slightly more in tune with voters’ concerns but her far-right views were still considered much more worrying, the poll showed.

Voices | Islamophobia is the driving force of the French election – for Muslims like me there is no ‘choice’

Friday 22 April 2022 23:53 , Thomas Kingsley

As expected, Marine Le Pen is facing Emmanuel Macron in the second and final round of the French presidential elections. It feels like deja-vu, although this time around Muslim lives are much more at stake than in 2017. In other words, either way, it looks extremely terrible for French Muslims, let alone French visibly Muslim women: “hijabis” as we call ourselves, “veiled” as they like to refer to us.

I know everything I need to know about these candidates without having to closely follow their campaigns. Without even having to watch their three-hour-long “Grand Débat” a few days before the second round of elections. I know what they’re saying about me and the likes of me. I know that because every five years it’s the same rhetoric.

Read the full Voices piece from Assia Belgacem.

Opinion: As a French Muslim hijabi, neither Macron or Le Pen appeal to me

Even if Macron wins the election, Le Pen has won the ideological war

Thursday 21 April 2022 23:17 , Liam James

From Mary Dejevsky:

Twenty years ago, all of France – or so it seemed to non-National Front voters – was shocked to the core when Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie, reached the run-off against Jacques Chirac, after relegating the Socialist Party candidate Lionel Jospin to third place. There was no debate that year, 2002, because Chirac refused to sit at the same table as the National Front, called for unity against what he regarded as the threat from the far-right, and ended up winning a landslide. That was then.

The response, when Marine Le Pen reached the run-off five years ago, was calmer, but still more than tinged with alarm. This year, even the hint of alarm has almost vanished. Le Pen’s main rival for the run-off slot was not the Gaullist candidate, but Jean-Luc Melenchon of the hard-left, and it is his votes that are in contention in the last days of this campaign.

The change may be explained in part by Marine Le Pen’s – largely superficial – makeover. But it also reflects how far the erstwhile National Front has become a “normal” strand of French politics. And nowhere was this normality more evident than in what was perhaps the most compelling part of the debate: on Islam and women in France wearing the headscarf, which Le Pen wants to discourage, if not ban.

Read Mary’s full piece here:

Even if Macron wins the election, Le Pen has won the ideological war | Mary Dejevsky

‘Nothing is final,’ Macron tells voters in Saint Denis

Thursday 21 April 2022 22:10 , Liam James

Despite keeping a solid poll lead of 12 points, Emmanuel Macron said he is taking nothing for granted as he addressed a crowd in a working class Paris suburb.

“Nothing is final until the last minute,” he told a crowd in Saint Denis.He said he chose to make one of his last campaign stops in a place that “is facing many difficulties” in the poorest region of mainland France, the Seine-Saint-Denis, where many residents are immigrants or have immigrant roots.

Warning against his opponent Marine Le Pen, who he is facing for the second time running in a head-to-head presidential election, Mr Macron said: “We must not get used to the rise of far-right ideas”.

Vote for Macron — even if you don’t like him — or face what we faced with Trump | Independent Voices

Thursday 21 April 2022 20:45 , Liam James

From Clemence Michallon:

The Trump years were spent, for a lot of Americans and people living in America, in survival mode. They had to be experienced one day at a time. There was exhausting anger and complete bewilderment. I held my breath for four years.

But when those years ended with the election of Joe Biden in 2020, it wasn’t like we all got to breathe easy again. What I didn’t realize at the time (because I was busy holding my breath for four years) was how the Trump years would extend beyond his four years in office. When a far-right candidate is elected, their impact doesn’t stop where their presidency ends. It changes the course of history. It changes the fabric of a country.

Read Clemence’s full piece here:

Vote for Macron, even if you don’t like him, or face what we faced with Trump

Macron is a ‘dunce’, says Le Pen

Thursday 21 April 2022 19:38 , Liam James

Marine Le Pen had no shortage of insults for her opponent Emmanuel Macron in her last major rally of the French presidential election campaign.

In an hourlong speech in the northern city of Arras, the far-right candidate said Mr Macron called the incumbent president a “dunce” whose only goal in power was to stay in power.

She said Mr Macron is “nonchalant”, “condescending” and “arrogant”.

On that last point, Ms Le Pen may find support even from those who do not intend to vote for her, as 50 per cent of people who watched last night’s election debate thought Mr Macron came across as arrogant.

The same poll, however, found that 50 per cent of viewers think Ms Le Pen is scary.

Le Pen holds rally in Arras

Thursday 21 April 2022 18:21 , Liam James

Marine Le Pen is addressing a rally in Arras, a city in Hauts-de-France, the northernmost region of France.

The far-right challenger in the presidential campaign was firmly backed by the industrial stronghold in the first round of polling, taking one-third of votes in a crowded contest. Her rival, the incumbent President Macron, took one-quarter.

Le Pen seeks to win the working class vote with pledges to cut the cost of living and put French nationals first.

On the campaign trail: Macron fights for votes in Saint Denis

Thursday 21 April 2022 17:15 , Liam James

Emmanuel Macron headed to Saint Denis today as the presidential race entered its final days.

His destination is emblematic of Paris’s troubled suburbs and reflects his efforts to capture left wing voters who backed Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round.

Saint Denis is also a very multicultural, inner-city location fitting for the cosmopolitan president.

When will the French election results be announced?

Thursday 21 April 2022 16:30 , Liam James

France’s electorate goes to the polls on Sunday 24 April to decide who will be the next president (Joe Sommerlad writes).

An exit poll is expected to be published at 7pm GMT on Sunday with the official final results announced the following day.

Mr Macron secured 27.8 per cent of the vote 11 days ago to Ms Le Pen’s 23.1 per cent and is currently leading in opinion polls by as much as 56 per cent to 44 per cent, although Sunday’s ballot is expected to prove a close contest nonetheless.

When will the French election results be announced?

Macron retains poll lead after TV debate

Thursday 21 April 2022 15:44 , Liam James

Emmanuel Macron remains ahead of his opponent Marine Le Pen in the French presidential race after a heated television debate last night, a poll showed.

The incumbent was seen as winning re-election with an unchanged 56 per cent of the vote, according to a survey by OpinionWay/Kea Partners conducted between 20-21 April.

But uncertainty about the final result remained high as the poll also projected a 72 per cent voter turnout – which would be the lowest since 1969.

Viewers of the only debate between the two final candidates deemed Mr Macron prone to bouts of arrogance but also found him more convincing and fit to be president, a separate Elabe poll for BFM TV showed.

Ms Le Pen, who focused on expressing empathy with people she said had “suffered” since Mr Macron beat her in 2017, was judged slightly more in tune with voters’ concerns but her far-right views were still considered much more worrying, the poll showed.