France elects a president between Macron and Le Pen

At 08:00 local time, polling stations opened in 96 urban districts, in elections that began yesterday in overseas territories and schools abroad.

Voters will be able to exercise their right until 7:00 pm, and the first results will be published after 8:00 pm with the poll organizers’ estimates, which usually precede the official statements issued by the Ministry of the Interior.

All opinion polls and political analysts expected Macron to win a repeat of the second round of the 2017 presidential election, although with a smaller advantage than at the time, when he received 66 percent of the vote.

Polls published before the electoral silence that began at midnight on Friday showed the head of state receiving up to 57 percent of the vote.

For political analyst and CEO of Ipsos France, Brice Teinturier, although a Macron victory appears to be the most likely scenario, it should not be assumed that it is the only one.

There are elements to consider in a well-closed election until Le Pen’s victory, notably the tendency of representatives to vote in the first round (about 13 million) and the vote exercised by the more than seven million followers of Jean-Luc. Melenchon warned.

According to opinion polls, the abstention rate could reach about 30 percent of voter registration, more than 14 million French, and close to the record for absenteeism from polls, which dates back to 1969 with 31.1.

The election campaign was marked by tit-for-tat attacks, on issues such as the loss of purchasing power, France’s role within the European Union, foreign policy and the conflict in Ukraine, immigration and security.

Macron urged a ban on the far-right from coming to power and promised to rule for another five years with the will to expand and reunify, bolstering his European vision and his efforts on energy and agricultural independence.

For her part, Le Pen considered that the new administration of her rival would lead to chaos and offered the electors to be the daily head of the value of work, purchasing power, school, health for all, for Republican assimilation and social advancement.