IN LE BLEU CORNER
EMMANUEL Macron and far-right rival Marine Le Pen will be in a run-off in the presidential election, polls project.
The incumbent French President won 28.1-29.5 per cent of the vote, just beating Le Pen's 23.3-24.4 per cent, four pollsters reckon.
2
2
The pair also faced off in the 2017 election. Macron came out on top with 66 per cent of the vote compared with Le Pen's 33 per cent.
Mr Macron's economic liberalism and globalist outlook contrasts with le Pens Eurosceptism and economic nationalism.
And the incumbent was looking likely to become the first French president to win a second term for two decades.
Strong economic growth, a fragmented opposition and his statesmanship in trying to avert war in Europe led to high polling.
READ MORE WORLD NEWS
But his approval fell after entering the campaign trail late. A plan to make people work longer is also unpopular.
By contrast, Le Pen has for months toured towns and villages across France, focusing on cost-of-living issues that trouble millions and tapping into deep-seated anger towards the distant political elite.
A more than 10 point lead Macron had enjoyed as late as mid-March evaporated and voter surveys ahead of the first round showed his margin of victory in an eventual runoff whittled down to within the margin of error.
"I'm scared of the political extremes," said pensioner Therese Eychenne, 89, after voting for Macron in Paris. "I don't know what would become of France."