PARIS—France voters turned out Sunday for a presidential runoff election that has wide repercussions for Europe’s future, with President Emmanuel Macron considered the front-runner but fighting a tough challenge from rival Marine Le Pen.
Macron is asking voters to trust him for a second five-year term despite a presidency that was troubled by protests, the pandemic, and Russia’s war on Ukraine. A Macron victory in this vote would make him the first French president in 20 years to win a second term.
The result Sunday in France, a nuclear-armed nation with one of the world’s biggest economies, could also impact the war in Ukraine, as France has played a key role in diplomatic efforts and firmly backed sanctions against Russia for its invasion of its neighbor.
All recent opinion polls converge toward a win for the 44-year-old Macron—yet the margin over his 53-year-old rival varies broadly. Polls also forecast a possibly record-high number of people who will either cast a blank vote or not vote at all.
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. Participation was 26.1 percent at midday, slightly higher than in the first-round vote on April 10.
“I am serene,” Le Pen said as she voted in the northern town of Henin-Beaumont and took selfies with fans. “I have confidence in the French.”
Macron, meanwhile, greeted crowds with handshakes and embraces in the English Channel coastal town of Le Touquet.
Both candidates are trying to court the 7.7 million supporters of Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was among the 10 other presidential candidates eliminated in the first round of voting on April 10.
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 has found resonance in the public. She said bringing down the cost of living would be her priority if elected as France’s first female president, and she portrayed herself as the candidate for voters unable to make ends meet.
Le Pen says Macron’s presidency has left the country deeply divided, pointing to yellow vest protest movement that rocked his government before the COVID-19 pandemic, with months of demonstrations against economic policies that they said hurt the poorest.
Macron has sought to appeal to voters of immigrant heritage and religious minorities, especially because of Le Pen’s proposed policies putting French citizens first in line for jobs and benefits.
Macron has also touted his environmental and climate accomplishments in a bid to draw in young voters.
Although Macron was associated with the slogan “Make The Planet Great Again,” in his first five-year term, he capitulated to yellow vest protesters by scrapping a tax hike on fuel prices. Macron has said his next prime minister would be put in charge of environmental planning as France seeks to become carbon neutral by 2050.
Le Pen wants to scrap subsidies for renewable energies. She has vowed to dismantle wind farms and invest in nuclear and hydro energy.
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