First very provisional results: Le Pen in the lead in overseas territories | Abroad

In Martinique, sitting French president Macron would achieve 39.13 percent according to the French-speaking public broadcaster. Le Pen would come out at 60.87 percent. In Guadeloupe, the difference would be even greater: 69.60 percent for Le Pen and 30.40 percent for Macron.

The far-right candidate also emerged as the winner in French Guiana (60.70 percent) and on the islands of St. Maarten and St. Bartholomew (55.52 percent).

In the other two areas it would be more even: 50.69 percent for Le Pen and 49.31 percent for Macron in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, compared to 51.81 percent for Macron and 48.19 percent for Le Pen in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. French Polynesia. Please note: these are far from being definitive results.

French living abroad elect the current president. Macron leads the pack in the United States (92 percent of the vote), Argentina (89 percent), Brazil (86 percent), Chile (87 percent) and Canada (86 percent). The approximately 5,000 French people living in Shanghai were once again unable to vote due to the lockdown.

It is not surprising that it is the Belgian media that come up with the first preliminary results. In France itself, it is illegal by law to even issue exit polls before the polls close at 7 p.m. (and 8 p.m. in the major cities). Belgian media are not bound by that law.

Turnout at 12 noon was lower than in the previous election five years ago. 26.41 percent of voters showed up, nearly 2 percentage points less than at the midday runoff in 2017 (28.23 percent). Two weeks ago – during the first round – the figure was even lower, at 25.48 percent.

Polling stations opened in France at the stroke of 8 a.m. Some 48.7 million French can vote for current president Macron or his challenger Le Pen. The presidential elections in the overseas territories were already kicked off on Saturday.

Le Pen went to vote just after 11 a.m. in Hénin-Beaumont in northern France. After a walk in the company of wife Brigitte, Macron cast his vote in the northern French seaside resort of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage in the afternoon. Hundreds of people were waiting for the candidate of the liberal center party La République en Marche. Macron shook hands, signed autographs and posed for the photo.

For a long time it looked like Macron might be allowed to sign a second five-year term freewheeling, but the bike sputtered somewhat in the final weeks before the first round. Le Pen, the leader of the far-right and nationalist Rassemblement National, managed to close a major backlog in the polls in recent weeks, but eventually had to give up. In the first round, Macron received 27.84 percent of the vote, Le Pen was able to convince 23.15 percent of the voters.

On Wednesday evening, both protagonists fought their first -and last- TV debate. Both candidates know that many voters are still undecided or not planning to vote, so frantic efforts were made on both sides to convince those voters. The candidates argued about how to improve purchasing power, but also about foreign policy – especially about Russia and Europe -, pensions, the climate, energy, youth and immigration. Le Pen confirmed she wants a headscarf ban in public spaces, which Macron said would spark “a civil war”.

Macron emerged victorious from the debate, which was watched by 15.6 million people, according to a poll and assessments by several experts.

Polls on Thursday gave 44-year-old Macron 55.5 to 56.5 percent of the vote. That is little to no different from the figures for the debate and that seems reassuring at first sight. But Macron’s entourage is nevertheless concerned about the undecided voters and a potentially large percentage of absentees. “The race has not yet run,” it sounds.

Immediately after the first round, most of the losing candidates called for either to vote for Macron in the second round or not to vote for Le Pen. Only the far-right Eric Zemmour asked his voters to go for Le Pen.

Macron won with 66 percent of the vote in 2017. The expectation is that the difference between the politicians will be smaller this year.

Also see: Macron accuses Le Pen of financial ties to Russia