Turnout in French presidential elections is currently lower than five years ago | Abroad

The turnout figure is also lower than in the presidential elections in 2012 and 2007. Two weeks ago – during the first round – the figure was lower, at 25.48 percent.

Polling stations opened in France at the stroke of 8 a.m. Some 48.7 million French people can vote for current president Emmanuel Macron or his challenger Marine Le Pen. Polling stations remain open until 7 p.m., in the major cities until 8 p.m. The presidential elections in the overseas territories were already kicked off on Saturday.

For a long time it looked like Macron, the leader of the liberal center party La République en Marche (LREM), might be allowed to freewheel for a second five-year term, but the engine sputtered somewhat in the final weeks before the first round. Le Pen, the leader of the far-right and nationalist Rassemblement National (RN), managed to close a major gap in the polls in recent weeks, but still had to give up on Macron in the first round on April 10.

In that 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.

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