Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen to face-off in French presidential election in repeat of 2017 vote

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.

Macron is set to face Marine Le Pen in a Presidential run-off, pollsters suggestRex

French far-right party Rassemblement National presidential candidate Marine Le Pen casting her ballot todayAFP

It would set up a duel between Macron, an economic liberal with a globalist outlook. and the deeply Eurosceptic economic nationalist Le Pen.

A French president has not won a second term for two decades.

Barely a month ago, Macron appeared near certain to reverse that trend, riding high in polls thanks to strong economic growth, a fragmented opposition and his statesman role in trying to avert war on Europe’s eastern flank.

But he has paid the price for late entry into the campaign during which he eschewed market walkabouts in provincial France in favour of a single big rally outside Paris. A plan to make people work longer has also proved 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.”