French polls: Macron, far-right rival Le Pen to eye runoff

But the second round is likely to be tight.
The election's result will impact Europe's direction as it tried to contain Russia and the havoc wreaked by Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. The April 24 runoff appears set to pit the centrist president seeking to modernize the economy and strengthen European cooperation against the nationalist Le Pen, who has seen a popularity boost after tapping into voter anger over rising inflation.

Official results are expected later Sunday night.
French voters streamed to polling stations Sunday for the first round of a tense contest for the presidency, with incumbent Emmanuel Macron's hopes of reelection clouded by a strong challenge from the far right's Marine Le Pen.

Macron, a centrist, is asking France's 48 million voters for a second five-year term. But he was up against 11 other candidates and widespread voter anger and apathy. Le Pen, in particular, has tapped into the foremost issue on many voters' minds: living costs that have soared amid the disruptions of war in Ukraine and the economic repercussions of western sanctions on Russia.

With its potential to reshape France's post-war identity, especially if Le Pen wins, the election has wide international significance. A Macron victory would be seen as a defeat for European populists. It might also not be cheered in the Kremlin: Macron has strongly backed European Union sanctions on Russia, while Le Pen has worried publicly about their impact on French living standards.