French voters brace for decisive round of presidential election

French voters are preparing to return to the polling stations on Sunday to decide which of the two candidates will take the country's presidency for the next five years.


Unlike the neck-and-neck race in the first round of votes on April 23, the margin between centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-rightist Marine Le Pen in the runoff vote is estimated to be quite large, according to opinion polls.

Various polls released on Friday, the last campaigning day, estimate that Macron will win with 61 to 62 percent of votes, while only 38 to 40 percent will go to Le Pen.

A Harris Interactive survey for French television network LCP indicates Macron will garner 62 percent, and Le Pen 38 percent. The same figures were given by an Odoxa-Dentsu Consulting poll for Le Point magazine and a Elabe survey for BFMTV and newspaper L'Express.

Meanwhile, an Ipsos-Sopra Steria poll for France Televisions and Radio France also estimates a clear victory for Macron with 61.5 percent of voting intentions, against Le Pen with 38.5 percent.
   [globaltimes.cn/china.org.cn/Xinhua]
7/5/17
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