Emmanuel Macron led Marine Le Pen in the first round of France's presidential election, the separate estimates by Ifop, OpinionWay, Elabe and Ipsos showed. Macron won 28.1-29.5% of votes while Le Pen won 23.3-24.4% of voter support, they projected. REUTERS/ Abdullah Rashid/ File photo
That outcome would set up a duel between an economic liberal with a globalist outlook in Macron and a deeply euroskeptic economic nationalist who, until the Ukraine war, was an open admirer of Russian President Vladimir Putin.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.
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. France, the EU's second largest economy, would lurch from being a driving force for European integration to being led by a euroskeptic who is also suspicious of the NATO military alliance.
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