The first round of the presidential elections began in France on Sunday. The polling stations opened at 8 a.m. Around 48.7 million voters had registered to cast their vote.
[Wenn Sie aktuelle Nachrichten aus Berlin, Deutschland und der Welt live auf Ihr Handy haben wollen, empfehlen wir Ihnen unsere App, die Sie hier für Apple- und Android-Geräte herunterladen können.]
The current head of state Emmanuel Macron hopes for a second term. The right-wing Marine Le Pen is his biggest competitor. The left-wing Jean-Luc Mélenchon is also hoping for a place in the run-off election on April 24. A total of twelve candidates are running.
The French election campaign got off to a slow start and was overshadowed by the war in Ukraine. Hardly any topics caught on, many applicants were perceived as weak. With the Ukraine conflict and its economic consequences, purchasing power came into focus as the most important issue.
A low voter turnout is feared. Polls recently assumed that up to 30 percent could stay away from the election. Just before the election, three out of ten French people didn’t know who they were going to vote for. Ties to a party have also waned, and there are fewer regular voters than before.
Choice decisive for Germany and Europe
The French President has wide-ranging powers and serves for five years. He is more powerful than the prime minister appointed by him and has a significant influence on the fate of the country.
[Lesen Sie außerdem zu diesem Thema: Frankreich vor der Wahl: Marine Le Pen inszeniert sich als geläuterte Staatsfrau (T+)]
The outcome of the election is also of considerable interest for Germany and Europe. The liberal Macron is seen as a much simpler and more reliable partner than Le Pen or Mélenchon, with whom close cooperation is difficult to imagine because of their sometimes radical positions.
Polling stations are open until 7 p.m. in France and 8 p.m. in some places. Because of the time difference, some French overseas territories, such as the Caribbean, voted on Saturday. (dpa)
