Among the 11 candidates in the French presidential election, only four were expected to have any chance of advancing to the second round: centrist Emmanuel Macron, far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, far-left hopeful Jean-Luc Mélenchon and conservative François Fillon.
According to the latest exit polls, the two increasingly likely to make it to the second round are Le Pen and Macron.
Here is what you need to know about what they stand for and what their victory or defeat in the May runoff election could mean for France and Europe.
Emmanuel Macron, centrist candidate
He is the favorite candidate of European governments, probably because he is the contender with the least radical changes on offer. Like German Chancellor Merkel, Macron, 39, has distinguished himself with a mixture of pragmatism and a refusal to take a clear stance on certain issues.
Whereas all other leading candidates either clearly want to extend or roll back the state of emergency that was implemented after the November 2015 terrorist attacks, Macron has said only that he will evaluate it. Like Merkel, Macron has taken a strong stand in favor of immigration and the European Union, however.
At times when populists on the far right and the far left have gained momentum, Macron has united voters who do not want radical change.
A former member of the Socialist Party with a previous career as an investment banker, Macron leads a movement called En Marche! (Forward!)and has tried to avoid any suggestion that he represents the political establishment.
Marine Le Pen, far-right candidate
Marine Le Pen has shaped France's politics for years and is one of the country's most polarizing politicians. A former lawyer, she has spent much of her political career trying to move the party founded by her father into the French mainstream - something with which she still struggles.
Her father, National Front founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, once referred to the Nazi gas chambers as a "detail of history." Since taking over the party leadership, his daughter has tried to distance herself from him to make the National Front more appealing to a wider range of voters. But critics have called her policy proposals similarly dangerous and divisive.
Le Pen has vowed to introduce sweeping legislation to expand police powers if she gets elected and would leave the borderless Schengen zone as well as the euro zone. France's E.U. membership also would be at stake.
The prospect of a Le Pen presidency frightens many liberal and centrist French, and at times she has drawn criticism from all sides of the political spectrum. Two weeks ago, she suggested that France was "not responsible" for deporting Jews during the Holocaust - although the French role in the incident to which she was referring is undisputed among historians.
The Washington Post
Mon Apr 24 2017
![What you need to know about Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen What you need to know about Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2017-04/61493004790_macronlepen.jpg)
Portraits of the candidates who will run in the second round in the 2017 French presidential election, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
![Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/61721115027_MuhammadAdiLagik.jpg)
Polis kesan remaja lelaki hilang sejak enam hari lepas
Polis sedang berusaha mengesan seorang remaja lelaki yang dilaporkan hilang oleh keluarganya di Kuala Pilah sejak enam hari lepas.
[TERKINI] Sidang media khas FAM
FAM adakan satu sidang media khas petang nanti, difahamkan berkaitan rombakan. Kepimpinan tertinggi FAM atau barisan kejurulatihan skuad Harimau Malaya?
![Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721113188_DonaldTrump.jpg)
Penampilan pertama Trump di konvensyen GOP selepas terselamat cubaan bunuh
Donald Trump menghadiri Konvensyen Kebangsaan Republikan pada malam Isnin, penampilan umum pertamanya sejak terselamat daripada cubaan bunuh.
![Malaysia pantau perkembangan insiden tembakan di Masjid Muscat Malaysia pantau perkembangan insiden tembakan di Masjid Muscat](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-05/71715148599_wismaputra.jpg)
Malaysia pantau perkembangan insiden tembakan di Masjid Muscat
Wisma Putra melalui Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di Muscat, Oman sedang giat menyelaras usaha dengan pihak berkuasa tempatan untuk mendapatkan maklumat lanjut.
![Ini antara pencapaian Pan-gon bersama Harimau Malaya Ini antara pencapaian Pan-gon bersama Harimau Malaya](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721112073_PangonHarimauMal.jpg)
Ini antara pencapaian Pan-gon bersama Harimau Malaya
Kim Pan-gon memiliki rekod yang cukup baik bersama Malaysia, menjadi pengendali Harimau Malaya paling banyak mendapatkan keputusan yang positif sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.
![Kementerian Komunikasi umum Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa Kementerian Komunikasi umum Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721112865_FahmiFadzil.jpg)
Kementerian Komunikasi umum Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa
Kementerian Komunikasi hari ini mengumumkan Pakej Rahmah Prabayar Siswa pada harga tidak melebihi RM30.
![Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/51719647184_LionelMessi.jpg)
Messi harap cepat pulih daripada kecederaan
Kapten Argentina, Lionel Messi berharap agar beliau cepat pulih daripada kecederaan buku lali yang dialaminya perlawanan akhir Copa America.
![MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721105894_AhmadZahidHamidi.jpg)
MARA diminta terus teroka potensi industri halal global - Ahmad Zahid
MARA diminta untuk terus meneroka potensi antarabangsa dalam industri halal yang mempunyai prospek besar menerusi program Gate to Global (GTG).
Saya akan rindu bau durian - Kim Pan-gon
Menurut Kim Pan-gon, beliau akan tetap bangga dengan pasukan bola sepak Malaysia walaupun dimana beliau berada.
Katanya beliau akan merindui bau durian dan langit Malaysia. #AWANInews
Katanya beliau akan merindui bau durian dan langit Malaysia. #AWANInews
Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan berikutan komitmen peribadi
Pengurus pasukan kebangsaan Malaysia, Kim Pan-gon menyatakan perletakan jawatan tersebut kerana komitmen peribadi.
#AWANInews
#AWANInews
![Presiden Perancis tolak peletakan jawatan PM 'buat masa ini' Presiden Perancis tolak peletakan jawatan PM 'buat masa ini'](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2023-12/61701500950_RussiaUkraineWarE.jpg)
Presiden Perancis tolak peletakan jawatan PM 'buat masa ini'
Emmanuel Macron meminta Gabriel Attal untuk terus memegang jawatannya "buat masa ini".
![Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-03/71709993909_TBBERITAx.jpg)
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
![PM Perancis serah peletakan jawatan pada Isnin PM Perancis serah peletakan jawatan pada Isnin](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/41720396505_GabrielAttal.jpg)
PM Perancis serah peletakan jawatan pada Isnin
Gabriel Attal pada Ahad berkata beliau akan menyerahkan peletakan jawatannya kepada Presiden Emmanuel Macron pada pagi Isnin.
![Pusingan penentu pilihan raya Perancis bermula Pusingan penentu pilihan raya Perancis bermula](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51720343260_TBFranceElection.jpg)
Pusingan penentu pilihan raya Perancis bermula
Perancis kembali ke pusat pengundian pada Ahad bagi pusingan penentu pilihan raya Parlimen.
![National Rally dahului pilihan raya awal Perancis National Rally dahului pilihan raya awal Perancis](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81719787084_MarineLePen.jpg)
National Rally dahului pilihan raya awal Perancis
Le Pen dalam reaksinya sifatkan keputusan itu sebagai suara demokrasi dan mendakwa kem Presiden Emmanuel Macron tewas sepenuhnya.
![Majlis Perlembagaan Perancis lulus pilihan raya kilat Majlis Perlembagaan Perancis lulus pilihan raya kilat](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71718949922_France.jpg)
Majlis Perlembagaan Perancis lulus pilihan raya kilat
Tarikh akhir tidak melanggar perlembagaan dan tidak menjejaskan keseriusan pilihan raya, kata Majlis Perlembagaan.
![Sidang G7: PM Itali Meloni, Presiden Perancis Macron bertelagah Sidang G7: PM Itali Meloni, Presiden Perancis Macron bertelagah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71718424455_GiorgiaMeloniEmmanue.jpg)
Sidang G7: PM Itali Meloni, Presiden Perancis Macron bertelagah
Ketegangan memuncak antara Perdana Menteri Itali, Giorgia Meloni, dan Presiden Perancis, Emmanuel Macron, semasa sidang kemuncak G7 di Itali.
![Ketua parti The Republicans Perancis tolak pakatan dengan parti Macron Ketua parti The Republicans Perancis tolak pakatan dengan parti Macron](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/41718017239_EricCiotti.jpg)
Ketua parti The Republicans Perancis tolak pakatan dengan parti Macron
Ketua Parti The Republicans Perancis, Eric Ciotti, menolak kemungkinan untuk membentuk gabungan dengan Parti Renaissance yang dipimpin oleh Presiden Perancis Emmanuel Macron.
![Ketua sayap kanan Perancis sambut baik pembubaran Parlimen oleh Macron Ketua sayap kanan Perancis sambut baik pembubaran Parlimen oleh Macron](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/81717983455_tbMarineLePen.jpg)
Ketua sayap kanan Perancis sambut baik pembubaran Parlimen oleh Macron
Marine Le Pen pada Ahad menyambut baik pengumuman Presiden Emmanuel Macron bagi mengadakan pilihan raya.
![Presiden Perancis bubar Parlimen, beri laluan pilihan raya mengejut Presiden Perancis bubar Parlimen, beri laluan pilihan raya mengejut](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71717973990_tbEmmanuelMacron.jpg)
Presiden Perancis bubar Parlimen, beri laluan pilihan raya mengejut
Emanuel Macron membubarkan Parlimen selepas partinya mengalami kekalahan teruk dalam pilihan raya Parlimen Eropah.