France votes in presidential election with cost of living and refugees the key issues

Incumbent Emmanuel Macron is favourite to retain power but he is being challenged by far-right Marine Le Pen and 10 other candidates

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, at an election night event after voting in the first round of the French presidential election, in Paris. Bloomberg

Emmanuel Macron at a rally in Paris after the first round of voting in the French presidential election as early exit polls suggested victory. Getty Images

Mr Macron after partial results were declared in the first round of the 2022 French presidential election. Reuters

Supporters in Paris cheer Mr Macron at a rally after the first-round vote. Getty Images

Marine Le Pen, centre, of the French far-right party Rassemblement National, and supporters after the first round of voting. AFP

Supporters cheer in Paris as exit polls indicated Mr Macron would win the election. Getty Images

The French leader acknowledges his supporters at a rally in Paris. Getty Images

Eric Zemmour, candidate of the far-right Reconquete! party, waves to supporters after voting ended in the first round of the French presidential election. AFP

Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen delivers a speech at her election day headquarters in Paris. AP

Supporters of Mr Zemmour as preliminary results of the first round of the presidential election were announced in Paris. AP

Ballots for the first round of the presidential election are counted in Marseille, southern France. AP

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was seeking re-election, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, greets people at a polling station in Le Touquet-Paris, France. EPA

Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen casts her ballot at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont, northern France. AFP

A sign indicates where to vote at a polling station, in Le Touquet-Paris. Bloomberg

A voter wearing a robe and slippers arrives to cast his ballot at a polling station in Reims, north-eastern France. AFP

French citizens living in India arrive to cast their votes at France's consulate general, in the region of Pondicherry. AFP

A man votes in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. AP

Presidential candidate of the far-right DLF party, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, casts his ballot in Yerres, south-east of Paris. AFP

The French ecologist party EELV's presidential candidate, Yannick Jadot, takes ballots before voting at a polling station in Paris. AFP

Far-right candidate Eric Zemmour votes in Paris. AP

A polling station worker checks voters turnout by hour at a polling station in Marseille. EPA

A voter inside a voting booth in Paris. AP

Mayor of Paris and presidential candidate Anne Hidalgo votes at a polling station in the French capital. EPA

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, centre, greets an electoral officer at a polling station in Paris. AFP

The presidential candidate of the LFI party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, casts his ballot at a polling station in Marseille. EPA

France is voting in a presidential election on Sunday, pitting the right wing against the far-right in an election in which the rising cost of living and refugees have become central issues.

Incumbent Emmanuel Macron is favourite to retain power in a field of 12 candidates, but he is being challenged by far-right candidates Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour.

Turnout was at 65 per cent at 5pm in France, less than the 69.4 per cent reported at the same time in the last presidential election.

To win in Sunday’s primary, a candidate needed at least 50 per cent of votes. As voting began, opinion polls had no candidate at more than 30 per cent.

While a first round win remained possible, it was unlikely and had not happened before. The top two candidates from Sunday’s vote go forward to a second round on April 24.

As many people in France feel the cost-of-living pressures, some believe the far-right could breakthrough and win this election cycle.

In the Paris suburb of Pantin, Blandine Lehout, a 32-year-old actress, said none of the candidates deserved her vote.

“For the first time in my life I'm not going to vote,” she said. “In this election, I hate them all. We're at a stage where they frighten me.”

In Pontaumur, a village in central France, Simone Astier, 88, said she had voted for Mr Macron but without enthusiasm.

“I am never satisfied because there is always something that's not right,” she said

In Sevres, a short distance outside Paris, 62-year-old Gnagne N'dry said he had voted for Jean-Luc Melenchon, attracted by the radical left-winger's plans to raise the minimum wage, lower the retirement age and freeze petrol prices.

“His ideas are right for me, I am a taxi driver,” he said. “With him, I'd already be retired.”

On Ukraine, Mr Macron has been at the forefront of international talks on supporting Ukraine in war and imposing sanctions on Russia.

On immigration, he wants to strengthen external borders of the European passport-free area, and speed up processing of asylum and residence permit applications.

On Ukraine, Ms Le Pen said she supports the Ukrainian people and refugees must be welcomed. She has cultivated ties with Moscow, but said Russia’s war in Ukraine “partially” changed her views about President Vladimir Putin.

On immigration, her plans include ending family reunification policies, introducing a law banning Muslim headscarves in all public places, and outlawing events and financing considered to be spreading “Islamism”.

Before the vote, opinion polls forecast Mr Macron would finish ahead of Ms Le Pen by a handful of percentage points in round one, with those top two going through to the second round vote.

Mr Melenchon was snapping at their heels in third place and fancied his chances of reaching the second round.

Ms Le Pen is accused of being an extremist bent on dividing society, but she has tried to show a more moderate face this election and focus on rising prices.

Mr Macron, by contrast, has campaigned relatively little, and began later than he wanted because of the war in Ukraine.

Mr Zemmour, a far-right TV pundit, made a strong start into the campaign last year but has lost ground.

Polling stations opened at 8am (6am GMT) and closed at 6pm GMT.