The campaign for the first round of the French presidential election has closed under the shadow of jihadist violence and with widespread misgivings about the outcome of the vote on Sunday.

The issues confronting France had taken a back seat to financial scandals and the flawed character of the candidates, but terrorism suddenly became the main issue when Karim Cheurfi, a 39-year-old Frenchman with four convictions for violent crime, murdered a policeman and wounded three other people on the Champs-Éysées on Thursday night, 72 hours before polling stations were to open. Cheurfi was shot dead.

The government has mobilised 50,000 police and gendarmes and 7,000 soldiers to protect polling stations, which will be equipped with mobile telephones pre-programmed with emergency police numbers.

Four of 11 candidates stand a chance of reaching the May 7th run-off in the race to succeed François Hollande as president: the centrist Emmanuel Macron, the extreme right-wing leader Marine Le Pen, the conservative François Fillon and the far left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Opinion polls indicate that each commands support estimated at between 19 and 24 per cent.

French police, large numbers of whom support Ms Le Pen’s Front National (FN), demonstrated in several towns and cities yesterday over the shooting of their colleague. They demanded to know why a man who had repeatedly attacked police, and who had threatened in recent months to kill police in retaliation for the deaths of Muslims in Syria, was at large.

Before the attack, close to 30 per cent of voters told pollsters they would abstain in the first round of the election. Voting was portrayed by commentators on Friday as the most effective way to defeat jihadism.

There was broad speculation that the attack could affect voters’ choices. “In a campaign without a theme, strongly marked by the desire to break with a denigrated political system ... all of a sudden the bonus no longer goes to adventure, but to force, to protection,” said Françoise Fressoz of Le Monde.

Mr Macron, at 39 the youngest and most inexperienced candidate, could be at a disadvantage, in spite of his narrow lead in the opinion polls. He stressed that he was ready to govern, and that the role of a president was to “protect the French”.

Ms Le Pen, running a close second in the polls, accused conservative and socialist governments of the last decade of having “done everything for us to lose” what she called a “pitiless, relentless war” waged against France by “Islamist terrorism”.

US president Donald Trump told the Associated Press that the attack would help Ms Le Pen, who has praised him.

If he wins, Mr Fillon promised to make the “war” with what he calls “Islamic totalitarianism” the top priority of his term in office.

Bernard Cazeneuve, the socialist prime minister, accused Ms Le Pen and Mr Fillon of exploiting the tragedy for electoral gain.

The fact that France could send Ms Le Pen and Mr Mélenchon to the run-off, forcing voters to choose between extreme right and extreme left, has spooked financial markets. “There is worried waiting for the French election results,” Christine Lagarde, a former French economy minister and the director of the International Monetary Fund, told Le Monde.

Ms Le Pen and Mr Mélenchon included plans for leaving the euro zone and Europe in their programmes, though they softened their positions somewhat in recent days, in the face of opinion polls showing that close to three-quarters of the French want to remain in the euro.

Ms Le Pen and Mr Mélenchon lent a revolutionary tone to the campaign by railing against a privileged “caste” which they promised to overthrow. They portrayed Mr Fillon, a former prime minister, and Mr Macron, a former economy minister, as representatives of the elite. All four styled themselves as outsiders and enemies of an entrenched “system” that they vowed to end.</s>PARIS: The jihadist killing of a policeman on Paris’s Champs Elysees overshadowed the French presidential race Friday as candidates clashed over how to protect France, two days before a close-run first-round vote.

Analysts said Thursday night’s shooting, which the Islamic State (IS) group claimed as the work of one of its devotees, could shake up the race in a country scarred by a string of attacks that have claimed 239 lives since 2015.

Authorities had feared further bloodshed during the presidential race — a four-way contest between far-right leader Marine Le Pen, centrist Emmanuel Macron, conservative Francois Fillon and Communist-backed firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon.

A note praising IS was found next to the body of 39-year-old gunman Karim Cheurfi, who shot dead an officer and wounded two others before being killed in a firefight that sent tourists on the world-famous boulevard rushing for cover.

The violent scenes thrust security to the fore of campaigning after nine months of relative calm. Le Pen, Fillon and Macron cancelled their final rallies.

Le Pen moved quickly to present herself as the strongest defender against Islamist radicals.

The 48-year-old leader of the anti-immigration National Front (FN) called for France to “immediately” take back control of its borders from the European Union and deport all foreigners on a terror watchlist.

“This war against us is ceaseless and merciless,” she said, accusing the Socialist government of a “cowardly” response to the threat.

Fillon and Macron also hastily convened televised briefings in which they vowed to protect the country.

“Some haven’t taken the full measure of the evil,” 63-year-old Fillon said, promising an “iron-fisted” approach.

Macron, a 39-year-old moderate whom Fillon has portrayed as too inexperienced for the top job, said France was paying for the intelligence jobs cuts made when Fillon was prime minister between 2007 and 2012.

Describing Thursday’s shooting as an attack on democracy, he urged voters: “Do not give in to fear.”

Veteran leftwinger Melenchon, 65, was the only one of the four to stick to his schedule.

A BVA poll conducted on Thursday and Friday showed Le Pen and Macron tied on 23 percent, ahead of Melenchon with 19.5 percent and Fillon on 19 percent.

Cheurfi drew up alongside a police van and shot an officer sitting at the wheel, sending shoppers and strollers on the ritzy Champs Elysees scattering for safety.

He was killed while trying to flee on foot. A German tourist was slightly wounded in the crossfire.

A statement by IS’s propaganda agency Amaq issued shortly after the attack identified the assailant as “Abu Yussef the Belgian”.

The claim had raised concerns that a possible second attacker could be on the loose.

French authorities said a man sought in Belgium, who was suspected of having planned to travel to France on Thursday, had handed himself in to police in the Belgian city of Antwerp.

Cheurfi was arrested in February on suspicion of plotting to kill police officers but released because of a lack of evidence.

A serial offender, he spent nearly 14 years in prison for a range of crimes including attacks on the police. He had shown “no signs of radicalisation” while in custody, said France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor Francois Molins.

The shooting came days after two men were arrested in Marseille on suspicion of planning an imminent attack and follows a series of deadly strikes around Europe in the last month, targeting Stockholm, London and the Saint Petersburg metro.

On Sunday, around 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers will be deployed to protect voters.

Until now, surveys showed the French to be more concerned about jobs and the economy than terrorism or security, though analysts warned Thursday’s shooting could change that.

US President Donald Trump tweeted that the attack “will have a big effect” on the election.

“If it were to benefit someone that would clearly be Marine Le Pen who has dominated this issue throughout the campaign, or Francois Fillon, because of his stature of statesman,” Adelaide Zulfikarpasic of BVA pollsters said.

Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve accused Le Pen of attempting to make political hay out of the killing, saying she was “seeking, as she does after every tragedy, to take advantage of it”.

Shop owners and restaurant managers shepherded their customers to backrooms and basements when the shooting began on the Champs Elysees.

“We heard the shots and people were running in every direction. But people were calm,” said Lebanese tourist Zeina Bitar, 45, who was shopping with her children nearby.

France has been under a state of emergency for nearly a year and a half.

The string of terror attacks began in January 2015 with a massacre at the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine.

The following November, IS gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in Paris, and a Tunisian man rammed a truck through crowds in Nice last July, killing 86 people.

There are 5 documents on the same topic</s>PARIS — Voters waking up in some French overseas territories are preparing to vote first in France's unpredictable presidential election — one day earlier than in the mainland.

Political campaigning is banned from Saturday across France, and online, as voters in far-flung areas such as French Polynesia, Guiana, Guadeloupe cast ballots for one of the 11 candidates.

The mad-dash campaigning of the last few weeks came to a premature end Friday, hours after a gunman killed a police officer on the famed Champs-Elysees.

Major candidates their last campaign day events Friday over security concerns including the National Front's Marine Le Pen, Les Republicans' Francois Fillon and centrist Emmanuel Macron.

Opinion polls suggest that at least four candidates have a chance of grabbing one of the two places in the May runoff.</s>Francois Fillon gestures toward his supporters after declaring victory in the presidential Republican party's runoff primary at Maison de la Chimie in Paris on November 27, 2016. Photo by Yoan Valat/European Press Agency

Far-right candidate for the 2017 French presidential election Marine Le Pen speaks during a campaign rally in Paris on April 17, 2017. Front-runners Le Pen and Centrist Emmanuel Macron held rival rallies ahead of Sunday’s first round presidential vote. Photo by Maya Vidon-White/UPI | License Photo

Supporters cheer centrist candidate for the 2017 French presidential election Emmanuel Macron during a campaign rally in Paris on April 17, 2017. Overseas voters began to cast their ballots in various French territories on Saturday ahead of the mainland votes on Sunday. Photo by Maya Vidon-White/UPI | License Photo

April 22 (UPI) -- French citizens living overseas began casting their ballots in the first round of the presidential elections a day ahead of the vote in France.

Voters in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the French archipelago south of the Canadian island of Newfoundland, Guiana in South America and French Polynesia began voting on Saturday.

French islands Reunion and Mayotte were scheduled to begin voting on Sunday two hours and one hour earlier than the mainland respectively.

The overseas votes are set to be collected and sent to France early to prevent overseas voters from being influenced by the results of the mainland due to time differences.

A blackout on opinion polls was also issued in France at midnight on Friday.

Two out of the eleven eligible candidates will be selected to participate in a runoff vote on May 5.

Emmanuel Macron of the centralist En Marche! party, Marine Le Pen of the far-right Nationalist party and Francois Fillon of the center-right Republican party are among the more popular candidates for the presidency.

France promised tight security at the ballots, including tens of thousands of police and other security personnel on duty, as tensions rose and the threat of terrorism became a focal point prior to the election.

A knife-wielding man was arrested after causing a panic in Gare du Nord train station in Paris on Saturday, two days after a man shot a police officer dead and injured two others in Paris.

On April 19, French police also arrested two men on suspicion of planning a violent attack during the election after it was found they had an apartment hideout containing firearms and explosives.</s>PARIS — Early voting began overseas Saturday in France’s most nail-biting election in generations, and the 11 candidates seeking to become the country’s next president silenced their campaigns as required to give voters a period of reflection.

Opinion polls showed a tight race among the four top contenders vying to get into the May presidential 7 runoff that will decide who becomes France’s next head of state. But the polls also showed that decision was largely in the hands of the one-in-three French voters who are still undecided.

Polls opened in France’s far-flung overseas territories but won’t start until Sunday on the French mainland. France’s 10 percent unemployment, its lackluster economy and security issues top voters’ concerns.

Political campaigning was banned from midnight Friday until the polls close at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Polls suggested that far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, an independent centrist and former economy minister, were in the lead.

However, conservative Francois Fillon, a former prime minister whose campaign was initially derailed by corruption allegations that his wife was paid for no-show work as his aide, appeared to be closing the gap, as was far-leftist candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Security was tight — the government has mobilized more than 50,000 police and gendarmes to protect 70,000 polling stations, with an additional 7,000 soldiers on patrol.

Security is a prominent issue after a wave of extremist attacks on French soil, including a gunman who killed a Paris police officer Thursday night before being shot dead by security forces. The gunman carried a note praising the Islamic State group.

Voters made their choices in the Atlantic Ocean territories of Saint Pierre and Miquelon as well as in French Guiana in South America, the Caribbean’s Guadeloupe and elsewhere. Voters abroad could also cast ballots in French embassies Saturday.

The mad-dash campaigning of the last few weeks came to an abrupt halt after the Champs-Elysees gun attack by 39-year-old Karim Cheurfi. Three suspects close to the attacker remain in custody, Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre of the Paris prosecutor’s office said Saturday.

Le Pen and Fillon canceled their last campaign events Friday over security concerns. Macron did too, but also accused his rivals of trying to capitalize on the attack with their anti-immigration, tough-on-security messages.

In a sign of how tense the country is, a man holding a knife caused widespread panic Saturday at Paris’ Gare du Nord train station. He was arrested and no one was hurt.

Well-wishers paid their respects Saturday at the site of the shooting, which was adorned with flowers, candles and messages of solidarity for the slain police officer, Xavier Jugele. Across from the Eiffel Tower, women from the group Angry Wives of Law Enforcement demonstrated against violence aimed at police.

Some believed French stoicism would prevent a lurch to the right in the presidential vote, even though the attack dominated French headlines.

“These 48 hours are not going to change everything … terrorism is now an everyday occurrence. It’s permanent, 24 hours a day. So we’re not afraid. If we’re believers in freedom, we must live with it,” said Marise Moron, a retired doctor.

“I’m not going to let myself be influenced by people who are trying to frighten us,” Paris resident Anne-Marie Redouin said near the heavily-guarded Eiffel Tower.

Others, fearful that Le Pen has been strengthened by the instability, said they would shift their votes from fringe candidates to make sure to keep the far-right out of power.

“With an attack such as this one, I think the National Front will get a good result. Therefore I’ll change my intention and cast a useful vote — either Melenchon or Macron,” said physics teacher Omar Ilys, 44.

The French presidential choice will resonate far beyond France’s borders, from Syrian battlefields to Hong Kong trading floors and the halls of the U.N. Security Council.

The election is also widely being viewed as a ballot on the future of the 28-nation European Union. The far-right Le Pen and the far-left Melenchon could pull France out of the bloc and its shared euro currency — a so-called “Frexit.”

A French exit could ignite a death spiral for the EU, the euro and the whole idea of European unity that was borne out of the bloodshed of World War II. France is a founding member of the EU and its main driver, along with former rival Germany.

Financial markets are already jittery over a possible Frexit, fearing capital flight, defaults or lawsuits on bonds and contracts. Le Pen’s team is downplaying possible apocalyptic scenarios and arguing that the euro — which is now used by 19 nations — is headed for a breakup eventually anyway.

If Le Pen or Melenchon win a spot in the runoff, it will be seen as a victory for the populist wave reflected by the votes for Donald Trump and Brexit — the British departure from the EU. Many French workers who have lost out by globalization are similarly fed up with establishment parties and attracted by promises of ditching the status quo.

Alternatively, if neither candidate makes it past Sunday’s first round into the runoff, that’s a clear message that populist nationalism is receding.

Macron and Fillon are committed to European unity and would reform labor rules. Macron has framed himself as a bulwark against Trump’s protectionism.

Le Pen and Melenchon blame free trade pacts for killing French jobs and want to renegotiate them.

David Keyton, Nadine Achoui-Lesage, Raphael Satter and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report</s>PARIS (CNN) — France began voting for a new president Sunday, following a volatile campaign period that was overshadowed in its final days by a terror attack on police.

Polls opened in the morning for France’s 47 million registered voters under tightened security, with the country still jittery just two days after the attack on a police bus in the heart of Paris, which left one officer dead.

The country is sharply divided — with the latest polls suggest the results are too close to call.

With 11 names on the ballot, no one candidate is expected to win an outright majority, and only four leading contenders are seen as having a realistic prospect of making it through to the second-round vote in May.

The frontrunners are far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, scandal-hit conservative François Fillon, centrist newcomer Emmanuel Macron and far-left wildcard Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The top two in Sunday’s vote will face off on May 7 in a second — and final — round of voting.

Benoit Hamon is the mainstream left-wing Socialist Party nominee but polls suggest he has struggled to gain traction.

That means France could end up with a choice between candidates from the far-left and far-right, or a far-right stalwart facing off against a political novice.

Polls opened at 8 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) Sunday across the country, and by midday, around 30% of voters had cast their ballots. Initial results expected in the evening. Most polls will close at 7 p.m. — while polls in some urban areas will remain open until 8 p.m. (2 p.m. ET).

The election is being closely watched as a bellwether of populist sentiment in Europe. Populists have shaken up the political landscape across the continent, but Austria, the Netherlands and Italy have in recent elections resisted voting populist candidates into power.

But what is clear is that the country is divided and that there is a significant appetite for change.

In Le Pen’s heartland in Hénin-Beaumont, where she cast her vote Sunday, a shouting match erupted between two voters, a man supporting Mélenchon and a woman backing Le Pen.

In Paris, 59-year-old electrician Akermann Frederic told CNN it was time for change.

“We have been hit by attacks and a lot has happened these past two years and now we’ve had enough. A change needs to happen,” he said.

Laure Granval, a 26-year-old fashion designer, said she felt that France had taken a wrong turn.

“People are being manipulated and the political discourse has become so reactionary. We need to remember that we are all human and we shouldn’t fight each other. I’m voting for someone who I think represents my views. We can’t give into divisiveness,” she said.

Security was already high on the candidates’ political agenda before the attack in Paris on Thursday.

Several of the main candidates on Friday canceled events for the final day of campaigning, instead making televised statements to talk tough on security and vow a crackdown on ISIS, which claimed Thursday’s attack.

President Francois Hollande, who cast his vote in Tulle in southwestern France, acknowledged that these were troubled times for France.

“We are in a period, but this period is neither recent nor over, so we have to mobilize a lot of resources, in particular for the two days of vote for the presidential election and then the legislatives. And for the French I think it is the best message they can send, it’s to show that democracy is stronger than anything,” he said.

Hollande made the unusual decision not to run for a second term as his approval ratings remained in the doldrums over the years.

France suffered the worst terror attack on its soil under Hollande’s watch, with 130 people killed in the Paris attacks in November 2015.

Aside from security, immigration and the economy are top issues for voters. Many think current immigration policies have exacerbated France’s unemployment problems and contributed to the deadly terror attacks of the past couple of years.

Le Pen: The far-right candidate told supporters in the run-up to the vote that if elected, she would put a moratorium even on legal immigration to the country, as well as closing “Islamist” mosques and expelling radicals. She has also vowed that if she wins, France will exit the European Union, as well as the border-free Schengen area.

Macron: This 39-year-old former economy minister hopes to take the centrist path to the Elysee Palace, gathering support from left and right with promises to boost the economy and improve security. His party, “En Marche!” which was only created in September, now has more than 200,000 members and his meetings have attracted vast crowds.

But he has has never held elected office and his lack of experience, lack of an established party and his youth could count against him.

Fillon: The mainstream Republican candidate, was initially a frontrunner but his campaign stumbled thanks to a scandal over claims he paid his wife and children for work they did not do. He denies any wrongdoing. He has promised reforms to the French state and cuts to public spending, while boosting security.

Mélenchon: The far-left candidate has seen his popularity surge in recent weeks, following his impressive performances in the presidential television debates. But the 65-year-old’s policies — which include withdrawing from NATO and the International Monetary Fund, and renegotiating EU rules — are unlikely to appeal to all voters.</s>Early voting has begun overseas in France’s most nail-biting election in generations.

The 11 candidates seeking to become the country’s next president have silenced their campaigns as required to give voters a period of reflection.

Opinion polls show a tight race among the four top contenders vying to get into the May 7 presidential run-off which will decide who becomes France’s next head of state.

But the polls also show that the decision is largely in the hands of the one in three French voters who are still undecided.

Polling has started in France’s far-flung overseas territories but will not begin until Sunday on the mainland.

France’s 10% unemployment, its lacklustre economy and security issues are the top concerns among voters. Political campaigning was banned from midnight Friday until the polls close at 8pm on Sunday.

Opinion polls suggest that far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, an independent centrist and former economy minister, are in the lead.

However, conservative Francois Fillon, a former prime minister whose campaign was initially derailed by corruption allegations, appears to be closing the gap, as is far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon.

Security is tight, with the government mobilising more than 50,000 police and gendarmes to protect 70,000 polling stations, with an additional 7,000 soldiers on patrol.

Security is a prominent issue after a wave of extremist attacks on French soil, including a gunman who killed a Paris police officer on Thursday night before being shot dead by security forces. The gunman carried a note praising the Islamic State group.

Voters made their choices in the Atlantic Ocean territories of Saint Pierre and Miquelon as well as in French Guiana in South America, the Caribbean’s Guadeloupe and elsewhere. Voters abroad could also cast ballots in French embassies on Saturday.</s>Supporters of far-right leader Marine Le Pen are celebrating after she stormed into the French presidential election final vote.

The National Front leader won a 21.58% share behind the centre-left candidate Emmanuel Macron on 23.82%, with 46million of the 47million votes counted.

It means Le Pen, who wants to leave the European Union, is set for the final showdown on May 7 against Macron – the pro-Europe 39-year-old seen as France’s Tony Blair .

Le Pen told supporters she was “honoured” to reach the run-off in the closest election since the Second World War.

She added: “This result is historic. It puts on me a huge responsibility to defend the French nation, its unity, its security, its culture, its prosperity and its independence.”

Yesterday was the first time in French history that the incumbent president – Socialist Francois Hollande – did not run due to poor ratings.

And with no established parties making it through, as conservative Francois Fillon garnered 19.96% and far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon came in on 19.49%, the French political landscape has now changed for ever.

A win for Le Pen, 48, would bring the possibility of a “Frexit” vote and an anti-immigrant lurch to the right.

While victory for En Marche! chief Macron – still the bookies’ favourite – could lead to a revival of centrism across Europe, which has fallen into electoral failure in the past 10 years.

There was a bigger than expected turnout with about 80% of the population voting.

In London, thousands of expats queued to cast their vote in Kensington, some waiting two hours.

Voter Julien Brunel, 33, said: “I still haven’t made up my mind, thankfully I have a long time as there is a very long queue.”

The election was held with France on high security alert after a policeman was shot dead by a jihadi in Paris three days earlier. More than 50,000 officers were on duty.
• Born in Neuilly sur Seine on August 5, 1968. Youngest daughter of former National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.
• She is president of the National Front party and was a candidate in the 2012 presidential election.
• Born in Amiens, December 21, 1977. His father was a professor of neurology and his mother a physician.
• Wife Brigitte Trogneux is 24 years older and was his teacher at school.
• He founded party En Marche! in April 2016 to enable him to run for president.
• Huge supporter of EU and has pledged to maintain close ties to Europe.</s>Polling stations opened Saturday in France's far-flung overseas territories for the country's unpredictable presidential election as the 11 candidates in the race observed a ban on campaigning.

With voting beginning Sunday on the French mainland, the government has mobilized more than 50,000 police and gendarmes to protect 70,000 polling stations, with an additional 7,000 soldiers on patrol.

France's 10 percent unemployment and its lackluster economy top voters' concerns as first-round ballots are cast this weekend in the most nail-biting French election in generations.

Opinion polls showed a tight race among the four top contenders vying to get into the May presidential 7 runoff that will decide who becomes France's next head of state. But the polls also showed that decision was largely in the hands of the one-in-three voters who are still undecided.

A deadly attack on police Thursday night on Paris' famed Champs-Elysees Avenue clouded the last days of campaigning. Security is a prominent issue after a wave of extremist attacks on French soil, including the gunman who killed a Paris police officer Thursday before being shot dead by security forces. The gunman carried a note praising the Islamic State group.

Political campaigning was banned Saturday and Sunday until the polls close across France and online.

Polling centers opened in the Atlantic Ocean territories of Saint Pierre and Miquelon as well as French Guiana in South America, the Caribbean's Guadeloupe and elsewhere. Voters abroad could also cast ballots in French embassies.

Polls suggested that far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, an independent centrist and former economy minister, were in the lead.

However, conservative Francois Fillon, a former prime minister whose campaign was initially derailed by corruption allegations that his wife was paid but did no work as his parliamentary aide, appeared to be closing the gap, as was far-leftist candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon.

The mad-dash campaigning of the last few weeks came to an abrupt halt after the Champs-Elysees gun attack by 39-year-old Karim Cheurfi. Three suspects close to the attacker remain in custody, Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre of the Paris prosecutor's office said Saturday.

Le Pen and Fillon canceled their last campaign events Friday over security concerns. Macron did too, but also accused his rivals of trying to capitalize on the attack with their anti-immigration, tough-on-security messages.

In a sign of how tense the country is, a man holding a knife caused widespread panic Saturday at Paris' Gare du Nord train station. He was arrested and no one was hurt.

Well-wishers paid their respects Saturday at the site of the shooting, which was adorned with flowers, candles and messages of solidarity for the slain police officer, Xavier Jugele. Across from the Eiffel Tower, women from the group Angry Wives of Law Enforcement demonstrated against violence aimed at police.

Some believed French stoicism would prevent a lurch to the right in the presidential vote, even though the attack dominated French headlines.

"These 48 hours are not going to change everything ... terrorism is now an everyday occurrence. It's permanent, 24 hours a day. So we're not afraid. If we're believers in freedom, we must live with it," said Marise Moron, a retired doctor.

"I'm not going to let myself be influenced by people who are trying to frighten us," Paris resident Anne-Marie Redouin said near the heavily-guarded Eiffel Tower.

Others, fearful that Le Pen has been strengthened by the instability, said they would shift their votes from fringe candidates to make sure to keep the far-right out of power.

"With an attack such as this one, I think the National Front will get a good result. Therefore I'll change my intention and cast a useful vote — either Melenchon or Macron," said physics teacher Omar Ilys, 44.

When the French vote for president Sunday, their choice will resonate far beyond France's borders, from Syrian battlefields to Hong Kong trading floors and the halls of the U.N. Security Council.

The election is also widely being viewed as a ballot on the future of the 28-nation European Union. The far-right Le Pen and the far-left Melenchon could pull France out of the bloc and its shared euro currency — a so-called "Frexit."

A French exit could ignite a death spiral for the EU, the euro and the whole idea of European unity that was borne out of the bloodshed of World War II. France is a founding member of the EU and its main driver, along with former rival Germany.

Financial markets are already jittery over a possible Frexit, fearing capital flight, defaults or lawsuits on bonds and contracts. Le Pen's team is downplaying possible apocalyptic scenarios and arguing that the euro — which is now used by 19 nations — is headed for a breakup eventually anyway.

If Le Pen or Melenchon win a spot in the runoff, it will be seen as a victory for the populist wave reflected by the votes for Donald Trump and Brexit — the British departure from the EU. Many French workers who have lost out by globalization are similarly fed up with establishment parties and attracted by promises of ditching the status quo.

Alternatively, if neither candidate makes it past Sunday's first round into the runoff, that's a clear message that populist nationalism is receding.

Macron and Fillon are committed to European unity and would reform labor rules. Macron has framed himself as a bulwark against Trump's protectionism.

Le Pen and Melenchon blame free trade pacts for killing French jobs and want to renegotiate them.</s>The voting booths have opened in France . For the next twelve hours, the French will decide which two presidential candidates will move on to the next round.

The voting started at 8 am Sunday morning. They close at 8 pm in the larger cities and at 7 in smaller places.

Eleven candidates participate in the first round of the presidential election. The two candidates who get the most votes continue on to the final round of presidential elections on May 7th unless in the unlikely event that anyone gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round.

A total of 47 million people are entitled to vote in France, including 1.3 million French nationals living elsewhere.

In the last 44 hours preceding the election, it is, under French law, illegal to campaign. The last polls were therefore presented on Friday evening.

Both give the independent centre candidate Emmanuel Macron a lead over the National Front Leader Marine Le Pen, followed by the conservative candidate François Fillon, the liberal candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Socialist candidate Benoît Hamon.
The campaign period officially ends. French citizens living overseas begin voting a day ahead of when the polls open in France. Final opinion polling gives Emmanuel Macron a slight lead over Marine Le Pen. François Fillon and Jean-Luc Mélenchon are close behind.