Concerns over nationalism

– French expatriates and residents in overseas territories in the western hemisphere cast their ballots for a new president on Saturday, with some hoping to stop a global wave of right-wing nationalism from claiming their country.

Thousands of French nationals are eligible to vote in the US, Canada and Latin America in one of the most unpredictable elections in decades, seen as crucial for the future of a deeply divided country and the European Union.

Voting also began on Saturday in many of France’s overseas territories, such as the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean.

In Washington, voters cast their ballots in the election’s first round at a polling station at the French embassy. – AFP