France chooses between Le Pen and Macron

The fate of the EU may hang in the balance after vote

France voted Sunday for a new president following an unusually tense and scandal- filled campaign that pitted far- right populist Marine Le Pen against pro- business centrist Emmanuel Macron in an election that could decide Europe's future.

Opinion polls favor Macron, 39, a former investment banker and economy minister who strongly supports the European Union, over Le Pen, 48, an antiimmigration nationalist with a France- first agenda.

Polling agency projections and initial results are expected soon after the final voting stations close at 8 p. m. ( 2 p. m. ET). As of 5 p. m. local time, turnout was 65%, slightly lower than at the same time in last month's first round of voting.

France will elect either its youngest ever president or its first female leader. Neither candidate comes from the center- left Socialists and center- right Republicans who have traditionally dominated French politics.

The fate of the EU may hang in the balance as France's 47 million voters decide whether to risk handing the presidency to Le Pen, who has vowed to quit the 28- nation alliance, close France's borders and restore the franc currency. Macron, an independent, wants to deregulate France's economy and strengthen the EU.

The vote will also help gauge the strength of global populism after last year's referendum to take Britain out of the EU and Donald Trump's U. S. presidential victory. Global financial markets and France's neighbors are watching carefully. A French exit from the EU would be far more devastating than Britain's departure since France is the secondbiggest economy after Germany to use the euro.

Germany holds an election in September. Governments in Poland, Hungary and Turkey have seen recent nationalist, rightwing advances.

Up to a quarter of French voters don't like either of the two candidates and could abstain from voting, which might help Le Pen's National Front party close a large gap with Macron's En Marche! party. Survey firm Elabe projected Macron could take 65% of the vote. The final day of the campaign on Friday was marked by a hacking attack and document leak targeting Macron. En Marche! said real documents were mixed with fake ones. The perpetrators remain unknown.

Macron and Le Pen defeated nine other presidential candidates in the first round of voting on April 23. President François Hollande opted not to run for reelection because of his low popularity ratings. Unemployment stands at 9.6%, and Hollande has struggled to prevent terrorism or curb government corruption.

GRAHAM HUGHES, THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP Canada- based French expats wait in line to vote in the second round of the French presidential election Saturday in Montreal.