Russia has made no secret of its support for Macron’s rival, the far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen. French media pointed out that the White House and experts blamed a Russian-linked group for hacking the email account of John Podesta, Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, during the U.S. presidential campaign. On Friday, the last opinion poll by Ipsos showed Macron winning 63% of votes and Le Pen 37%. The margin between Le Pen and Macron widened after the head-to-head televised debate Wednesday evening throughout which Le Pen was relentlessly aggressive toward her rival. A boy looks at the two French presidential candidates as French citizens cast their vote at the French Embassy in Washington on May 6, 2017.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 06, 2017 17:50 UTC