French citizens prepare to vote in unpredictable presidential election, where centrist Emmanuel Macron and far right candidate Marine Le Pen are front-runners. ( Reuters )PARIS—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. France’s 10 per cent unemployment and its lacklustre economy top voters’ concerns as first-round ballots are cast this weekend in the most nail-biting French election in generations. Some believed French stoicism would prevent a lurch to the right in the presidential vote, even though the attack dominated French headlines. Le Pen and Melenchon blame free trade pacts for killing French jobs and want to renegotiate them.

Source: thestar April 22, 2017 14:35 UTC