But should an upset occur and National Front candidate Marine Le Pen win, the very future of the EU could be on the line. Macron, who wants to deregulate the economy and deepen EU integration, has a 23- to 26-percentage-point lead over Le Pen in the opinion polls. Even if opinion polls prove accurate and France elects its youngest president ever rather than its first female leader, Macron himself has said himself he expects no honeymoon period. "The expected victory ... wouldn't be a blank cheque for Emmanuel Macron," Odoxa pollsters said in a note. More elections to comeSunday's election will in any case not end of the battle between mainstream and more radical policies in France, with parliamentary elections next month equally crucial.

Source: The Star May 07, 2017 06:33 UTC