PARIS—France voters turned out Sunday for a presidential runoff election that has wide repercussions for Europe’s future, with President Emmanuel Macron considered the front-runner but fighting a tough challenge from rival Marine Le Pen.
Macron is asking voters to trust him for a second five-year term despite a presidency that was troubled by protests, the pandemic, and Russia’s war on Ukraine. A Macron victory in this vote would make him the first French president in 20 years to win a second term.
The result Sunday in France, a nuclear-armed nation with one of the world’s biggest economies, could also impact the war in Ukraine, as France has played a key role in diplomatic efforts and firmly backed sanctions against Russia for its invasion of its neighbor.
…