Summary
Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen will contest the second round of the French presidential election, initial projections suggested Sunday, after a nailbiting vote seen as vital for the future of the EU.
Macron was projected to win between 23 and 24 percent in Sunday's first round, slightly ahead of National Front leader Le Pen with between 21.6 and 23 percent, according to estimates on public television.
The French vote was being closely watched as a bellwether for populist sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US President and Britain's vote to leave the EU.
Le Pen and Macron were the pre-vote favourites to progress to the run-off on May 7 but late gains by conservative Francois Fillon and radical leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon had blown the race wide open.
Macron, a 39-year-old pro-EU reformer, is seeking to become France's youngest ever president despite never having held elected office.
...