France goes to the polls in presidential nailbiter

Far-right Le Pen, centrist Macron favorites for second round

PARIS - France voted on Sunday under heavy security in the first round of the most unpredictable presidential election in decades, with the outcome seen as vital for the future of the beleaguered European Union.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron are the favorites to progress to a runoff on May 7 but the result is too close to call in a deeply divided country.

Le Pen, the 48-year-old leader of the National Front, hopes to capitalize on security fears that were catapulted to the fore of the campaign after the fatal shooting of a policeman on Paris's Champs Elysees avenue claimed by the Islamic State group.

Aiming to ride a wave of populism that carried Donald Trump to the White House and led Britain to vote for Brexit, Le Pen wants France to abandon the euro and intends to call a referendum on withdrawing from the EU as well.

Observers predict that a Le Pen victory could be a fatal blow for the EU, already weakened by Britain's vote to leave.

Macron, 39, is seeking to become France's youngest ever president and has campaigned on a strongly pro-EU and pro-business platform.

Seeking to benefit from a worldwide move away from established political parties, the former banker and economy minister formed his own movement, "En Marche" ("On the Move"), that he says is "neither to the left nor to the right".

But polls show scandal-tainted conservative candidate Francois Fillon, a former prime minister, and leftist firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon are also in with a fighting chance of finishing among the top two candidates and reaching the all-important second round.

Four hours after voting stations opened, turnout was up slightly on the figure at the same stage in 2012, suggesting it could beat the final figure of 79.48 percent in that election.

Nearly 47 million people were eligible to vote.

In the wake of the policeman's killing on Thursday, 50,000 police and 7,000 soldiers have been deployed around France to protect voters.

The terror attack was the latest in a bloody series have cost more than 230 lives since 2015.

Guy Belkechout, a 79-year-old pensioner who was voting in the working-class Parisian suburb of Trappes, said he was concerned.

"Security issues have influenced me after the attacks. Candidates who want fewer security measures, who want to reduce the police's powers, have not got my vote," he said.