FRANCE is in the final straight of the race to be the next president of the Cinquième République, as the second round vote takes place on Sunday.
And it is quite a race as this morning France is still wiping itself down after a fierce TV debate between centrist Emmanuel Macron and the the far-right Front National candidate Marine Le Pen.
A two-and-a-half hour debate on BFMTV saw the two trade insults, with Macron claiming Le Pen was a parasite on the political system, and Le Pen claiming France will be ruled by a woman from Monday – either her or Angela Merkel.
Overall the polls have barely budged since the first round vote on the 23 April, with Emmanuel Macron expected to receive around 60% of the vote to Le Pen’s 40%.
Macron supporters are fearful that a poor turnout, or people deciding to spoil their ballot papers, could see Le Pen gain victory, but at the moment voting numbers are expected to be near normal.
Here in the south of the Dordogne, the new posters featuring Macron and Le Pen are being glued to the presentation boards outside mairies before Sunday’s vote.
While at the salles des fêtes in Loubéjac, the Café Associatif L’Ecole wil be open on Sunday throughout the day and many will be there to witness the result of the commune’s vote from 19h, and the announcement of the overall winner an hour or so later.