French election: Who dey challenge Emmanuel Macron for di presidency?

Twelve candidates dey run for di French presidency, as incumbent Emmanuel Macron dey seek to do second term for office.

Voters go vote for di first round on Sunday and, assuming no-one win majority, di top two candidates go take part in di run-off on 24 April.

Di winner, wey dem go chose from four women and eight men wey dey contest, go get di power to shape France and dia key role for Europe for di next five years. Although di race don dey overshadowed by Russia war in Ukraine, for most voters, di main issue na di cost of living.

Wen im become France youngest ever president for 2017, e seal a im incredible rise wey begin less than a year afta im launch one political movement wey im call La République En Marche! to challenge di traditional parties.

Five years on, di 44-year-old, don kontinu to dominate French politics, but im dey face strong challenge from Marine Le Pen, di far-right candidate wey im easily defeat for di second-round run-off for 2017.

Im enter di Élysée as pesin wey dey unknown, im be former economy minister wey never run for elected office before. Im be di protégé of Socialist President François Hollande, im sweep away old political loyalties and, to many voters, wey set am apart from di ruling class.

Macron don get to navigate choppy political waters to push through controversial reforms.

Im make am easier for companies to fire workers, cut taxes and introduce tough security laws to tackle terrorism. But im bin dey forced to scrap one fuel tax wey im propose for 2018 after e spark weeks of protest by yellow-vest protesters, wey dey known as gilets jaunes.

Other reforms, include im promise to bring di rate of pipo wey no get jobs down from more than 10% to 7% by 2022, sometin wey di Covid pandemic hit hard, although unemployment currently dey down to 7.4%.

Now, im dey propose full employment within five years, taxes to cut by €15bn (£12.5bn) a year for households and businesses, and paying for im programme as im say im go gradually raise di retirement age from 62 to 65.

Increase on di pension age dey unpopular wit voters wey already dey face high cost of living. Im opponents don also accuse am of relying on expensive advice from US consultancy firm McKinsey.

Im don get to rethink controversial plan to make back-to-work benefit for pipo wey no get job wey im call RSA conditional on 15-20 hours of work a week. Macron also want invest in di armed forces, wit plan to double France's reserve force.

Wetin be im chances?

Oga Macron don since be di favourite to win di vote, but opinion polls suggest say im main rival, Marine Le Pen, don narrow im lead and go give am strong challenge in di 24th of April run-off. Im poll ratings bin initially dey boosted by e diplomatic efforts during Russia war in Ukraine, but voters dey more concerned by increasing bills.

Marine Le Pen come out as runner-up to Emmanuel Macron for 2017 and diis time, she once again be im closest rival.

Her family don dey synonymous wit far right in France for years. She fit claim di hard-right vote to herself becos of fierce rival Eric Zemmour. Although some of her team don defect to im is camp, including her own niece, wey im extreme views on Islam and immigration don make her approach appear to be more moderate.

As political player for France for years, Marine Le Pen become Euro lawmaker before she act on her presidential ambitions. After she lose to be come president for 2017, she rebrand her National Front party as Rassemblement National, or National Rally.

She don since craft consistent anti-immigration, anti-EU message wey don resonate wit voters wey bin no dey satisfied.

In di past, she don express her admiration for Russia president Vladimir Putin and rely on one Russian bank loan for her 2017 presidential campaign. She condemn im invasion of Ukraine, while she warn of the risk of sanctions to di French economy.

Now at 53, she don promise to stop abuse of di right to asylum, wit referendum wey go restrict immigration. And she wan ban Islamic hijab - make pipo no dey wear am for public areas. She also hope to turn di European Union into an alliance of nations wey EU laws no go fit challenge.

Marine Le Pen wan waive income tax for those wey dey under 30 and make companies avoid tax contributions if dem raise minimum wage by 10% for many of their staff.

Wetin be her chances?

Dis na her di third time she go run for presidency (she come out third for 2012 election). If she make am to di run-off, as di polls suggest, Marine Le Pen fit give Emmanuel Macron real fight for di presidency.

Who is Marine Le Pen?

Di strongest candidate on di left na veteran agitator Jean-Luc Mélenchon, wey be staunch critic of Emmanuel Macron economic policies and be prominent supporter of di yellow-vest protests.

Though few pipo believe im fit go all di way to di presidency, im don lead strong campaign and see himself as "intelligent tortoise", wey overtake some of di hares for di race. Im outdoor rallies fit attract more dan 20,000 supporters.

Oga Mélenchon drop im career in teaching and journalism for left-wing politics in di 1970s. Im serve briefly as junior education minister under Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin but - by di early 2000s - im come dey disappointed wit di Socialist party rightward drift.

After im set up new left-wing party, im become a Euro lawmaker and dey stand for di presidency for di third time under di banner of La France Insoumise - France Unbowed. For 2017, im attract 19.6% of di vote.

Im programme na one of high spending and many reform of di constitution, to revive democratic life under a Sixth French Republic.

Im promise to lower di retirement by two years to 60, while Mr Macron aim to raise am, and e wan raise di minimum wage, wey dey known as di Smic, by 10% to €1,400 (£1,175) a month.

Im critics don accused am of being too lenient on President Putin - im want France to no align and make dem no dey part of Nato.

Wetin be im chances?

Amongst di left-wing candidates wey dey na im be di strongest by far, but im soft stance on di war for Ukraine fit turn potential voters off.

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