Macron urges voters to give him clear mandate in election first round

French president leads the far right's Marine Le Pen by six points in polls but result is far from foregone conclusion, analysts say

Emmanuel Macron has urged voters to turn out on Sunday for the first round of the French presidential election, stressing the importance of giving him a clear mandate.

Interviewed on morning radio, the president said he was surprised by the increasing tendency of people to ask what point there was in voting.