Battle for the Elysée Palace

Voters have selected Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen for the two-person run-off for the French presidency on May 7

En Marche!
Emmanuel Macron
Age 39
Centrist candidate
Former investment banker and economy minister

Public spending: Cut by €60bn annually within five years
Corporate tax: Down from 33% to 25%
Lower jobless rate: From current 10% to 7% and save €10bn in unemployment benefits
Education: Increase number of teachers in 12,000 low-income zones
Security: Extra 10,000 police, build jails for 15,000 inmates 
Defence: Raise defence budget to 2% of GDP – NATO minimum
Government: Cut number of parliamentarians by a third

Marine Le Pen
National Front (FN)
Far right
Age 48
Appeals to anti-immigrant, anti-EU and “French-first” voters

European Union: Referendum on leaving EU and ditching euro 
Taxes: Cut lowest three income tax bands by 10%
Retirement: Lower retirement age from 62 to 60
Borders: Suspend membership of Schengen border-free area, reinstate passport checks
Migrants: Slash legal immigration from 200,000 to 10,000 per year
Security: Extra 15,000 police, build jails for 40,000 inmates

Government: Cut number of parliamentarians by nearly half

Pictures: Associated Press