Two key candidates in the upcoming French presidential election have held crucial rallies in the same city.

The separate gatherings in Lyon, by far-right Front National (FN) leader Marine Le Pen and independent centre-left candidate Emmanuel Macron, mark the beginning of the most crucial stretch of the election campaign.

Ms Le Pen began her event by announcing 144 "commitments".

They included leaving the eurozone, curbing immigration, hiring 15,000 police officers, taxes on the job contracts of foreigners, and lowering the retirement age.

"The aim of this programme is first of all to give France its freedom back and give the people a voice," Ms Le Pen said.


Image: Marine Le Pen unveiled a range of policies, including a referendum on EU membership

On the other side of Lyon, Mr Macron said his far-right rival's policies betrayed the country's ideals.

"They betray liberty by shrinking our horizons, they betray equality by stating that some are more equal than others, they betray fraternity because they hate the faces that don't look like theirs," he told a crowd of about 8,000 people.

Front National officials hit back, describing the ex-investment banker as the candidate of "international capitalism" to boos from their crowd.

Opinion polls suggest Mr Macron, a former economy minister who left Francois Hollande's socialist government to set up his own independent party, would easily defeat Ms Le Pen in the second round.

However, faith in pollsters has been shaken by the Brexit vote and Donald Trump's election victory.

Image: Mr Macron, who is pro-EU, held a colourful rally in Lyon

All the political parties have now picked their candidates.

The ruling socialists were the last to do so, choosing leftist Benoit Hamon over former prime minister Manuel Valls a week ago.

The centre-right Les Republicains party chose Francois Fillon last November, but his candidacy is now in crisis after allegations of a financial corruption scandal involving his wife.

Mr Fillon had been favourite to win the presidency until the scandal.

His party is called En Marche - a play on words meaning "On the Move" - and has upwards of 175,000 members, not to mention healthy balance sheets with no shortage of donors.

Image: Mr Fillon's bid is in crisis after corruption claims concerning his wife (pictured)

Centrist voters on the left and on the right are expected to choose Mr Macron, with current polls suggesting he would receive more than 60% of the vote, propelling him to the Elysee Palace.

Ms Le Pen is in second place but is expected to hit a ceiling of support in any second round at a little over 30% to 35%.

Mr Fillon is now in third place with a projection of about 18% of the vote nationally. The ruling socialists are languishing in fourth place with just 16%.

With the economy limping, unemployment running at 10% nationally (youth unemployment is over 20%), and ongoing terrorism concerns, voters are increasingly looking away from the establishment parties for an alternative.

Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen both hope they can provide it.