French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has said her countrymen will be carrying francs instead of euros in their pockets within two years.

Reconfirming her promise to revert to France's former currency is she beats centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron in the final round of voting on Sunday,she said she wanted to see Europe's single currency replaced by another, looser type of cooperation.

This could take the form of the European Currency Union's basket of currencies that preceded the euro before it was introduced.

Ms Le Pen, a renowned Eurosceptic who has temporarily stepped down as the leader of far-right party the Front National said that could exist alongside a national currency.

"The objective is to transform the euro 'single currency' into a euro 'common currency', going back to the ancestor of the euro, the ECU, which was an accounting unit that did not stop each country from having each its own currency", she said.

She added that the euro was a deadweight on the French economy, which is the third largest in the EU behind Germany and the UK, and a new national currency would better protect French people's savings.

She claimed the "establishment" wants to "frighten" voters into thinking otherwise but denied that French negotiations to leave the single currency would lead to a banking crisis.

But she refused to rule out imposing capital controls, placing limits on how much people can withdraw from their bank accounts each day, if there was a run on the banks.

"If there's a run on banks, we could very well imagine such a solution for a few days, but I'm telling you it won't happen", she said.

French Presidential Election Show all 20 1 /20 French Presidential Election French Presidential Election Voters line up to cast their ballots REUTERS French Presidential Election French expats queue along the street outside the Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle to cast their vote in a polling station inside the school, in the first round of the 2017 French presidential election, in London, Britain April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor - RTS13JM5 REUTERS French Presidential Election People line up to vote in the first round of 2017 French presidential election at a polling station in Vaulx-en-Velin near Lyon, France, April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Emmanuel Foudrot - RTS13HSP REUTERS French Presidential Election Police patrol polling stations in France REUTERS French Presidential Election Francois Fillon (L), member of the Republicans political party and 2017 French presidential election candidate of the French centre-right, casts his vote in the first round of 2017 French presidential election in Paris, France, April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Christophe Archambault/Pool - RTS13IH0 REUTERS French Presidential Election Benoit Hamon (C), French Socialist party 2017 presidential candidate, is surrounded by photographers as he leaves a polling station after voting in the first round of 2017 French presidential election in Trappes, near Paris, France, April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler - RTS13I0Y REUTERS French Presidential Election French President Francois Hollande collects voting slips before casting his ballot in the first round of the 2017 French presidential election at a polling station in Tulle, France, on April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Georges Gobet/Pool - RTS13ITO REUTERS French Presidential Election A policeman walks by election posters near a polling station during the first round of 2017 French presidential election in Paris, France, April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann - RTS13I3A REUTERS French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte Trogneux REUTERS French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron casts his ballot REUTERS French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron, head of the political movement En Marche !, or Onwards !, and candidate for the 2017 French presidential election, waves hand during in the first round of 2017 French presidential election at a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France, April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier - RTS13ICH SAA/ French Presidential Election Jean-Luc Melenchon, candidate of the French far-left Parti de Gauche and candidate for the French 2017 presidential election, leaves a polling booth in the first round of 2017 French presidential election at a polling station in Paris, France, April 23, 2017. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe - RTS13IKB REUTERS French Presidential Election Front National leader Marine Le Pen casts her ballot Marine Le Pen (L), French National Front (FN) political party leader and candidate for French 2017 presidential election, casts her ballot in the first round of 2017 French presidential election at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, April 23, 2017. At R, Mayor of Henin-Beaumont Steeve Briois. REUTERS/Charles Platiau - RTS13IEI REUTERS French Presidential Election Early ballots are read as results continue to come in Reuters French Presidential Election Macron supporters react as results come in early in the evening AP French Presidential Election Supporters of Front National leader Marine Le Pen cheer as early results come in Reuters French Presidential Election Alamy Live News. J21KYW Paris, France. 23rd April 2017. Marcon supporters wave French and EU flags after the announcement that he is the leader in the exit polls after the polling stations have been closed. Supporters of Emmanuel Macron, the Presidential candidate from the social liberal political party En Marche! celebrate the exit polls, that see him in first place, ahead of Marine Le Pen from the Front National in the first round of the French Presidential election. Credit: Michael Debets/Alamy Live News This is an Alamy Live News image and may not be part of your current Alamy deal . If you are unsure, please contact our sales team to check. Alamy French Presidential Election Front National leader Marine Le Pen takes to the stage to address her supporters as fans cheer Reuters French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron greets supporters on Sunday night AP French Presidential Election Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte Trogneux celebrate the incoming results EPA

Many of the richer, northern countries in the eurozone have become increasingly resentful about having to bail out their poor southern neighbours such as Greece.

The Greek, Irish, Spanish and Portuguese governments were forced to accept huge loans in exchange for harsh austerity measures when they suffered from financial crises in 2010.

Although Spain, Portugal and Ireland have largely recovered, Greece is still struggling to pay its debts and has had to go back to the European Central Bank, Eurogroup and the International Monetary Fund for debt relief and further loans on several different occasions.

A poll conducted just before the UK's EU referendum last year found more than 60 per cent of French voters now had an unfavourable view of the union as a whole – more so than any of of the other EU countries bar Greece.

During the campaign, Ms Le Pen has played up a call for French sovereignty and the return of its national identity.

She has attacked Brussels for trying to force its laws on the French people, has called for an immediate suspension on all immigration and vowed to fight against the perceived rise of Islamist extremism within civil society.