
Voters descended on polling stations across France today in an unusually tense election that could decide the future of Europe.

The French have a stark choice between two candidates - pro-business independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen.

With Macron the pollsters' runaway favourite, voting stations opened across mainland France at 8am (7am GMT) under the watch of 50,000 security officers guarding against extremist attacks.

Both candidates were surrounded by press as they voted on Sunday morning. Le Pen cast her ballot in a church in Henin-Beaumont, a small northern town controlled by her National Front party.

Independent centrist Macron and his wife Brigitte were mobbed by fans as they went to vote at the polling station in Le Touquet this morning

Right wing National Front candidate casts her ballot in Henin-Beaumont after Femen protesters were cleared from outside the polling station

Le Pen, 48, arrived at the polling station with Henin-Beaumont Mayor Steeve Briois, who took over as the National Front's leader during the presidential election campaign.

Topless feminist activists, who had climbed on to the roof of the church, hung a banner and shouted anti Le Pen chants, were removed and briefly detained by police before the candidate arrived.

The Femen protest was the latest in many demonstrations against Le Pen or against both candidates.

A church, acting as a polling station in Henin-Beaumont, saw the protest from feminist activist group Femen. The activists were detained after the protest, the latest in many demonstrations against Le Pen

Le Pen spoke to fans after casting her vote in Henin-Beaumont. The anti-globalist wants to introduce protectionist policies favouring French workers, and strengthen borders, while ending all immigration, legal or not

Emmanuel Macron waved to supporters as he left his home in Le Touquet flanked by bodyguards to go and vote this morning

Unions are reportedly already planning a protest on Monday, regardless of whether Le Pen or Macron wins.

Front-runner Macron, 39, voted in the coastal town of Le Tourquet in northern France alongside his wife, Brigitte.

The former Socialist economy minister and one-time banker was all smiles as he stepped out of his holiday home in the seaside resort.

The 39-year-old is the runaway favourite to become France's youngest ever president and cast his vote in an election that will have huge repercussions for Brexit and the future of the EU.

If he defeats Le Pen in France's runoff election, 39-year-old Emmanuel Macron will become the country's youngest president of all time, erasing Louis Napoleon Bonaparte's record

Le Pen has continually trailed Macron in opinion polls since the pair beat off competition from nine other candidates and made it through the first round of voting two weeks ago

Le Pen left the Henin Beaumont polling station clutching flowers and travelled to Paris to await the results

Front-runner Macron voted in the coastal town of Le Tourquet in northern France alongside his wife, Brigitte

France's Interior Ministry said voter turnout at midday was running slightly lower than during the last presidential runoff in 2012. The ministry said 28 per cent of eligible voters had cast ballots, compared with a half-day tally of 31 percent five years ago

Macron arrived at the town hall in Le Touquet, on the English Channel coast, shortly after 10.30am, with his wife, 64, and shook hands with a large crowd of supporters before voting.

Both looked confident as they put their ballot papers in a box at the start of a contest, which opinion polls suggest Macron will win by as much as 68 per cent.

For security reasons, Macron was surrounded by armed security and driven from his nearby home to the polling station in a five-car convoy.

Unions are reportedly already planning a protest on Monday, regardless of whether Le Pen or Macron wins. Pictured Femen activists hold flares after unveiling a banner on a church in Henin-Beaumont

For security reasons, Macron was driven to his nearby polling station at Le Touquet City Hall. He shook hands with a large crowd of supporters before voting

Macron looked confident as he put his ballot paper in a box at the start of a contest, which opinion polls suggest Macron will win by as much as 68 per cent

Despite the couple living around the corner with their Argentine Mastiff dog, Figaro, they were in a five-car convoy and surrounded by at least a dozen armed security guards and police officers

Presidential candidate Macron is pictured leaving his home to make his way to a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France

The French presidential election was rocked by a security alert in the heart of Paris at about 1pm. The courtyard outside the Louvre museum, where Macron plans to hold an election night victory party, was evacuated on police orders after a bomb threat.

Macron's campaign press office said it was a 'suspicious bag' that prompted the evacuation and the museum was reopened some 90 minutes later.

Polling agency projections and initial results are expected as soon as the final stations close at 8pm (7pm GMT).

The polls suggest thepassionately pro-EU Macron will win by as much as 68 per cent. He has described Brexit as 'a crime' and wants the UK to be denied any special privileges as it negotiates its way out of the EU

Marine Le Pen (centre ) was escorted by her bodyguard Thierry Legier (second from left) as she walked out the polling station

Outgoing French president Francois Hollande cast his vote in the runoff election to replace him in his political fiefdom of Tulle in southwestern France.

Hollande, the most unpopular French leader in the country's modern history, decided not to stand for re-election last year.

The Socialist president has called on voters to back centrist Emmanuel Macron, his former protégé. Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni were also photographed voting at a polling station in Paris.

The French presidential election was rocked by a security alert in the heart of Paris at about 1pm after the courtyard outside the Louvre museum, where Macron plans to hold an election night victory party, was evacuated (pictured) on police orders after a bomb threat

Macron's campaign press office said it was a 'suspicious bag' that prompted the evacuation and sniffer dog search. The museum was reopened some 90 minutes later

Yesterday the rest of the world watched as the most unpredictable and important French presidential campaign in recent memory ended with a hacking attack targeting Macron on Friday night, just hours before the country went into media blackout.

France's government cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, is investigating the hack, which Macron's team says was aimed at destabilising the vote.

The fate of the European Union may hang in the balance as France's 47 million voters decide whether to risk handing the presidency to Le Pen.

The far right candidate has made no secret of her dream to quit the EU and its common currency. Macron on-the-other-hand is an unabashed pro-European who wants to strengthen the bloc.

Brigitte Macron met her husband in 1992, when he was just 15 years old, and a pupil at a private school in Amiens. She was his teacher

The family of Macron's wife, Brigitee, have run a chocolate shop 'Jean Trogneux' for five generations in Amiens, his hometown

Macron grew up in the workers quarters (pictured) in rue Gaulthier de Rumilly in Amiens. Macron has argued that France must rethink its labour laws to better compete globally and appealed for unity and tolerance

Global financial markets and France's neighbours are watching carefully. A 'Frexit' would be far more devastating than Britain's departure, since France is the second-biggest economy to use the Euro.

The country is also a central pillar of the EU and its mission of keeping post-war peace via trade and open borders.

The vote will help gauge the strength of global populism after the UK opted out of the EU in June last year and Donald Trump won the U.S presidential election.

In France, it is a test of whether voters are ready to overlook the racist and anti-Semitic past of Le Pen's National Front party.

The topless women climbed on to the roof of the church, hung a big banner and chanted against far-right Marine Le Pen's National Front party

French President Francois Hollande was mobbed by the press as he left a polling station in Tulle this morning

Le Pen has broadened the party's appeal by tapping into, and fueling, anger at globalisation and fears associated with immigration and Islamic extremism.

Macron has argued that France must rethink its labour laws to better compete globally and appealed for unity and tolerance. Le Pen has called his policies naive.

Either candidate would lead France into uncharted territory, since neither comes from the mainstream parties that dominate parliament or have experience running the country.

The winner will have to try to build a parliamentary majority in elections next month to make major changes.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy (left) and his wife Carla Bruni (centre) were photographed voting at a polling station in Paris

Hollande, the most unpopular French leader in the country's modern history, decided not to stand for re-election last year. The Socialist president has called on voters to reject far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and to back centrist Macron, his former protégé

Fears of outside meddling hung over the race after France's election campaign commission said yesterday that 'a significant amount of data', along with some fake information, was leaked on social networks following the hacking attack on Macron.

The leaked documents appeared largely mundane, and the perpetrators remain unknown. It's unclear whether the document dump will dent the large polling lead Macron held over Le Pen going into the vote. The Paris prosecutors' office said it has launched an investigation following the attack.

The commission urged French media and citizens not to pay attention to the leaked documents. French electoral laws impose a weekend news blackout on any campaigning and media coverage seen as swaying the election meaning Le Pen's campaign could not formally respond due to the blackout.

Sarkozy served as president from 2007 until 2012. Before his presidency, he was the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement party

With Macron the pollsters' favourite, voting stations opened across mainland France at 8am (6am GMT) under the watch of 50,000 security forces guarding against extremist attacks. Pictured: A municipal employee checks bags at the entrance of a polling station

Voters descended on polling stations across France this morning in an unusually tense election that could decide the future of Europe. Pictured: Voters in Paris

The Macron team asked the campaign oversight commission to bring in cybersecurity agency ANSSI to study the hack, according to a government official who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

ANSSI can only be called in to investigate cyberattacks that are 'massive and sophisticated' - and the Macron hack appears to fit the bill, the official said.

The documents leaked Friday were widely circulated on far-right sites based in the U.S. Experts dissecting the data said they spotted some Russian names in the dump.

From depressed northern France to the streets of Paris, some voters were just looking forward to the end of the vitriolic campaign.

The French have a stark choice between two candidates - pro-business independent Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen. Pictured: Voters at an international school in Hong Kong walk past posters of the candidates

The far right candidate has made no secret of her dream to quit the EU and its common currency. Macron on-the-other-hand is an unabashed pro-European who wants to strengthen the bloc. Pictured: French voters line up at a polling station in Hong Kong

Le Pen has broadened the party's appeal by tapping into, and fueling, anger at globalisation and fears associated with immigration and Islamic extremism. Pictured: Benedictine monks of the Saint Pierre de Solesmes Abbey cast their ballots

Yesterday the rest of the world watched as the most unpredictable and important French presidential campaign in recent memory ended with a hacking attack targeting Macron. Pictured: Voters in Le Touquet, northern France

In Henin-Beaumont in northern France, where Le Pen will cast her ballot, Thomas Delannoy, 28, said the campaign 'looks like reality TV.'

The construction painter called the electoral process 'laughable,' saying that neither candidate had a platform with which he could identify.

Many voters expressed similar frustration, and a big question remaining Sunday was how many of them would bother to vote.

Turn out is already down on the last election, with pollsters recording a 28.23 per cent so far compared to 30.6 per cent at the same hour in 2012.

Pictured left: Special macarons in the family chocolate shop. Pictured right: Macron's childhood home in Amiens

Either candidate would lead France into uncharted territory, since neither comes from the mainstream parties that dominate parliament or have experience running the country