Eric Ciotti

Polling stations opened in France this morning, and everyone is wondering how high the percentages for the Le Pen will be and how significant the blow will be for Emmanuel Macron.

French President Emmanuel Macron came under strong criticism on Tuesday for warning a far-right or hard-left win in snap polls could spark a "civil war", with his opponents urging him not to scare the public.

French President Emmanuel Macron called Wednesday for backing from people "able to say no to extremes" in snap elections he called after a European poll battering.

The leader of France's traditional right-wing party on Tuesday backed an alliance with the far right of Marine Le Pen in snap legislative elections, triggering a crisis within his own party and fury from the government.

France's top constitutional authority on Thursday rejected parts of a controversial immigration bill adopted under pressure from the right, in a ruling applauded by government but slammed by the far right.

Paris police arrested dozens of protesters on Feb. 28 who burnt scooters and bins outside a concert venue hosting a Congolese singer they accuse of giving a voice to the Kinshasa regime.    

The nearby Gare de Lyon train station was partially evacuated during the chaos and police warned Parisians to stay away as a thick, black column of smoke billowed over the city centre.    

Francois Fillon's troubled election campaign suffered yet another blow on March 14 when magistrates put him under formal investigation on suspicion of embezzling state funds, a first for a presidential candidate in France.