A lesser evil: Young French voters struggle to back Macron despite worries over Le Pen

Many younger French people have a desperate choice in Sunday’s election - vote for someone they don’t like, or face the prospect of a Le Pen presidency, reports Rory Sullivan

Voters line up outside a polling station during the second round of France's presidential election in Le Havre (AFP via Getty Images)

For many young people in France, the choice between voting for Emmanuel Macron or Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s presidential run-off is unpalatable.

Only 67 per of those aged between 25 and 34 cast a ballot two weeks ago in the first round. But given the lack of enthusiasm for both remaining candidates, the number of abstentions is likely to rise further this weekend.

A low turnout among the young is expected because this demographic favoured the far-left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of La France Insoumise (LFI), whose ideological platform differed substantially from the final two contenders for the presidency. He was narrowly forced into third place by Ms Le Pen on 10 April.