Voting starts in French election's first round

STORY: In Paris' 18th arrondissement, voters were seen casting their ballots when polling stations opened at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT). Voting ends at 1800 GMT, when the first exit polls will be published.

Until just weeks ago, opinion polls pointed to an easy win for the pro-European Union, centrist Macron, who was boosted by his active diplomacy over Ukraine, a strong economic recovery and the weakness of a fragmented opposition.

But his late entry into the campaign, with only one major rally that even his supporters found underwhelming, and his focus on an unpopular plan to increase the retirement age, have dented the president's ratings, along with a steep rise in inflation.

Opinion polls still see Macron leading the first round and winning a runoff against Le Pen on April 24, but several surveys now say this is within the margin of error.