French elections are taking place today, the poll stations opened at 8am and close at 7pm (or 8 pm in some big cities) local time. Early results are expected soon after, at around 6pm GMT.
The two choices that made it through the first round of 11 candidates in April 23 can't be much more different - centrist Emmanuel Macron, pro-business and pro-EU candidate and far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen who is anti-EU, anti-immigration, anti-....
What the two candidates agree on is that big changes are needed, but the required changes are very different in the eyes of the two candidates. In addition to EU and immigration topics, Le Pen wants to renationalise French debt, and cut the pension age to 60. Macron intends to make the public sector smaller by cutting 120 000 jobs and reduce public spending with that.
When it comes to future tax plans, Macron has promised to reduce corporation tax from 33.3% to 25% to help attract talented professionals and jobs to France. He also wants to exonerate roughly 80% of households from property tax. Le Pen wants to introduce a new tax to prevent foreign employees from being hired.
"We will apply national priority on employment through an additional tax on all new contracts for foreign employees," she said.
While pre-election polls are suggesting that the candidate who is more likely to win is Macron, it's far from sure, especially remembering the recent elections in the US where Hillary was the favorite.
The two choices that made it through the first round of 11 candidates in April 23 can't be much more different - centrist Emmanuel Macron, pro-business and pro-EU candidate and far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen who is anti-EU, anti-immigration, anti-....
What the two candidates agree on is that big changes are needed, but the required changes are very different in the eyes of the two candidates. In addition to EU and immigration topics, Le Pen wants to renationalise French debt, and cut the pension age to 60. Macron intends to make the public sector smaller by cutting 120 000 jobs and reduce public spending with that.
When it comes to future tax plans, Macron has promised to reduce corporation tax from 33.3% to 25% to help attract talented professionals and jobs to France. He also wants to exonerate roughly 80% of households from property tax. Le Pen wants to introduce a new tax to prevent foreign employees from being hired.
"We will apply national priority on employment through an additional tax on all new contracts for foreign employees," she said.
While pre-election polls are suggesting that the candidate who is more likely to win is Macron, it's far from sure, especially remembering the recent elections in the US where Hillary was the favorite.
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