French presidential elections set for April: Media reports

The next presidential elections in France will likely be held in April 2022, local media reported Tuesday.

The first and the second round of voting will take place on April 10 and 24, according to a report by FranceTVInfo.

President Emmanuel Macron, who was elected May 14, 2017, ends his five-year mandate on May 13. As per the electoral code, elections must be conducted before the end of the president's term.

An official announcement on dates is expected to follow the next council of ministers meeting on Wednesday.

Several surveys have predicted the elections will be close between Macron and far-right leader Marine le Pen from the National Rally (RN) party.

The president's La Republique en Marche LREM party and RN are anticipated to clash in ongoing regional elections. Both parties, however, performed poorly in the first round, which saw record abstention of young voters.

The second round on 27 June is a make-or-break moment for Macron's party which will set the tone for his performance in the presidential elections.

While Le Pen has declared her candidacy for the presidential polls, Macron has yet to make a formal announcement.