France’s 5 Main Contenders in the Presidential Race

French National Front leader Marine Le Pen meets with representatives of the medical professions in a restaurant in Denain near Lille, France on Jan. 27, 2017. Since the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president on Nov. 8, the French race has been closely-watched as another crucial battle between populist and establishment forces. Sylvain Lefevre/Getty Images

French conservative presidential candidate, Marine le Pen in Paris on Jan. 4, 2017. AP Photo/Michel Euler

MARINE LE PEN, 48

Conservative leader Le Pen, who has strong anti-migrant views, wants to strengthen France’s borders and reinstate its national currency, the franc.

Since inheriting the leadership of the National Front party from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011, she has focused on economic protectionism and fears of Islam. The makeover has boosted the party’s fortunes among French voters before the spring presidential election.

Early polls show Le Pen may be among the two top contenders in the first round of the two-part election and advance to the runoff.

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