Conservative favourite Nicolas Sarkozy is on course to win France's presidential election run-off today with between 53 and 54 per cent of the vote, Belgian media reported.
The RTBF public broadcasting station and the newspapers Le Soirand La Libre Belgiquereported on their websites that unofficial estimates showed Mr Sarkozy beating Socialist Ségolène Royal comfortably.
French law bans the publication of any exit polls or projections in France until after the last polling stations close in big cities at 8pm (7pm Irish time).
La Libre Belgique
Le Soir
Turnout was 75.1 per cent at 5pm, the Interior Ministry said, even higher than in the first round two weeks ago, when Mr Sarkozy and Ms Royal beat 10 other candidates.
, quoting sources close to the French Interior Ministry's political intelligence service (Renseignements Generaux) said Mr Sarkozy had about 54 per cent of the vote. daily and RTBF quoted several sources as saying Mr Sarkozy was leading with 53 per cent more than two hours before the balloting ends in the main urban centres.
