European leaders back Macron as French election campaign nears end

Emmanuel Macron (Francois Mori/AP)

Just days before France’s crucial presidential run-off vote, the centre-left leaders of Germany, Spain and Portugal have urged French voters to choose centrist President Emmanuel Macron over far-right nationalist rival Marine Le Pen.

And in another sign of the wide international influence the result of Sunday’s French presidential vote will have, imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny also spoke up a day earlier, urging French voters to back Mr Macron and alleging that Ms Le Pen is too closely linked to Russian authorities.