It's a duel between French President Emmanuel Macron and his closest challenger Marine Le Pen. The runoff election is set for April 24. A preliminary exit poll shows Macron leading the first round with 28.2 percent of the vote, ahead of Le Pen by nearly 5 percent. Things have changed a lot in the past five years both inside and outside France – the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine conflict, and the rising cost of living are expected to weigh on voters' decisions this time around.