Political movement En Marche! (Forward) leader Emmanuel Macron is currently ahead in Sunday’s first round of the presidential election in France.

According to the Ministry of the Interior which is in charge of organizing this voting, after the counting of about 97 percent of the ballots that were cast, Macron has received 23.86 percent of the votes.

Marine Le Pen, president of the national-conservative National Front party, is currently in second place with 21.43 percent.

The second-round runoff is slated for May 7, in which the two candidates with the most votes will run.

To note, French president François Hollande has already congratulated Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Hollande's office said he had called Mr Macron "to congratulate him" on reaching the runoff in which he will face far-right leader Marine Le Pen.