When are the French presidential elections 2022 and how will they work?

France is days away from round one of the French presidential elections 2022.

Incumbent President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to repel the threat coming from far right, spearheaded once again by the redoubtable and resurgent Marine le Pen.

Elections of this nature are never fought with the gloves on, but this year's French elections have been particularly spicy, their temperature raised to boiling point by divisions over France's response to Covid-19, Islamic terrorism and - above all other considerations - economic inequality.

Emmanuel Macron on the election trail in Paris on April 2.

Here, The National gives the timeline of French presidential elections 2022 and explains how they work.

When are the French presidential election 2022 polls?

The first round of voting is this Sunday: April 10.

Should it be needed, there will be a second round of voting on April 24 before the winner is formally anointed on May 13.

How do the French presidential elections work?

The 12 candidates in the field were announced on March 7 by virtue of mustering the 500 endorsements needed from elected French politicians for the Constitutional Council to confirm their candidature.

If one candidate gets more than 50 per cent of the vote in the first round on April 10, then he or she will automatically win the contest.

If no single candidate reaches this threshold in round one, then the two candidates with the most votes will go through to a second and final round of voting on April 24.

Whoever wins this poll will be elected president on May 13.

As things stand, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will be the two candidates who make it through to round two, reprising their contest in 2017 which Mr Macron won with a resounding 66 per cent of the vote.

However, the outcome is forecast to be much closer this time round.