French participation rate for European elections reaches 19.26 pct by midday

PARIS, May 26 (Xinhua) -- French nationals' participation rate in the European elections on Sunday reached 19.26 percent by midday, according to French Ministry of the Interior.

This participation rate is up compared with the 15.70-percent rate by midday in the last election in 2014.

Party leaders who had voted in the morning included Nathalie Loiseau (LREM), Manon Aubry (La France Insoumise), Raphael Glucksmann (Socialist Party-Place public).

Two former French heads of state François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy were also seen voting in Tulle in Corrèze, and in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, respectively.