President Macron's successor to be elected on April 18 and May 2: Report

French voters will head to the polls to elect a new president on April 18 and May 2 next year, according to a Politico report, citing two government officials familiar with the matter.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been publicly announced, said the election dates are expected to be confirmed following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning.

The dates were first reported by local newspaper Ouest France.

Under France's legal and constitutional framework governing presidential elections, the only other viable dates were April 11 and April 25.

The chosen schedule places the election closer to May 13, when President Emmanuel Macron's second and final term is due to end.

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Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, setting the stage for a wide-open race to succeed him.

Among the prospective candidates are two former prime ministers, Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, as well as radical left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

The far-right National Rally is expected to be a major contender, but the party has yet to decide whether longtime leader Marine Le Pen or its president Jordan Bardella will be its candidate.

The decision is likely to depend on the outcome of Le Pen's appeal against her conviction for embezzling European Union funds and the accompanying five-year ban on running for public office.

With inputs from agencies