Le Pen and Macron square off tonight in showdown TV debate

Journalists Christophe Jakubyszyn, left, and Nathalie Saint-Cricq pose Tuesday May 2, 2017 in La Plaine Saint Denis, outside Paris, shows the TV studio where French presidential candidates will debate Wednesday, four days before the vote for the second round. Centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron will debate with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. (Eric Feferberg, Pool via AP) (The Associated Press)

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French independent centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron waves to his supporters during a campaign rally in Paris, France, Monday, May 1st, 2017. With just six days until a French presidential vote that could define Europe's future, far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron are holding high-stakes rallies Monday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) (The Associated Press)

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen delivers a speech during a conference on Africa-France relationships, in Paris, Tuesday, May 2, 2017. Le Pen lifted verbatim parts of a speech by a former rival in what her critics called plagiarism and she said was a deliberate "wink" to him to woo his conservative voters in France's presidential runoff Sunday. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus) (The Associated Press)

PARIS – Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen are preparing for their one-on-one televised French presidential election debate, with much at stake for both contenders.

They are expected to square off for more than two hours Wednesday in their final showdown before Sunday's runoff vote.

The latest opinion polls show the pro-EU Macron holding a strong lead over his far-right rival Le Pen.

Macron, who has been criticized for his early celebrations after he finished nearly three points ahead of Le Pen in the first-round vote April 23, needs to convince leftist voters that his pro-business and liberal stance should not deter them from supporting him. Le Pen is expected to hammer home her favorite themes of security and identity.