(CNN) -- It has been 17 years since France had a president from the left, but that might be about to change. Opinion polls continue to favor Francois Hollande, a candidate from the center-left Socialist Party, over center-right incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy in the upcoming French presidential election. If elected, Hollande would be the first left-wing president since Francois Mitterrand in 1995. Sarkozy is seeking his second five-year term, following Jacques Chirac, who served 12 years in office. As the French take to the polls Sunday, here are a few key points to keep in mind: 1. This is a two-horse race, but other candidates matter.
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France's presidential election begins Sunday, to be followed by a runoff in two weeks
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Incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy has been trailing center-left Francois Hollande in the polls
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A couple of extreme candidates, both far left and far right, could impact the outcome
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Unemployment is the biggest issue in the race, but immigration and debt are also talking points
Nicolas Sarkozy
Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Jobs have been difficult to come by, especially for young people, and that is one of the main reasons why @placeholder is vulnerable.
Nicolas Sarkozy
Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
"Even though some people would give @placeholder high marks for doing the kinds of things that might have a positive long-term effect on the economy -- like raising the retirement age to put the system on sounder fiscal footing -- he hasn't been successful in bringing jobs back," Leruth said.
Francois Hollande
Hollande
Francois Hollande
@placeholder has promised to create tens of thousands of public-sector jobs and raise taxes on the rich to pay for it.