The divergence between Emmanuel Macron and far-right chairman Marine Le Pen, who is aiming for a new term, has continued to narrow.
PARIS The President of France Emmanuel Macronin the campaign office is going through a lot of hustle and bustle. Next to the green wall is a large clock that counts down the days and hours for the first round. There are not many of them anymore, as the election apartments will open in five days.
Campaign worker Albane Branlant picks up election brochures and t-shirts decorated with the name “Emmanuel” out of a cardboard box and contemplates content for a new Finnish video. He belongs to the Jeunes avec Macron movement, which seeks to attract young French people to the ballot box.
– This campaign has undeniably been special. The war in Ukraine put it all new and Macron didn’t run until really late, Branlant says, turning his head.
A young woman who studied law says she has been involved with Macron’s party since its inception in 2017. He wishes the president a second term.
– The war in Ukraine has shown the importance of geopolitics and diplomacy for France. Macron has the ability to handle these things, which cannot be said of far-right candidates.
Branlant has been following the latest polls with concern. According to them, the support of the incumbent president has started to decline, while the chairman of the far-right National Alliance Marine Le Penin popularity is on the rise.
According to the latest queries (switch to another service)About 27 percent support Macron and about 22 percent support Le Pen. The difference in support between the candidates is thus only five percentage points, compared with almost 13 percentage points at the beginning of March.
Macron warned of the threat of the far right
Macron held his first big campaign event in Paris on Saturday. Branlant and 35,000 Frenchmen cheered as the president, dressed in a dark blue suit, arrived on stage.
In his two-hour speech, Macron warned of the threat of the far right and his gradual accustomation to racist speech.
“Extreme thinking is an increasingly serious threat as hate speech and conspiracy theories have normalized in recent months and years,” Macron said.
He referred to the far – right candidates for French presidency, Marine Le Pen and To Éric Zemmour.
As early as the beginning of February, it seemed that the war in Ukraine would seal Macron’s election victory. The French grouped together to support Macron, who was profiled as a strong leader and international negotiator, while far-flung candidates had to explain their embarrassing ties to Russia.
My own economy weighs more than the war in Ukraine
Now the situation seems to have changed and Macron has been put in defensive positions instead of Le Pen. The president, who is aiming for a second term, has had to explain his controversial election promises related to raising the retirement age and conditional income support, among other things, from the international consulting company McKinsey.
Macron has also been criticized for his sluggish election campaign and his decision not to take part in the election exams before the first round on Sunday, April 10th.
At the same time, the far right Le Pen has toured the election to promise cheaper fuel and electricity. According to polls, French voters are more interested in the situation in Ukraine than in Ukraine. Le Pen’s promises to increase the purchasing power of the French therefore seem attractive, even if they mean a loosening of economic sanctions on Russia.
Are there any surprises in the first round?
Macron’s re-election doesn’t look as certain at all as it did a few weeks ago. Adding to the excitement is the fact that many French people are still hesitant to vote for their candidate or at all.
One of the hippies is a Parisian Serge Zenetty. He thinks Macron has talked more than he has done.
– The real changes have been small. For example, pension reform was important, but it was decided to be postponed. Macron is reportedly trying it again, but let’s see if it gets anything done, Zenetty says.
He is not sure if he will vote on Sunday. None of the candidates when not arouse great confidence.
– However, I think Macron will be chosen without major problems. I do not think the French are ready to elect a far-right president.
Are there any surprises in the presidential election in France? You can discuss the topic until Thursday, April 7 at 11 p.m.