20 minutes agoClose race in French presidential elections
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)The French are voting on Sunday across the country in the first round of presidential elections, in which extreme right-right candidate Marine Le Pen is presenting a surprise threat to President Emmanuel Macron's re-election hopes. Recent polls showed that although Mr. Macron continued to lead, the difference with the lady [...]
Just a few weeks ago, public opinion polls showed Mr. Macron would easily win, a centre- and pro-European Union politician, who won points with his active diplomacy for Ukraine, with economic recovery and due to a fragmented opinion.
But Mr. Macron launched the campaign late and held only one major rally, one of which also disappointed his own supporters. It was also damaged by a focus on a unpopular proposal to raise retirement age, as well as a sharp increase in inflation.
Meanwhile, Miss Le Pen, a Euro-sceptic right candidate, has gained ground for months focusing on the problems of raising the cost of living, as well as a major decline in support for the rival candidate in the extreme right ranks, Eric Zemmour.
Polls made public before the election silence began at midnight Friday still showed Mr. Macron to the advantage during the first round of elections and a victory in front of Mrs. Le Pen in the second round, scheduled for April 24th. However, polls showed that the race would be narrow and that Mrs. Le Pen had narrowed the gap. In some of the polls, it even resulted in winning.
In power since 2017, 44-year-old Emmanuel Macron stressed during the final days of the election campaign that Mrs. Le Pen's programme has not changed, despite efforts to soften her and her party's image, the National Union.
Mr. Macron was chosen in 2017 on a central platform, but his economic and security policies continued from the right.
Some left-wing electors may prefer the extreme leftist candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who is ranked third in polls.
If Mr. Macron and Mrs. Le Pen continue to face in the second round, the president could face the problem that many left-wing voters have already declared in polls that they would not act as in 2017, when they gave him the vote in the runoff only to keep Mr. Le Pen away from power. Mr. Macron will have to convince these voters to change their minds and vote in the second round.
Both candidates agreed in the final days of the election outcome campaign was uncertain. Mrs. Le Pen told supporters Thursday that “everything is possible”. While Mr. Macron warned a week ago his supporters not to rule out the possibility of a victory for Lady Le Pen. “Look what happened to Brexit, and many other choices; what seemed impossible, happened”, he said. / VOA/
