Desk Report
Publish: 02 Apr 2022, 02:52 pm
French President Emmanuel Macron || Photo: Collected
French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday holds his first
rally of the French election campaign, with far-right rival Marine Le Pen
eating into what once seemed his unassailable lead barely a week ahead of the
ballot.
The centrist Macron threw his hat into the election ring at
the last moment and has been distracted by the war in Ukraine, conducting
diplomacy from the Elysee while Le Pen paces the country to discuss basic
issues, including purchasing power.
With the first round of elections on April 10 -- followed by
a run-off on April 24 -- polls have shown Le Pen comfortably in second place in
the initial stage and narrowing the gap on Macron for round two.
Macron's 1230 GMT rally at the indoor La Defense Arena
stadium -- a vast venue that usually hosts top-level rugby and rock concerts --
represents a pivotal chance for the president to regain momentum.
"Of course Marine Le Pen can win," Macron's former
prime minister Edouard Philippe warned in an interview with the Le Parisien
daily posted online Thursday.
Philippe, who is backing Macron, added that "if she
wins, believe me, things will be seriously different for the country... Her
programme is dangerous."
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