Macron and Le Pen launch second-round campaigns
French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen embark on the campaign trail after emerging victorious in the first round of Sunday’s presidential election, staging a rematch in 2017 and a two-week battle to convince voters to support their vision of France’s future.
Macron said on Monday he wanted to “convince” a wide range of French voters to back his centrist vision, while Le Pen is keen to point to rising energy and food costs which have hit the poorest households particularly hard. poor in recent weeks.
While Macron beat Le Pen in 2017 and improved his initial numbers from the last election, polls suggest a much tighter race this time around.
The election is being watched closely around the world amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron has strongly supported European Union sanctions against Russia and is a strong supporter of NATO and close cooperation between the 27 EU members. Le Pen, on the other hand, has been concerned about the impact of sanctions on French living standards and has maintained close ties with the Kremlin over the years.
During her previous bid for the French presidency in 2017, she called for strong security ties with Moscow to jointly fight radical Islamic groups. She also pledged to recognize Crimea – the peninsula Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 – as part of Russia. Le Pen acknowledged that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had “partially” changed his views on Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was “wrong” and expressing support for the Ukrainian people and refugees.
Experts say a victory for Le Pen would have huge repercussions for the functioning of the European Union. Not only would his coming to power harm the bloc’s democratic values and trade rules, but it would also threaten the EU’s common front and sanctions in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Although Le Pen, with his strong nationalist views, has removed a so-called “Frexit” from his platform, his hostility towards the EU is still clear. Speaking to France Inter radio, Le Pen said on Tuesday that “a large majority of French people no longer want the European Union as it exists today”. She accused the bloc of acting “in an absolutely undemocratic way”.
Macron has finally started the election campaign, and he does not shy away from angry voters, in some cases engaging in heated, sometimes divisive, debates.
On Tuesday, he was asked tough questions during a visit to the eastern city of Mulhouse.
“Why didn’t you help the poorest?
“Why are hospitals suffering from bed shortages and healthcare staff shortages? »
“How can you propose raising the retirement age from 62 to 65 when so many people are unemployed?
The 44-year-old leader seemed determined to explain his policies at length – but sometimes grew impatient when people continued to contradict him.
Ahead of Sunday’s first round of presidential election, which featured 12 candidates, Macron skipped most campaign activity, focusing his time at the Elysee Palace on diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. National critics have denounced the perceived lack of debate in the French presidential campaign.
From now on, the role of candidate has taken over. Macron is seen as the frontrunner in the polls, but Le Pen appears to have narrowed the gap considerably since 2017, when he beat her in the same presidential run-off.
On Monday, Macron traveled to an economically depressed region of northern France believed to be Le Pen’s stronghold. The next day, he traveled to the cities of the East, Mulhouse and Strasbourg, where the far left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who arrived third on Sunday, won the majority of the votes in the first round.
As soon as he arrived in Mulhouse, Macron literally ran towards the small crowd waiting for him. He met some sympathizers, but also angry, discouraged workers from a nearby public hospital who came to question him.
“We are exhausted,” nurses told him. “Improve our working conditions!”
A 61-year-old healthcare worker said he worked for 30 years and only earned 1,885 euros ($2,051) a month.
“I don’t think of myself. I think of my children, my grandchildren,” he said, explaining his vote.
Macron mentioned changes his government had made amid the COVID-19 pandemic, including a small pay rise for hospital staff.
“Has your income increased? ” He asked.
“We don’t feel the impact,” the man replied.
Another healthcare worker asked him about hospitals “losing beds” as the pandemic continues.
“I know, that’s the challenge we face,” Macron acknowledged, explaining that it was a lack of trained hospital staff, a situation amplified in a region where many French people seek work in Germany. and in neighboring Switzerland where wages are higher.
“Two years ago, I made commitments…and the salaries were increased. And 183 euros ($199) a month, you can’t say it’s nothing,” Macron insisted.
Another big hurdle has repeatedly presented itself to Macron: his planned retirement changes. Macron wants to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 65, which he says is necessary so France can continue to fund pensions. Le Pen says she would keep the retirement age at 62. The issue prompted large street protests in late 2019, and Macron then had to postpone his plans amid the COVID-19 crisis.
“We have to work longer,” Macron said. “It’s not true that we can continue to finance our social model if we don’t push back (the retirement age).”
He has repeatedly said that the pension changes will be implemented very gradually until 2031 and has opened the door to a relaxation of the reform, as he seeks to attract voters who have chosen other candidates in the first round.
At a rally in the square adjacent to the 12th-century Strasbourg Cathedral, which houses the European Parliament, boos briefly disrupted Macron’s discourse on Europe but failed to destabilize it. Instead, he spontaneously responded to criticism and called on his supporters and opponents to respect each other.
Le Pen’s supporters credit his months of campaigning in the French provinces for his strong performance in the first round. But as Macron finally joined the fray, he sought to draw a line between their campaigns, criticizing the candidates “who never go out to meet the opponents”.
“I’m not just going to meet people who like me,” he said.