France election 2022: Macron has to tremble – Le Pen is catching up

Created: 04/09/2022, 08:26

By: Luke Rogalla

Emmanuel Macron's term in office is coming to an end.

Can he hold on as President of France – or will Marine Le Pen manage to surprise?

All developments in the news ticker.

• France* elects the President in April.

• French election polls

  : incumbent Emmanuel Macron* is the favourite, but Marine Le Pen* has narrowed the gap in the polls.

• Presidential election in France 2022 *: All developments can be found here in the news ticker.

>>> Update news ticker <<<

Paris – Everything seemed to be clear in France.

Until a few days ago, Emmanuel Macron looked like the sure winner of the presidential election.

With a clear lead, the incumbent should move into the runoff election together with challenger Marine Le Pen and also win this clearly – five more years of Macron.

But now, on the weekend of the election, everything looks different.

Although the polls still point to a runoff between Macron and Le Pen, as in 2017, the chair of the Rassemblement National has recently been able to catch up significantly.

According to experts, even a victory in the second ballot is now possible.

Macron knows this and warns of a "Brexit-like" defeat* against the right-wing populist, who scores points in France with Islamophobic slogans, among other things.

"The threat of extremism has reached new levels because hatred and alternative truths have been normalized over the past few months and years," Macron said at a campaign event.

"We've gotten used to seeing anti-Semitic and racist writers on TV shows."

France election 2022: Marine Le Pen confident of victory – President Macron warns

Le Pen was confident of victory and got her fans in the mood for the election: "The change has never been more tangible than now," she said at her last major appearance in Perpignan.

France is "ready for a woman in the Elysée" - Le Pen would be the first female head of state in the history of France.

Her project is the "antithesis of Macron," she promised.

Le Pen wanted to make "the people" the center of her politics and "give France back to the French".

She puts socio-political issues in the foreground. At her event, for example, she reiterated her intention to give the French priority in the allocation of apartments and jobs.

But a headscarf ban in public spaces is also part of their program

With regard to Le Pen's promises, the liberal reformer Macron spoke of "lies" that she "could not finance at all".

She represents a "brutally racist program that aims to divide society," said the 44-year-old on Friday in Paris.

Emmanuel Macron, President of France, is up for election for a second term.

© Olivier Hoslet/dpa

In a poll by OpinionWay-Kéa published on Thursday, Macron received 26 percent of the vote, up from 28 percent a week ago.

Le Pen climbs two points to 22 percent.

When asked about the runoff, the gap between Macron and Le Pen decreased from ten to six points (53 to 47 percent).

Behind Macron and Le Pen in the polls are the left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the conservative Valérie Pécresse and the extreme right Éric Zemmour.

However, their chances of entering the second round of voting are not good.

These

are running

in the first round of the

April 10:

• Emmanuel Macron

• Marine Le Pen

• Jean-Luc Melenchon*

• Nicolas Dupont Aignan

• Philippe Poutou

• Nathalie Arthaud

• Anne Hidalgo*

• Yannick Jadot

• Jean Lasalle

• Valerie Pécresse*

• Fabian Roussel

• Eric Zemmour*

Political radio silence prevailed in France until the publication of the results on Sunday, April 10, after the polls closed at 8 p.m.

Statements and surveys are prohibited - even if the neighboring countries traditionally publish tendencies before the deadline.

Forecasts, projections and results for the France election * are then available on Sunday evening at the earliest.

(lrg/afp) *