Presidential elections in France: Emmanuel Macron accuses Marine Le Pen of EU exit plans

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Marine Le Pen France received the second most votes in the first round of the presidential elections

Photo: Francois Mori / dpa

Before the final round of the presidential election, French President Emmanuel Macron accused his right-wing challenger Marine Le Pen of secret plans to leave the EU.

"Mrs. Le Pen, as usual, is talking nonsense," said Macron in Mulhouse, Alsace.

She said that she no longer wanted to pay the EU amounts and that she wanted to change the rules alone.

"There are some who have tried, they have problems," said Macron.

"It means she wants to leave, but doesn't dare to say it anymore."

"It's a funny club"

Le Pen included in her program that she wanted to form an alliance among nation states, "she wants to get out of Europe and do something new," said Macron.

"They want to form an alliance with Poland and Hungary, it's a funny club," the president continued, referring to Le Pen's close ties to the two Eurosceptic countries.

"I don't think it's a club that's good for France, it's not a club that's good for Europe."

Macron emphasized his own ties to Europe and the benefits of the EU for the lives of people in France.

“I believe in Europe, we have changed it in the past five years and as Europeans we have done things that have changed the lives of our compatriots.” Among other things, he referred to the joint European procurement of vaccines and the European debt-financed fund for coping the corona crisis.

The good performance of Le Pen and other anti-EU candidates in the first round of elections is on the minds of many European politicians.

After the first round of voting on April 10, the runoff between incumbent Macron and Le Pen is scheduled for April 24.

According to the preliminary result, Macron received 27.84 percent of the votes in the first round, Le Pen 23.15 percent.

svs/dpa