French PM says presidential election remains ‘extremely intense’

Mr. Castex told France Inter radio: “The results are not yet finalized and the election is still very close. They put Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen on an equal footing, but there are still challenges. key difference”.

Ms. Le Pen is challenging incumbent President Macron in the election, with opinion polls showing Macron leading in the second round of voting on April 24.

Both Macron and Le Pen have managed to attract voters to support leftist leader Jean Luc Melenchon, after he finished third in the first round on April 10 with about 22% of the vote.

Even so, Mr Melenchon’s party gave no indication for a flow vote (a second or final round of voting held when no one has enough votes to win the previous election). there). The party’s internal consultation shows most people will abstain from voting on April 24, making the outcome more unpredictable than ever.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Europe 1 radio that Le Pen would “give the sovereignty of France to Russian President Vladimir Putin and to Russia” if she is elected. Earlier, Ms. Le Pen expressed her admiration for Mr. Putin.

Mr. Maire said: “I have heard the international policy proposals of Ms. Marine Le Pen… If she is elected, it will be the end of French sovereignty.” He concluded that Ms. Le Pen’s victory would lead to an alliance with Mr. Putin, giving up NATO protection and severing ties with Germany.

Opinion polls for the 2022 French presidential election suggest it will be a more intense race than the 2017 election.

Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen received the most votes in the first round on April 10, with Mr. Macron slightly ahead of Ms. Le Pen with 27.8 % and 23.2% votes respectively. Still, polls ahead of the first round of polls showed that Ms Le Pen’s approval rating rose sharply in March.

As neither of them won more than 50% of the vote, a decisive election will be held on April 24. If he wins this general election, Mr. Macron will become the first French president to be successfully re-elected in 20 years.