French presidential election 2022: Will there be ‘political seismic’?

Data: BAO ANH – Graphics: TUAN ANH

The only direct debate between the two leading candidates takes place at 9pm on April 20 local time (ie 2am).

April 21, Vietnam time) is expected to attract millions of spectators. The event has been a political tradition in France since 1974.

The opportunity is dividing equally

Ms Le Pen pledged to better prepare for this debate, after the 2017 debate which she called the “biggest failure” of her political career. For Ms. Le Pen, the April 20 debate is the last chance to win more support. Because opinion polls predict Mr. Macron will lead the far-right party National Front by about 10 percentage points in the second round of elections.

According to Reuters news agency, three polls for the second round of voting show that Macron’s approval rating is at its highest level since before the first round of voting (April 10), with an average of 55, 83%, up more than 1 percentage point from April 15 and more than 3 percentage points above the approval rating average of the five polls ahead of the first round of elections.

Mr Macron won with 66.1% of the vote in 2017, when he also faced Le Pen. However, this year’s race is more difficult to decide when Mr. Macron is facing criticism for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic policies.

Besides, voters who are still undecided can also change the situation. Candidate Macron insisted he did not think he was certain of victory and recalled the “political earthquakes” of 2016 – when the British voted to leave the European Union (EU) and the Americans chose Donald Trump to join the House. White.

According to AFP news agency, the current French president’s allies have also warned him not to be complacent in this showdown. “The match is not over yet and we certainly cannot conclude whether the outcome of this election has been decided,” French Prime Minister Jean Castex told France Inter Radio.

Meanwhile, Francois Bayrou, another ally and leader of the pro-Macron MoDem Party, said: “For now, either candidate can win.”

Two futures for France

The BBC reports that Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen are proposing two very different futures for France. They have different visions on many issues such as cost of living, pensions, immigration and security, hijab, electoral reform, European policy, policy with Russia and NATO, environment. ..

When the cost of living became an issue for many voters, Le Pen made it a central focus of her campaign. However, she also has another big plan to make social housing, jobs and welfare a “national priority” for the French people.

Before the debate on April 20, Le Monde newspaper reported that Le Pen tried to present herself as a trustworthy leader of France and described this year’s election as a “referendum” against the French government. Mr. Macron.

And President Macron tried to mobilize voters with the slogan Nous Tous (All of us). After five years in power, Mr Macron has offered a “complete renewal” as he seeks to appeal to voters from both the left and the right.

Of course, the results of the French election affect not only the future of France but also the region. The Washington Post (USA) commented: “Europe is concerned about the possibility of Ms. Le Pen becoming president, seeing this as a threat from within.” Experts say Le Pen’s conciliatory stance with Russia will complicate efforts by Europe and the United States to put pressure on Moscow.

Now both candidates are trying to find more support before the second round of voting. According to AP news agency, many French, especially left-wing voters, say they still do not know whether to vote or not.