What was predicted to be an easy win for Macron just a few weeks ago has become a close and difficult race to the presidency. Macron’s lead over far-right candidate Le Pen has shrunk from 16% in mid-March to about 6% currently with Le Pen polling at 47% on average while Macron polls at 53% on average. One poll by YouGov and Datapraxis places the far-right candidate as high as 49%. The run-off between Macron and Le Pen is set for 24th April, just 13 days away.
Marine Le Pen, often called France’s Donald Trump, is not a candidate many expected to be so close to winning the French presidency. Her views are often described as “fascist” by her critics. Le Pen famously supports calls for banning Islamic women from wearing the hijab. This fits with her strong anti-immigration position. Her party has also long opposed further integration into NATO and the European Union and often calls for reversing France’s integration into those multinational organizations.
Macron on the other hand has pushed for further integration into NATO and has called for the European Union to establish its own military force. As the war in Ukraine rages on the potential for a shakeup in NATO and the European Union threatens to jeopardize efforts to support the Ukraine government. Many consider Le Pen to be a friend of Russian President Putin and the Macron campaign hopes that the war in Ukraine will make their pro-EU, pro-NATO policies a winning platform.
More, In The Ring.
