Macron holds first rally as France election race tightens
- 02 Apr 2022
President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday held his first rally of the French election campaign, with far-right rival Marine Le Pen eating into what once seemed his unassailable lead barely a week ahead of the ballot.
The centrist Macron threw his hat into the election ring at the last moment and has been distracted by the war in Ukraine, conducting diplomacy from the Elysee while Le Pen paces the country to discuss basic issues, including purchasing power.
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With the first round of elections on April 10 -- followed by a run-off on April 24 -- polls have shown Le Pen comfortably in second place in the initial stage and narrowing the gap on Macron for round two.
Macron's 1230 GMT rally at the indoor La Defense Arena stadium -- a vast venue that usually hosts top-level rugby and rock concerts -- represents a pivotal chance for the president to regain momentum.
"Of course Marine Le Pen can win," Macron's former prime minister Edouard Philippe warned in an interview with the Le Parisien daily posted online Thursday.
Philippe, who is backing Macron, added that "if she wins, believe me, things will be seriously different for the country... Her programme is dangerous."