Eight days before the second round of the French presidential elections this Saturday (16), the two candidates multiplied their efforts to win over the undecided. President Emmanuel Macron hailed his future green policy during a rally in Marseille, southern France. Marine Le Pen visited a small rural town where she spoke to citizens about her project to ban the Islamic headscarf and promised to rule France “like a family mother”.
Eight days before the second round of the French presidential elections this Saturday (16), the two candidates multiplied their efforts to win over the undecided. President Emmanuel Macron hailed his future green policy during a rally in Marseille, southern France. Marine Le Pen visited a small rural town where she spoke to citizens about her project to ban the Islamic headscarf and promised to rule France “like a family mother”.
One of the first promises Macron made during the Marseille rally was the election of a prime minister “directly responsible for ecological planning”. The idea had already been taken up in the past by JeanLuc Mélenchon, candidate of the farleft France Insubmissa party, which took third place in the first ballot last Sunday (10), with 21.95% of the vote.
“The policies I will pursue in the next five years will be ecological or not,” hammered the head of state in France’s second most populous city, where Mélenchon received the most votes (31.12%). In a bid to win favor with the progressive electorate, Macron pledged that his government’s new architecture will also have two climate change ministers: one for “energy transition” and one for “territorial ecological planning.”
The main goal is that “France becomes the first major nation to stop using gas, oil and coal”. To that end, the leader of the centerright Republic of the March Party plans to invest in the development of solar and wind energy, in the hydrogen industry, build new nuclear power plants, and expand rail and river transport.
To improve air quality and fight the 50,000 deaths a year from air pollution, the presidential candidate wants to “immediately make immense efforts to clean the air in schools, hospitals and all public buildings. The planting of 140 million trees by 2030 has also been announced.”, as well as a “Nature Festival” every May.
Alongside green issues key issues for the leftwing electorate Macron also invoked “fraternity” and appealed to the stigmatization of French Muslims, a way of stinging rival Marine Le Pen, who recently vowed to ban the wearing of the veil in Islam more publicly Space. The President did not spare the farright leader harsh criticism, saying that “not only is she incompetent, but she also does not believe in climate change”.
Abstaining from voting in the second ballot is much more dangerous than a rightwing extremist vote. During the speech, Macron also underlined his differences with Marine Le Pen. “April 24 will be a referendum for or against the European Union, a referendum for or against ecology, a referendum for or against our youth, a referendum for or against our republic ‘ he explained.
Defending the “Most Vulnerable”
The leader of the farright Réunion Nationale visited the municipality of Saint RémysurAvre in northern France on Saturday. In front of the population, Marine Le Pen promised to lead France as the “mother of the family” and to defend “the weakest”.
Before her arrival, militants had gathered in the city’s church square, waiting for the candidate. Former PE teacher Erik Michiels says choosing Marine Le Pen is “a decision of civilization”. He says he is “shocked” to see mosques and Arabic restaurants opening in the region and “increasing numbers of women wearing the Islamic veil,” a phenomenon he calls “pomp”.
Asked about the controversial project by the local press, the farright leader said it was “a complex issue”. The candidate, who plans to bring her proposal to ban Muslim accessories to the French assembly if elected, believes that “the problem of women being forced to cover their heads under pressure from Islamic radicals must be solved”.
Marine Le Pen also criticized the holding of antifar right protests in several French cities on Saturday, a “deeply antidemocratic” initiative. “I think the French find it uncomfortable when their choice is questioned on the street,” he said on a visit to SaintRémysurAvre. “I want to say to these disaffected people: go vote!” he repeated.
According to the candidate, the “demonization” of her party by the “system” is the reason for the mobilization. “I don’t think many people will protest. I’ve seen demonstrations much larger than this in the past,” Le Pen quipped.
A poll released this Saturday by the Ipsos Sopra/Steria institute indicates that President Emmanuel Macron would win with 55.5% of the vote versus 45.5% for Le Pen if the second round took place today. In the last election, the head of state was elected leader of the extreme right with 66.1% of the vote against 33.9%.
(With information from AFP)