Watch live French Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen holding a rally in Aras
Emmanuel Macron maintains a six-point lead over Marine Le Pen, the far-right contender in the French presidential election, after a heated televised debate last night.
The election campaign is in its final days and the two candidates have returned to the election campaign to gain the support they can before Sunday’s vote.
Mr Macron, the cosmopolitan, is visiting the multicultural suburb of Saint-Denis in Paris, while Ms Le Pen, who is positioned as the voice of the neglected working class, is in the northern industrial region of Aix-en-Provence.
Leaders of other Schengen countries Germany, Spain and Portugal backed Macron today, urging the French people not to vote for his nationalist opponent.
At a rally in Aras, Ms Le Pen accused Macron of “unlimited arrogance” both in last night’s debate and in the five years of his presidency.
She described the president as soft on immigration and security, and called his economic record – hurt by the pandemic and war in Ukraine – “catastrophic”.
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“Nothing is final,” Macron told voters in Saint-Denis
While maintaining a solid 12-point lead in the poll, Emmanuel Macron said he did not take anything for granted as he addressed the crowd in a working-class suburb of Paris.
“Nothing is final until the last minute,” he told a crowd in Saint-Denis. He said he had chosen to make one of his last stops on his campaign in a place “facing many difficulties” in the poorest region of mainland France, the Seine-Saint-Denis, where many people are immigrants or have immigrant roots.
Warning against his opponent, Marine Le Pen, whom he is facing for the second time in a direct presidential election, Macron said: “We must not get used to the rise of far-right ideas.”
Macron waves to his supporters in Saint-Denis
(Getty)
Macron greets the crowd in Saint-Denis
(EPA)
Liam James April 21, 2022 22:10
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Vote for Macron – even if you don’t like him – or face what we faced with Trump | Independent votes
The Trump years were spent for many Americans and people living in America in survival mode. They had to be experienced one day. There was exhausting anger and utter bewilderment. I held my breath for four years.
But when those years ended with the election of Joe Biden in 2020, it wasn’t that we all had to take over again. What I didn’t realize at the time (because I was busy holding my breath for four years) was how Trump’s years would extend beyond his four years in power. When a far-right candidate is elected, their influence does not end where their presidency ends. This changes the course of history. This changes the structure of a country.
Read the full Clemence piece here:
Liam James April 21, 2022 8:45 p.m.
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Macron is a drummer, says Le Pen
Marin Le Pen had no shortage of insults to her opponent, Emmanuel Macron, at her last major rally in the French presidential campaign.
In a one-hour speech in the northern city of Aras, the far-right candidate said Macron called the incumbent president a “drummer” whose sole purpose is to stay in power.
She said Macron was “carefree”, “condescending” and “arrogant”.
On this last point, Mrs Le Pen can find support even from those who do not intend to vote for her, as 50 per cent of those who watched last night’s election debate think Macron looks arrogant.
However, the same survey found that 50% of viewers thought Ms Le Pen was scary.
Liam James April 21, 2022 7:38 p.m.
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Le Pen is holding a rally in Aras
Marin Le Pen spoke at a rally in Aras, a city in Hauts-de-France, the northernmost region of France.
The far-right presidential candidate was firmly backed by the industrial stronghold in the first round of elections, taking a third of the vote in a crowded race. Her rival, incumbent President Macron, took a quarter.
Le Pen is seeking to win the working class vote with promises to cut the cost of living and put French citizens first.
Watch live French Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen holding a rally in Aras
Liam James April 21, 2022 6:21 PM
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Along the way: Macron is fighting for votes in Saint-Denis
Emmanuel Macron headed to Saint-Denis today as the presidential race enters its final days.
His destination is emblematic of the troubled suburbs of Paris and reflects his efforts to capture the left-wing voters who backed Jean-Luc Melanchon in the first round.
Saint-Denis is also a very multicultural place in the city center, suitable for a cosmopolitan president.
Macron greets the crowd in Saint-Denis
(AP)
Macron walks with amateur boxer Jean-Denis Nzaramba, 23, at Auguste Delon Stadium in Saint-Denis
(POOL / AFP / Getty)
The children congratulate Macron as he campaigns at Auguste Delon Stadium.
(AP)
Macron greets the young people at Auguste Delon Stadium in Saint-Denis
(POOL / AFP / Getty)
Liam James April 21, 2022 5:15 p.m.
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When will the results of the French elections be announced?
The French electorate goes to the polls on Sunday, April 24 to decide who will be the next president (writes Joe Somerlad).
The exit poll is expected to be published at 19:00 GMT on Sunday, and the official final results will be announced the next day.
Mr Macron secured 27.8% of the vote 11 days ago from 23.1% of Ms Le Pen and is currently leading the poll by 56% to 44%, although Sunday’s vote is expected to prove close competition.
Liam James April 21, 2022 4:30 p.m.
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Macron retains the lead after a televised debate
Emmanuel Macron remains ahead of his opponent Marin Le Pen in the French presidential race after a heated televised debate last night, a poll showed.
According to a poll conducted by OpinionWay / Kea Partners on April 20-21, the incumbent president was considered the winner of the re-election with 56 percent of the vote unchanged.
But uncertainty about the end result remains high, as the poll also predicts 72% turnout – the lowest since 1969.
Viewers of the only debate between the two finalists found Macron prone to bouts of arrogance, but also found him more convincing and fit to be president, a separate Elabe poll told BFM TV.
Ms Le Pen, who focused on expressing sympathy for people she said had “suffered” since Macron beat her in 2017, was assessed as slightly more in line with voters’ concerns, but her far-right views still considered much more alarming, according to the poll shown.
Liam James April 21, 2022 3:44 p.m.
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