
French voters are set to face off in the second round of the presidential election on April 24 as Macron and Marine Le Pen have traded blows at a distance over who will best protect French purchasing power.
Macron, who overcame Le Pen to become president in 2017 after a well-fought election, faces a much more difficult challenge this time around.
On a visit to a rural area southeast of Paris, Le Pen said that if Macron is reelected, he would have absolute freedom to continue pursuing his policies of social wreckage.
"The dark clouds" of inflation loom over France, she said, adding that Macron has failed to protect them. If elected, she said, she would slash the VAT on energy and remove it from 100 essential food and hygiene products, "so the French can feed themselves and fill up their cars."
He is slightly ahead in polls, but Le Pen, who ahead of Sunday’s first round successfully tapped into anger over the cost of living and a perception that Macron is disconnected from everyday hardships, pressed on those points on Monday.
12 April 2022
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