Unruffled by defections and the rise of a far-right challenger, Marine Le Pen has steadied her ship in the final stretch of France’s presidential campaign, pulling ahead of rivals as she closes in on a replay of her 2017 duel with Emmanuel Macron.
As he walked off the stage following his latest fiery address in Marseille on Sunday, an exhausted Jean-Luc Mélenchon spoke candidly to reporters about his chances in the upcoming presidential contest.
“Either the quartiers populaires vote in droves on April 10, or I’m a dead man,” he sighed, referring to the working-class suburbs of Paris and other French cities, where many tend to shun the polls. Turning to the principal obstacle standing in his way, the veteran leftist added: “I don’t understand how Marine Le Pen can keep rising in the polls without even campaigning, whereas we have to chase down each vote with our teeth.”
The upcoming presidential contest marks the third time Mélenchon and Le Pen have a shot at the Élysée Palace. It is also the third time the two candidates are vying for the elusive vote populaire – the working-class electorate that was once solidly left-wing but has since drifted to the far right.
As in the past two elections, the leader of the far-right National Rally has enjoyed a comfortable headstart over her left-wing rival in what has always been a lop-sided contest. With just 10 days to go before the first round on April 10, Le Pen is polling in second place behind the incumbent, President Emmanuel Macron. Crucially, polls suggest she is 3% to 7% ahead of third-placed Mélenchon, meaning she is likely to qualify for the all-important run-off on April 24.
Second-round data also looks encouraging for Le Pen,…
Source : france24
