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French President Emmanuel Macron declared his future “ambitions” for the country but declined to formally declare he was running for a second term in a lengthy prime-time TV interview on Wednesday that saw him defend his record as an economic reformer.
After a rare two-hour press conference last week to outline his European ambitions, the 43-year-old head of state sat down with journalists from the TF1 channel as campaigning ahead of next April’s vote hots up.
“If your question is ‘are you looking ahead?’,’do you have ambitions for our country, for French people beyond next April?’. Clearly,” the centrist replied when asked if he would be running for another five-year term.
“I never thought that we could do everything in five years,” he said during the interview which was pre-recorded but broadcast on Wednesday evening.
But he argued he needed to stay focused on governing before giving a “firm and sincere response” about his candidacy to the country.
As well as his recent media work, the country’s youngest-ever president when elected in 2017 has also been touring small-town and rural France in recent weeks in what has resembled grassroots campaigning.
Like his predecessors including Francois Mitterrand and Nicolas Sarkozy, observers say he appears intent on playing for time, using the presidential megaphone and the benefits of his office until as late as possible.
“I’ll keep going until the final quarter of an hour,” he said.
France’s role holding the rotating presidency of the European Union from January 1, which will see Macron set the official EU agenda, is also seen as another factor favouring a late declaration.
Level field?
Recent gains in the polls from some of his opponents next year might also explain his sudden willingness to open up to the media after years of keeping journalists at arm’s length.
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Source : france24
