Le Pen, 53, is currently a member of the French National Assembly representing Calais, the city on the coast near the UK that has struggled to deal with migrants heading to Britain.
But her economic nationalist stance, views on immigration, euroskepticism and positions on Islam in France — she wants to make it illegal for women to wear headscarves in public — proved unpopular among the French electorate, as she was thrashed in her first contest against Macron.
While “stopping uncontrolled immigration” and “eradicating Islamist ideologies” remain her platform’s top two priorities, Le Pen has sought to broaden her appeal.
In the weeks leading up to the first round of the election, Le Pen campaigned hard on pocketbook issues, often beginning interviews and media appearances by explaining to voters how she would help them cope with inflation and rising fuel prices, top issues for the French public.
The strategy appears to have worked. Le Pen polled far better in the 2022 first round than she did five years ago, and surveys from pollster IFOP have suggested that a Macron-Le Pen runoff could be as close as 53% to 47% in favor of the incumbent.
Source : cnn
