EU is hot-button issue in French vote

PARIS, FRANCE — Such is Marine Le Pen's aversion to the European Union that the French far-right leader demanded the removal of its star-spangled flag from a TV studio before agreeing to a recent interview.

Her chief rival in the race for the French presidency, centrist Emmanuel Macron, pointedly waved an EU flag from the podium at a campaign rally the next day.

Love it or loathe it, the European Union has become a hot-button issue in the election, fanning fears far beyond France in the wake of Britain's Brexit vote that a "Frexit" could doom the 60-year-old bloc.

In the five years since France's last presidential vote, Europe has seen a massive migrant crisis and a rise in populism, both contributing to the Brexit vote. None of the four main French candidates can afford to be neutral on the EU, whether they portray it as the source of all woes or a guarantee of peace and stability.

Like Macron, conservative candidate Francois Fillon is bullish on Brussels, highlighting the Franco-German leadership axis and defending the euro. Both candidates met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the campaign.

Arrayed on the other side are Le Pen, who advocates leaving the EU immediately, and hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who demands a renegotiation of key treaty provisions.

Syriza, the party of Greek premier Alexis Tsipras, endorsed Melenchon, saying he "represents hope for change for France and Europe." Le Pen, on the other hand, "is riding the wave of Brexit" and Donald Trump's surprise accession to the White House, he said. The ideological underpinnings of the two candidates' eurosceptism are worlds apart, however.