Security jitters dog election
RIVAL CANDIDATES MACRON, LE PEN BOTH ATTEND MEMORIAL FOR SLAIN POLICEMAN Views differ on how best to protect under-fire France from jihadist attacks.
The two candidates vying to be France’s new president yesterday honoured a policeman killed in a jihadist-claimed attack on the Champs Elysees as they ramped up a campaign marked by security jitters.
Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right, anti-immigration candidate Marine Le Pen differ starkly on how to protect France, still reeling from a series of jihadist attacks since 2015 that has claimed more than 230 lives.
Le Pen has called for France to take back control of its borders from the European Union and deport all foreigners on a terror watchlist, accusing Macron of being soft on terrorism.
Macron, who at 39 is favourite to become France’s youngest president, has urged voters not to “give in to fear” and vowed to step up security cooperation with EU partners.
Polls suggest that Macron, who won Sunday’s first round of the presidential election with 24% of the vote, will comfortably triumph in the May 7 runoff against Le Pen.
France’s political establishment has rallied around the former investment banker in a bid to shut out the far right, with unpopular Socialist President Francois Hollande on Monday urging voters to turn out for Macron.
Thanking Hollande in a tweet for his support, Macron appealed to the French to “remain true to France’s values” in the runoff.
Le Pen portrays her opponent as a member of the French political elite and says she is the only candidate for change in the bitterly divided country, weighed down by high unemployment and inequality.
“Nothing in either Mr Macron’s policies or his behaviour suggests the slightest proof of his love for France,” she said. “We are going to win.”
Le Pen gained more than 1.2 million new voters compared with her last presidential bid in 2012, securing 7.7 million ballots, a result she hailed as “historic”.
Campaigning early yesterday, Le Pen took aim at what she said was Macron’s desire for “total deregulation, total opening up, total free trade”.
“I believe the state should impose regulations on the market to make sure one player does not destroy others, as is often the case with large retailers,” she said. – AFP