French anger a moot point

Heated presidential debate

FRENCH far-Right leader Marine Le Pen acknowledged yesterday that she was angry during this week’s presidential debate against her centrist rival, but said she was channelling the anger she saw throughout the country.

Emmanuel Macron countered that she was exploiting anger and insecurity, not reflecting it.

Macron extended his lead over Le Pen yesterday, the final day of a tumultuous election campaign that has turned the country’s politics upside down.

According to an Elabe poll for BFM TV and L’Express, Macron will get 62% of the vote in the second round, compared to 38% for Le Pen, an increase of three points for the centrist candidate compared to his projected score in the last Elabe poll.

On the last day before tomorrow’s presidential vote, the two candidates offered a starkly different future for France.

Le Pen wants to pull France out of the EU and abandon the euro currency, although she has softened that view somewhat in recent days.

Macron, a former banker and economy minister, usually appears with both French and EU flags in the background.

Meanwhile, Macron filed a legal complaint against Le Pen after she accused him of holding money in a tax haven.

Le Pen, 48, later admitted to French broadcaster BFMTV that she had no evidence but had read about the allegations.

During the only debate between the two, Macron mostly kept his calm while Le Pen was more aggressive from the outset. Le Pen’s father, Jean Marie Le Pen, who founded the National Front party his daughter now leads, has said he thought she was “not up to the task”.

But Marine Le Pen said: “My words were nothing but the reflection of the anger that will explode in this country.”

She criticised Macron as the candidate of the elite and said the French had had enough of their political and economic situation.

Macron acknowledged that the French were exasperated by the government’s ineffectiveness, but said: “Madame Le Pen speaks for no one. Madame Le Pen exploits anger and hatred.”

Yesterday, students protesting against both candidates blocked 10 high schools in Paris.

About 100 students pulled rubbish bins in front of the entrance to the Lycee Colbert in north-eastern Paris, with cardboard signs saying: “Neither Le Pen nor Macron.” – AP