Le Pen’s aide charged as Macron wins key ally

PARIS (AFP) — French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron won the support of a key centrist Wednesday, hailing it as a turning point in his campaign, as an aide to his far-right rival Marine Le Pen was charged in a fake jobs scandal.

With two months to go before France’s increasingly unpredictable election, centrist veteran Francois Bayrou announced an alliance with Macron to counter the “major threat” posed by the far-right.

Bayrou had hinted for months at his own presidential run but ended the suspense by saying he would not mount a rival bid, to avoid splitting the votes of moderates to the benefit of Le Pen.

His announcement came as a boost to centrist ex-economy minister Macron, who saw his ratings rise in recent weeks after conservative challenger Francois Fillon was hit by damaging corruption allegations but has slipped behind him again in the latest poll.

Le Pen, meanwhile, suffered a blow Wednesday when her personal assistant Catherine Griset was charged with breach of trust in a probe into allegations the candidate’s National Front (FN) party defrauded the European Parliament of about 340,000 euros ($360,000).

The legislature accuses Le Pen, an MEP, of using parliamentary funds to pay Griset as well as bodyguard Thierry Legier while they worked for her party in France rather than at the parliament. Le Pen has furiously denied the allegations.

“I formally contest the allegations,” Le Pen said on television late Wednesday.

She said justice should not be used to interfere in the May 23 presidential election as “this is an important democratic moment” and “fundamental” for France.

“It is surprising that two months before the presidential election, there is this great judicial activity,” she told the TF1 channel.

She questioned the “impartiality and independence” of “the administration of justice.” The scandal comes as Fillon battles his own investigation into claims his British-born wife Penelope was paid around 700,000 euros ($739,000) over 15 years as a parliamentary assistant, despite little evidence that she did any work.

But while Fillon’s ratings took a dive after “Penelopegate,” opinion polls currently show Le Pen winning the first round of the election in April 23, although she is forecast to lose in the runoff on May 7.

Bayrou, who ran three times for president and came third in 2007 with more than 18 percent of the vote, told a press conference he was backing Macron to fight the “major and immediate threat for our country and Europe” posed by Le Pen.