News

French presidential runoff: 'If abstention is too high on the left, Macron is likely to lose'

French President Emmanuel Macron declared that he wants to “convince" a broad range of French voters to back his centrist vision, kicking off a two-week battle against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen ahead of the country's presidential runoff vote. Le Pen, meanwhile, is ready for the fight, eager to highlight rising prices for energy and food that have hit poorer households especially hard recently as Macron has focused his efforts on seeking a diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine. Joining FRANCE 24 for analysis of the French presidential runoff is Professor Ariane Bogain, Senior Lecturer in French and Politics at Northumbria University. Macron must focus on left-leaning policies over the next two weeks, explains Professor Bogain. By addressing social justice and displaying a more conciliatory position on pension reform, she says that Macron "is clearly targeting the left voters so that they don't abstain. Because high abstention among left-wing voters will be beneficial to Marine Le Pen."