Emmanuel Macron remains the strong favourite to win France’s presidency
He outclassed Marine Le Pen in their only televised debate
SEVEN MONTHS ago Emmanuel Macron stood in the gardens of the Palais du Pharo in Marseille, before the sunlit backdrop of the old port, and declared: “If we can’t succeed in Marseille, we can’t make a success of France.” On April 16th the sitting president was back in the same majestic setting for his first rally before the final vote at the French presidential election, on April 24th. The Mediterranean city did not vote for Mr Macron in the first round, preferring the radical-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon. So the president was on hostile ground. But, by returning to the spirited, rebellious city, Mr Macron seemed to be saying: if he can win over Marseille, he can succeed in winning over France.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “France decides”
Europe April 23rd 2022
- Fighting has intensified in the Donbas region
- Why Olaf Scholz hesitates to send Ukraine heavy weapons
- Georgians back Ukraine, but their government is more hesitant
- Protests and politics will dominate this year’s Biennale
- Emmanuel Macron remains the strong favourite to win France’s presidency
- Tariffs on Russian energy are a smart way to hobble Vladimir Putin
From the April 23rd 2022 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Ursula von der Leyen has a new doctrine for handling the hard right
The boss of the European Commission embarks on a second term
Marine Le Pen spooks the bond markets
She threatens to bring down the French government, but also faces a possible ban from politics
The maths of Europe’s military black hole
It needs to spend to defend, but voters may balk
Ukraine’s warriors brace for a Kremlin surge in the south
Vladimir Putin’s war machine is pushing harder and crushing Ukrainian morale
Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats
The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare
A rise in antisemitism puts Europe’s liberal values to the test
The return of Europe’s oldest scourge