Paris (AP) — Looks tired, unshaped.Jeans and hooded sweater.French President Emmanuel Macron, who aims to be re-elected next month, presented an unusual image of working at the Elysee Palace at night and on weekends. The Elysee Palace spends most of its time in the war in Ukraine, avoiding traditional campaign events.
If it is a campaign strategy, it seems to reinforce the favorite positions in the campaign and make it difficult for other rivals to challenge them.
Other candidates criticized Macron for refusing to participate in a discussion that was broadcast before the first round scheduled for April 10.
At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, the President promised to answer questions from journalists in detail, explaining it as proof that his team does not avoid difficult problems.
The midway leader is expected to present his proposals for the next five years, including a controversial pension reform that raises the retirement age from 62 to 65.
A member of the government who participated in Macron's campaign said that the president will “respond to criticism” and “fully campaign” in the future.
He officially announced earlier this month that he would run for a second term, but Macron had not yet held a rally.
Recently, he promoted a ceasefire in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and almost every day he communicated with Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.
Last week, at the Palace of Versailles, west of Paris, gathered EU leaders to resolve sanctions against Russia. France holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union, which gives Macron a key role in coordinating the response of the bloc of 27 countries.
He will be seen next week with US President Joe Biden, who will come to Brussels for a NATO summit.
“Obviously, the international situation is strengthening its position,” said Bernard Sananes, president of the poll agency Elabe of the Institute for Statistics.
In an interview with the French newspaper L'Opinion, he said: “In 2017, Macron was elected for renewal (political) commitments, and Macron gives the impression that he wants to be elected with the promise of experience in 2020. According to polls, the majority of French people think they are qualified for the profession, whether they try to vote or not,” said the expert.
According to polls, Macron reached the second round, about 10 percentage points ahead of the far right Marine Le Pen, and placed him in a position to repeat the 2017 election. The polls mostly point to the victory of the president.
Another far-right candidate, Eric Zemmour, ultra-left leader Jean-Luc Mellenchon and conservative Valerie Pekresse are other prominent candidates.
His rivals accuse Macron of focusing on the situation in Ukraine in order not to talk about state issues that could be more difficult for him.
Le Pen says Macron “uses the war in Ukraine to surprise the French people. Because he believes that scary things can help them.”
“There is a reflection on being a legalist when there is a war,” said Pécresse. “People think: there is a captain leading the operation (...). You should not be afraid to change the captain on April 11.” He added.
Macron's advocates argue that the situation in Ukraine is related to key national issues discussed in campaigns such as energy and defense policies.
Political history expert Jean Garrigues emphasized the “unified” influence on the head of state in war-related situations. The same effect was felt when François Hollande, the predecessor of Macron, launched a military operation in Mali to expel Islamic extremists from power.
Before that, French leaders, from Napoleon to Charles de Gaulle, showed leadership in war situations. “French public opinion is deeply rooted in the story,” Garrigues told AP.
Thus, “we can see that Macron's opponents, as important ministers, do not have equal experience with presidential functions, and are in fact in a situation of inferiority,” he said.
Macron's favorite major challenge may be low turnout, and his supporters do not vote because they assume victory, while those who are not satisfied with the policy mobilize more.
Macron directly acknowledged the risk of videos shared on the campaign's YouTube channel. “I would say so to France and its supporters. If they think it's over, it means we're lost.”
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