Emmanuel Macron sounds “general mobilization” during a large meeting 8 days from the first round

An American show. “10, 9, 8…”, screams the room driver as a countdown is launched on the giant screens of the Defense Arena, near Paris. It is 4:20 p.m. when Emmanuel Macron cuts through the crowd, surrounded by dozens of lit bengal fires. It had already been an hour since the president’s supporters gave voice to their champion. Clapping, ola, videos of the past five years … More than 30,000 people, according to the candidate’s teams, met for his only meeting, eight days before the first round. While the war in Ukraine prevented the tenant of the Elysée from engaging in this election as he saw fit, the latter designed his only rally as a show of force.

Arrival of Emmanuel Macron in super bowl mode pic.twitter.com/hInC01Qc4K

— Margaux Duguet (@MargauxDuguet) April 2, 2022

An imperative while his campaign at a minimum is experiencing an air pocket with a drop in the polls, marked by a tightening of the curves with Marine Le Pen in the event of a possible second round. “It would be wrong to go from euphoria to excitement in 10 days. Between the two, there is serenity”, relativizes a LREM executive at the start of the meeting. “I know that an election, a fortiori the presidential one, is always difficult”observes, however, a close friend of Emmanuel Macron.

But among the activists of En Marche, the enthusiasm is there. “The campaign will take on a new dimension with this meeting, we must be optimistic!”wants to believe Simon, 18, engaged in “JAM”, the Young with Macron. “If you doubt it, the energy is still there”replied the head of state at the podium, during a river speech of more than two hours, interspersed with two videos.

After more than an hour and a half devoted to the assessment of the five-year term and the program for the next 5 years, it was however necessary to wait for the end of the speech to see an offensive Emmanuel Macron and in the skin – finally – of a candidate. “Don’t believe the polls and the commentators who would be formal and say that the election is already decided, that everything will be fine“, said the president. Citing Brexit, but also his own victory in 2017, he recalled that many elections seemed “unlikely”.

“I don’t want arrogance or defeatism but general mobilization.”

Emmanuel Macron

during its meeting in Nanterre

“I don’t listen to those who say we’ve already won or the Cassandres”, continued Emmanuel Macron. On the bottom of “5 more years” chanted by his supporters, the Elysée tenant assured that “April Picks” were “simple at heart”: “Do you want a France of parity, ecology and progress? Help us, join us. Do you want an educational, sporting and cultural France? Help us, join us.. .”

Faced with an audience of politicians, ranging from members of the government to former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, via new recruits from LR (like Eric Woerth), Emmanuel Macron particularly insisted on two major themes which are education and health, for the purpose, he said, “to correct inequalities at the root”. A wink leaning on his left leg which seems further back than his right leg in his program. He also called “all those from social democracy to Gaullism via ecologists” to join him.

Throughout his speech, the president-candidate attacked his opponents, especially the far right. On raising the legal retirement age to 65, which he defends, for example: “Don’t believe those who tell you that you can retire at 60 or 62 and everything will be fine, it’s not true“, he launched, assuring “assume that we will have to work more”. On the war in Ukraine and the international context then: “Faced with this return of the tragic in history, we are not those who stir up fears and seek scapegoats, it is useless. We are not those who resign ourselves”he launched.

“And good luck to those who, faced with Russia, advocate the great withdrawal! And good luck to those who, faced with the return of empires and the challenges of the times, defend the great stunting!”

Emmanuel Macron

in Nanterre

It was at the end of his speech that Emmanuel Macron concentrated his attacks, without ever naming his opponents. “The extremist danger is all the greater since for several years hatred and alternative truths have become commonplace in public debate. We have become accustomed to seeing racist authors parade on television sets.” A clear reference to Eric Zemmour. Boos erupt from the audience. “Don’t whistle them. Fight them with ideas!”corrects Emmanuel Macron.

The president continues. “We have become accustomed to seeing candidates call themselves patriots while seeing their party and their ideas financed abroad”. This time, the target is Marine Le Pen. It must be said that the RN candidate has exceeded the 20% mark in recent days, and the gap is still narrowing in the second round. A poll in particular, that of Elabe published on Wednesday, where Emmanuel Macron obtains 52.5% and the candidate of the RN 47.5%, gives cold sweats to “Macronie”. “We are vigilant against the RN”loose a minister crossed in the aisles of the meeting.

But the president must not only face the onslaught of the far right. He is mired in a dangerous controversy, born of the executive’s use of consulting firms, in particular the American McKinsey. The other candidates were not mistaken in targeting the Head of State in particular on this affair. “JI’ve heard a lot about tax evasion and US firms. I wanted to remind those who are outraged that they have used them in their communities or in government.”replied to them at the podium Emmanuel Macron. “It’s a sticky thing, it takes because there are lots of amalgams, but it’s not McKinsey who decides on the reforms, that’s not true”adds a minister.

Will that be enough to put out the fire a few days before the first round? The president has in any case found accents of the 2017 campaign by praising “camp of progress” vs “the one of the retreat”, but also the overcoming of political divisions. “We are that beacon of hope that never fades, even when all seems lost”, he promised. Some time earlier, the hall driver had asked the activists to turn on their mobile phones to “a shower of stars” in the dark. It felt like a concert. The activists came out fired up. But what do the French think?