French President Emmanuel Macron, who is increasing consultations on Ukraine, should once again postpone the question of his candidacy, less than two weeks before the closing of registrations on March 4, a deadline which worries several of his competitors.
The Head of State had linked the formalization of his candidacy to two conditions: to exceed the “epidemic peak” and to turn the page of an “international situation eminently at risk”.
However, if the ebb of COVID-19 in France is well underway, Westerners fear that the intensification of fighting for several days on the front line in the Ukrainian separatist East will serve as a pretext for Russia, which has massed 150,000 soldiers on the Ukrainian borders, to launch a massive attack against its pro-Western neighbor.
On Sunday, Emmanuel Macron spoke again by telephone with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Poutine, but also with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, the American president, Joe Biden, and the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on the means of avoid a major war in Europe.
According to his entourage, the French head of state is very attached to the idea of proving that he presides “until the last quarter of an hour”. His declaration of candidacy should therefore be postponed to the week of February 28.
An attitude that makes its opponents cringe. “I am waiting for Emmanuel Macron to stop hiding and announce his candidacy,” reacted Jordan Bardella, the president of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, on the continuous news channel BFMTV.
“General Mobilization”
The fact remains that the Head of State seems to be reaping the fruits of his international activity: he receives 39% satisfaction in an Ifop poll published on Sunday in The Sunday newspaperie two points more in one month.
The Constitutional Council has set Friday March 4 as the deadline for presenting its 500 sponsorships and officially declaring itself a candidate.
If Emmanuel Macron, the candidate of the party Les Républicains (right) Valérie Pécresse or the socialist Anne Hidalgo already have their 500 sponsorships, others say they are openly worried.
I’m waiting for Emmanuel Macron to stop hiding and announce his candidacy
“We are launching a general mobilization today, all the elected representatives of the National Rally [extrême droite] are called upon to make phone calls all day, ”said National Rally MEP Thierry Mariani on Public Senate on Monday.
On Sunday, party leader Marine Le Pen, a third-time presidential candidate, denounced a “situation which, democratically, is terrifying”, while her far-right rival Éric Zemmour assured that he was “very possible” that he does not get the 500 sponsorships. As of last count Thursday, he had only collected 291; he canceled a trip to devote himself to the task.
Macron in the lead
On the other side of the political spectrum, the former Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira (only 86 signatures) also deplored an “administrative device” which, according to her, provokes “democratic questioning”. This popular figure on the left claims to have “more than 600 sponsorship promises”, but most have not materialized.
The question of sponsorships, an antithesis of each presidential election although no candidate well placed in the polls has ever failed to collect them, also concerns the candidate of the radical left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has not yet only 370 initials despite his 10% voting intentions.
However, he received unexpected sponsorship from the president of the Association of Mayors of France, David Lisnard, mayor of Cannes (south) and open support from Valérie Pécresse, “out of civic concern” and “so that demagogues do not play the victims “.
The centrist François Bayrou, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, warned on France 2 on Monday against “a democratic tsunami if these candidates could not present themselves”.
He announced that the Notre Démocratie collective, a bank of sponsorships to help candidates who have more than 10% of voting intentions, has brought together around 80 elected officials.
All the polls place the outgoing president clearly ahead of the first round, which will be held on April 10, with around 25% of the vote, and winner in the second (April 24) regardless of the opponent. Marine Le Pen comes in second place, ahead of Éric Zemmour and Valérie Pécresse, neck and neck.