A trip to fill up on confidence. Monday April 18, for her last outing before devoting herself to the preparation of the debate between the two rounds scheduled for Wednesday, Marine Le Pen did not want to take any risks. She had made an appointment to journalists in front of the town hall of Caen in the early morning, but it was finally 35 km from the capital of Calvados, in Saint-Pierre-en-Auge, that the candidate of the National Rally appeared, all smiles, around from 11 a.m.
In this small town of 8,000 inhabitants, where the finalist in the presidential election came first with nearly 35% of the vote ahead of Emmanuel Macron (28.3%), a welcoming committee awaits her firmly, tricolor flags, posters and leaflets in hand. And between the market stands, we jostle for get as close as possible to the far-right candidate, adored by some.
“I had never seen a star before, it’s the best day of my life!” exclaims a retiree. “Let me through, I want a selfie with Marine. Anyway, I could pay her to have one if necessary”, launches another inhabitant, white cap “Marine president” screwed on the head. Marine Le Pen continues handshakes, hugs and exchanges with the many onlookers, despite the imposing security device.
Retirement, housing, disability… Almost all the subjects are tackled by sympathizers already committed to her cause, in particular that of purchasing power, on which the RN candidate has built her campaign. “I travel 200 km a day and Marine Le Pen’s proposal to lower VAT to 5.5% instead of 20% is the right measure to take. Emmanuel Macron has never done anything for us for five years while fuel prices have only gone up”Judge Isabelle, driver who lives in the North department.
The wandering continues, under the eyes of a couple of retired Normans. “Do you want to follow her like that all over town?” asks the wife. “Up to the Elysée! We are going to open the doors wide for him”jokes her husband to the applause of hilarious passers-by.
With this move to fertile ground for the far right, Marine Le Pen wants above all to reassure herself. Much less comfortable in this campaign between the two rounds facing an Emmanuel Macron who again imposes his tempo, the RN candidate cannot get into difficulty less than a week before the second round.
“I came first in 22,000 municipalities in the first round, because for eight months, I have chosen to go see the French who do not live in large cities, who are forgotten.”
Marine Le Pen, presidential candidatein Saint-Pierre-en-Auge
Several elected officials and Macronist activists are however trying to play spoilsport. “Macron President! Macron President!” launch young sympathizers favorable to the outgoing president, leaflets “Avec vous” full of pockets. L‘one of them even manages to slip between the journalists and the guards to ask the candidate how she counts “finance [ses] social reforms” if elected.
“How do you finance your social and economic reforms Madame Le Pen?” Launches a macronist activist who managed to challenge the candidate. A rather courteous exchange before two RN activists forcibly repel the young LREM sympathizer. @franceinfo pic.twitter.com/lTCtYqgm62
— Antoine Comte (@AntoineCOMTE) April 18, 2022
“I have no lesson to receive in terms of financing when we see the debt of 600 billion left by your candidate”, retorts Marine Le Pen, before the most insistent LREM activists are repelled, under the threats of two very virulent young pro-Le Pen.
To the great despair of her supporters, who are still hoping for a few selfies, Marine Le Pen slips away to “lunch with individuals”, according to his campaign team. The candidate should no longer appear publicly by the debate on Wednesday evening, the latter having decided to go green in an undisclosed location.