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The closeness of the far-right candidate for the French presidency, Marine le Pen, did not seem to have much of an impact on her performance in the first round.
But things can change in the runoff. When Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February, Le Pen joined the chorus of international voices condemning the aggression.
“There is no reason to justify launching a military operation against Ukraine that destroys the balance of peace in Europe,” she said, calling for an immediate end to the aggression. These words contrasted deeply with the historical closeness of Le Pen and Putin.
The Russian leader had invited them to the Kremlin in 2017, a few weeks before the last presidential election in France, and the photo of their handshake was turned into a campaign poster, to be removed later after the war started.
In her manifesto, Le Pen vows to ally with Russia on European security policy. And for the 2017 presidential campaign, Le Pen took out a € 9 million loan from a Russian bank. When Moscow annexed Crimea three years ago, it was surprised by its statement that it contradicted the position of the international community.
“I do not think it should be said that there was an illegal annexation. The people of Crimea declared in a referendum that they wanted to unite with Russia, she said. Finally, he said that if he defeats Macron in the run-off, he will seek closer ties between NATO and Russia, thus easing hostilities and moving his country away from the military alliance.
The far-right leader’s level of popularity plummeted shortly after the start of Russian aggression in Ukraine, despite her distancing herself from Moscow for the move. However, Le Pen got himself into polls after he started focusing on the aftermath of the war and rising prices due to sanctions.
She promised to cut back on basket products if she wins, one of the main concerns of French voters, while Macron focused on the international crisis, ignoring the needs of its citizens. But the runoff is expected to be pretty tough for Le Pen.
So far its main support has been the middle class and the working class, but experts say that to win in the second round, it will have to expand its support from the moderate and educated voters, who are informed. better and concerned by the closeness that Le Pen has with Moscow.
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