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France election 2022: French vote as Macron aim to beat far-right Le Pen

Macron And Wife Polls On di night before election Mr Macron and e wife Brigitte stroll go beach

Sun, 24 Apr 2022 Source: BBC

France go head to di polls on Sunday to decide weda to give Emmanuel Macron five more years as president or replace am wit far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

After election campaign wey cause disagreement, madam Le Pen face major battle with her 44-year-old opponent polling ahead.

In order to win dem both need to attract voters wey back other candidates for di first round.

But dis na two figures in France wey dey oppose eachoda and non-voting na key factor.

Mr Macron's critics say im dey arrogant and e be president of di rich, while di far-right leader don face accuse say she get close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Macron rise to power on a promise of change, but many complain say dem never see di change. Im presidency don witness protests, di Covid pandemic and now di rising cost of living.

Marine Le Pen, meanwhile, don learn from di mistakes she make wen she lose to di the same opponent in di second round for 2017. Dis na her third attempt at di presidency and if she fail e fit be her last.

Wetin no dey clear for dis election na how many voters go refuse to back either candidate, weda by casting blank ballot or say dem no show face at all. Much of France dey on holiday and turnout fit historically dey low.

Di campaign don dey short but di choice for voters dey clear, between pro-European sitting president and a nationalist candidate wey wan ban wearing of headscarf and restrict immigration.

Polls go open by 08:00 (06:00 GMT) and voting go end 12 hours later.

Whatever di result, Mr Macron go address voters on Sunday evening from stage wey dey di foot of di Eiffel Tower.

'Dis place dey dead after 7pm'

Di rising cost of living - wey dem dey call pouvoir d'achat or spending power for France - don become di number one issue for French voters and Marine Le Pen don promise voters say she go immediately tackle am if she win.

She don do well particularly in di smaller towns and rural areas wey don struggle economically during di Macron era.

She come out top two weeks ago for La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, a town on River Marne an hour east of Paris. Sitting outside a bar, Cécile say di pandemic hit di area hard: "Before Covid one bar wey di name na Avenue de Champagne bin dey here, but e don shutdown and now di place dey dead afta 7pm."

She go vote Le Pen just like Fred, wey dey work on di Paris metro network: "Pipo no fit afford to pay for gas and electricity. Wen I Paris some tins dey too expensive and you need to eat." African immigrants im knows for di capital also say dem go vote for her, e add.

Plenty of Le Pen voters wey dey shy dey here too. France need to change, dem tok.

She don carefully moderate her views, but still get plans for referendum on strict immigration controls and her idea for a "Europe of nations" go tear di EU apart.

Jean-Claude, 66, fit no agree with her anger to di EU, but e complain say too many people take advantage of France welfare system and take drugs.

Le Pen and Putin

Across France Emmanuel Macron particularly dey popular wit younger and older voters, and dat na di case in La Ferté too.

Apprentice accountant Séréna, 18, dey worried about di war for Ukraine: "We no really know wetin Le Pen feel about Putin. To change president fit destabilise di situation now."

Nicole, 76, dey run library for one nearby village and she don notice many people turn to di far right. "I no dey worried about her, but I dey more concerned about di pipo behind her - her lieutenants."

Ms Le Pen no dey fare well in di big cities, like Paris and Lyon, wia her opponent lead in di second round. But wetin fit decide dis election na who secure di support of almost 22% of di electorate wey vote for far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Marine Le Pen narrowly beat am but im win for cities including Marseille and Nantes.




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Source: BBC