So France, hey?
Yesterday saw the first round of voting take place, and now it’s down to two.
In the far, far right corner we have Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Front. By now you’ve probably heard some of her headline-grabbing rhetoric, but CNN sum it up as follows:
Anti-immigrant, economically conservative and a supporter of pulling France out of both the European Union and NATO, Le Pen’s election would be a dramatic break from tradition for French politics.
Her chances have been buoyed by concerns over terrorism and the ongoing refugee crisis, both of which have seen support for anti-immigration policies rise.
Stoke the fire of fear and watch your numbers soar – how very American.
In the other corner, although existing somewhere in the middle of the political spectrum, is Emmanuel Macron. His summation:
He promised reform of France’s welfare and pensions systems, business-friendly policies, and increased defense spending.
The weakness of the soft-left and soft-right seemed to create the ideal circumstance for a centrist like Macron, who appealed to both Fillon voters and right-leaning Socialists…
Macron is a strong supporter of the EU, unlike his rival.
Now you know a little more about their basic policies, but how about the personal life of Macron?
The Daily Mail never miss a chance to dish the dirt, and they go to town with this one:
France’s next first lady could be a grandmother of seven who is 25 years older than her husband – and taught him at school when he was only a teenager…
They first met when Mr Macron was 15 – and he later made a startling promise to his teacher.
‘At the age of 17, Emmanuel said to me, “Whatever you do, I will marry you!”,’ Miss Trogneux told Paris Match magazine last year.
The relationship started after Mr Macron acted in Miss Trogneux’s theatre pieces when he was aged just 18 at a private Jesuit school in Amiens, northern France…
Then Brigitte Auziere, a married mother of three, she was supervising the drama club. Mr Macron, a literature lover who wanted to be a novelist, was a member…
For her part, Miss Trogneux recalled in a television documentary: ‘Little by little, he overcame all my resistances in an unbelievable way, with patience.’ She also said: ‘He wasn’t a teenager. He had a relationship of equals with other adults.’
She eventually moved to the French capital to join him, and divorced her husband. They have been together ever since.
Donald Trump is said to be appalled and flummoxed at why a man would date a woman older than himself.
Le Pen and Macron will now go head-to-head on May 7 in an election that could have far-reaching ramifications for the EU going forward.
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