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A campaign rally for Eric Zemmour in Paris. AFP
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People walk past official campaign posters of French presidential election candidates Marine le Pen and French President Emmanuel Macron, in Paris, France. Reuters
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French President Emmanuel Macron, who is running for re-election in the 2022 French election, at a campaign rally in Nanterre, Paris. Reuters
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French far-right Reconquete party leader and 2022 presidential election candidate Eric Zemmour (C) throws his arms aloft at the end of a campaign rally at Trocadero in Paris. EPA
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Far-right Rassemblement National party MP Marine Le Pen takes a selfie with supporters. AFP
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Les Republicains presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse delivers a speech on the campaign trail in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. AFP
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Ruralist party 'Resistons!' presidential candidate Jean Lassalle is surrounded by supporters before delivering a speech in Toulouse, southern France. AFP
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Official campaign posters of Marine le Pen and Emmanuel Macron pasted on bulletin boards near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Reuters
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Hundreds of public servants prepare party political propaganda to be mailed, only days before the first round of the presidential election in France. AFP
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A supporter holds up a placard reading "With You" at an election campaign event for Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Bloomberg
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Emmanuel Macron speaks to journalists at the Maison de la Radio in Paris. AFP
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French far-left party Lutte Ouvriere (LO) presidential candidate Nathalie Arthaud (C) raises her hand at a rally at Zenith concert hall in Paris. AFP
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Emmanuel Macron sings the French national anthem as he appears on a giant screen at the end of his first campaign meeting at the Paris La Defence Arena in Nanterre. AFP
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French Socialist Party presidential candidate Anne Hidalgo waves to supporters in Paris. AFP
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French leftist party La France Insoumise presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon delivers a speech in Toulouse. AFP
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Europe Ecologie Les Verts presidential candidate Yannick Jadot plays football with youngsters at Andre-Malraux park in Nanterre. AFP
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A supporter of Valerie Pecresse holds a campaign poster in Paris. EPA
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Marine Le Pen gives a speech during a campaign meeting in Stiring-Wendel. AFP
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French far-left party Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste presidential candidate Philippe Poutou delivers a speech at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris. AFP
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French Communist Party presidential candidate Fabien Roussel sings at the end of a campaign meeting at the Double Mixte venue in Villeurbanne. AFP
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Far-right party Debout La France presidential candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan speaks to a fisherman in Palavas-les-Flots, southern France. AFP
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A campaign rally for Eric Zemmour in Paris. AFP
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People walk past official campaign posters of French presidential election candidates Marine le Pen and French President Emmanuel Macron, in Paris, France. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AY273I6GXJBTJNAK5A6SYPBPGY.jpg?smart=true&auth=14abe464aa9fb29309bc29366c791f779d6044601d6f0aec4e7a514d5354c056&width=400&height=225)
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is running for re-election in the 2022 French election, at a campaign rally in Nanterre, Paris. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HAEUUUOUTGS43CDWHW2J4SH4ZE.jpg?smart=true&auth=06587b87f43f27cdba4d99d6b1957a04455e971f5f3774a9cb3eab6924024398&width=400&height=225)
French far-right Reconquete party leader and 2022 presidential election candidate Eric Zemmour (C) throws his arms aloft at the end of a campaign rally at Trocadero in Paris. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/S3PMHVSB3KRAETLDU5CTYB67L4.jpg?smart=true&auth=84066d40af54628a840f4b6ce97a20330921b1253447356f271f3f0912a00a0f&width=400&height=225)
Far-right Rassemblement National party MP Marine Le Pen takes a selfie with supporters. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/TVR7CGATBVE3RHRYJVASFS2GPM.jpg?smart=true&auth=cadec5b8fd8899a7eb492a6d60f58dd129a834d2db55d824162572667ea9c659&width=400&height=225)
Les Republicains presidential candidate Valerie Pecresse delivers a speech on the campaign trail in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/74ZLNAEQMLDLAC6MAZMD3FGTG4.jpg?smart=true&auth=c2d02c1133cbfd01f5bbf2344f6be636472d37a2a6e640d412a41dbfdef868fd&width=400&height=225)
Ruralist party 'Resistons!' presidential candidate Jean Lassalle is surrounded by supporters before delivering a speech in Toulouse, southern France. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3FVSUI5M3YUSI4JFJUUE3CB7OM.jpg?smart=true&auth=8bbd567b471d733158c40a458e233d6b603f6e87acbe16f9d655d79b4c249617&width=400&height=225)
Official campaign posters of Marine le Pen and Emmanuel Macron pasted on bulletin boards near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Reuters
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/SIGVX6GAEL3COVZWC66GP6MKXE.jpg?smart=true&auth=7ba0dd7a056a46704e49bc89cc5694356e3e438b56df764deeaab8374cc83d66&width=400&height=225)
Hundreds of public servants prepare party political propaganda to be mailed, only days before the first round of the presidential election in France. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UJPMNLSNHSVWHEYEV5SQVKICRE.jpg?smart=true&auth=6bfd99658011ea82d4b9876a7179ee4060bb953f3e58d4bd0e84404652d4376d&width=400&height=225)
A supporter holds up a placard reading "With You" at an election campaign event for Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Bloomberg
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Emmanuel Macron speaks to journalists at the Maison de la Radio in Paris. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/LFPZHBKOTINKB2IWDBVSFVKXOY.jpg?smart=true&auth=fce5e0804c6d46e4c46d7a2c5bea5e0b730ef67319d4b545e4d07c5e6c874bde&width=400&height=225)
French far-left party Lutte Ouvriere (LO) presidential candidate Nathalie Arthaud (C) raises her hand at a rally at Zenith concert hall in Paris. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/UWHFW7DZYMH5ADL3DUVK27YHHQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=6bb26a5e0162cb61c3fa740ef7aa04b19cf4d2ad730d4dcd7df4f4406aed26e1&width=400&height=225)
Emmanuel Macron sings the French national anthem as he appears on a giant screen at the end of his first campaign meeting at the Paris La Defence Arena in Nanterre. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/XTT3NIF232MOS7VYQMQ7JQRO4I.jpg?smart=true&auth=6fe8e2c58d4208a4a16be42607896f19d3a3f6bce437e79571d322ab3384699b&width=400&height=225)
French Socialist Party presidential candidate Anne Hidalgo waves to supporters in Paris. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/M3HGB3VLHZDQLP4EU7FOS4MYGY.jpg?smart=true&auth=db870583ae21f68113e936a4fd0cb24aa5cdd3770e43c01437ee570552187080&width=400&height=225)
French leftist party La France Insoumise presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon delivers a speech in Toulouse. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YO2IOJSJLMANBZHZEIJQ6DGGLQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=f960b776eb3a34878ddf6db6284da8dbc05cd16024499b4e14f733642260df0f&width=400&height=225)
Europe Ecologie Les Verts presidential candidate Yannick Jadot plays football with youngsters at Andre-Malraux park in Nanterre. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/YEJCGQ3UCF3R4SN25RFL2RXAAI.jpg?smart=true&auth=fd055d64c41891cbd45085fedf8753e25f5510ca6ab6651b78e2b499ce76803b&width=400&height=225)
A supporter of Valerie Pecresse holds a campaign poster in Paris. EPA
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/GNOVYU2H7JPL2ADIL7R5L5E3VY.jpg?smart=true&auth=b8eb2f1b5722b93980108c76b8244848403d7f6ddb08a6c926f7a1f313859b76&width=400&height=225)
Marine Le Pen gives a speech during a campaign meeting in Stiring-Wendel. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/7ON7LPDOQAXYP5GGOQYB6LNY4U.jpg?smart=true&auth=934d52dc7d9890f28ee0d6cddd0196f56c67fc3b22b807a85a9572d83e844403&width=400&height=225)
French far-left party Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste presidential candidate Philippe Poutou delivers a speech at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/EN2OBXLL345AP4QZILGZLC4KPU.jpg?smart=true&auth=de2bd075b0161aa3c7044f173d9daccc942fbbd4c82db5afda1f05e846044dc1&width=400&height=225)
French Communist Party presidential candidate Fabien Roussel sings at the end of a campaign meeting at the Double Mixte venue in Villeurbanne. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/HW6AEJNI24PJLF5PWNGSAWCWNA.jpg?smart=true&auth=83fbe7bc6402606f6ec2ccc8e2dea304fc3c0fc38ef5cc59e6e0907280c0cc53&width=400&height=225)
Far-right party Debout La France presidential candidate Nicolas Dupont-Aignan speaks to a fisherman in Palavas-les-Flots, southern France. AFP
![](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/RSH6O4RSM4PBHSZGWQCZ4SQCKI.jpg?smart=true&auth=b28b268cbddfc353cf3e85e4af84c2d8191dd8f2db66cb5f6bff39bed1458d7e&width=400&height=225)
A campaign rally for Eric Zemmour in Paris. AFP
How Marine Le Pen French election win would change France
National Rally leader has sought to soften her far-right image and it appears to be working
![Colin Randall](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Fthenational%2Fcf007443-ddbc-48d0-9666-6302ca058993.png?smart=true&auth=b3339e82eb963b4439fc085675d0fb20555ebd97807448776e0af4b972b76f02&width=70&height=70)
Colin Randall
08 April, 2022
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