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French Presidential Hopeful Le Pen Lacks Experienced Associates - Macron

© AFP 2023 / Eric Piermont Emmanuel Macron
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Centrist independent contender Emmanuel Macron said that French presidential candidate from National Front (FM) party Marine Le Pen does not have experienced supporters by her side, far-right leader's rival.

French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron attends a political rally for his recently launched political movement, En Marche!, or Forward!, in Paris, France, July 12, 2016. - Sputnik International
Voters Twice More Likely to Choose Macron for President Than Socialist Hamon
MOSCOW (Sputnik) French presidential candidate from National Front (FM) party Marine Le Pen does not have experienced supporters by her side, far-right leader's rival, centrist independent contender Emmanuel Macron said Friday.

"[Le Pen] does not have experienced men and women," Macron told the Sud Ouest newspaper in an interview.

The independent candidate also reportedly said that Francois Fillon may fail to have the majority government, given recent departures from his campaign.

"There is a reason to believe that if he did form a majority [government], it would leave at the first hurdle," Macron noted.

The French lawmakers do not believe in the program of Benoit Hamon, the candidate from the Socialist Party (PS), either, Macron stated.

"No candidate has more than 25-26 percent, according to the polls. Some put me at the top, some in the second place. But can anyone reasonably believe that the party that is behind can govern with an absolute majority in the parliament?" Macron stressed.

The latest OpinionWay poll showed that Le Pen and Macron had 26 percent chance of making it to the second round of the elections each, while third top contender Fillon had 20 percent of the projected votes. The same poll showed that Macron would be able to win the run-off against Le Pen with 65 percent of potential votes against her 35 percent.

Hamon is lagging behind the top three candidates with only 14 percent of the projected votes in the first tour.

Fillon lost some of public support due to the fake job scandal that broke out in late January around his wife allegedly having been paid from state funds for jobs without exercising her duties. A poll earlier in March showed that over two-thirds of French voters wanted Fillon to withdraw from the presidential race. However, he repeatedly emphatically rejected any possibility of giving up.

Last week, Representative for European and International Affairs within Fillon's team Bruno Le Maire, spokesman Thierry Solere and political adviser Dominique Bussereau left his campaign.

The first round of the French presidential election is slated for April 23, while the final competition between the top two candidates is expected to take place on May 7.

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