French election: Le Pen blames media for Macron’s surge in support

In an attack that echoed Donald Trump, the French far-right leader said: “The media have chosen their candidate.”

French far-right Front National party leader Marine Le Pen in Nantes.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has accused the media of “campaigning hysterically” in favour of Emmanuel Macron, her centrist rival for the presidency, as new polls gave him a jump in support.

Ms Le Pen, 48, speaking at a rally in the western city of Nantes yesterday, launched a series of attacks on the independent who has emerged as a frontrunner to become France’s next president.

She accused the former economy minister of wanting to ­create a “migrant motorway” ­between France and North Africa, adding that “financial interests and their intermediaries in the media” had clearly taken his side.

In an attack that recalled US President Donald Trump’s confrontation with journalists, she said: “The media have chosen their candidate. They are campaigning hysterically for their darling.

“They take the moral high ground, pretend to only analyse the facts and then shout about the freedom of the press as soon as you criticise them.”

She added: “You see America with Trump. In this new world that is emerging, I am the best placed to speak in the name of France.”

Two new polls showed Ms Le Pen still winning the first round of the election on April 23 with 27 per cent, but with Mr Macron closing the gap on her with 25 per cent.

In the second round run-off vote, set for May 7, despite her belief that Mr Trump’s victory and Brexit point to a revival of nationalism and anti-elite movements like hers, Ms Le Pen would lose by 20 points to Mr Macron if it were held today, the polls showed.

Analysts urge caution about making firm forecasts, however, after political shocks in Western democracies in the last year and a string of surprises in French politics.

The new polling, done immediately after Mr Macron’s electoral alliance with fellow centrist Francois Bayrou last week, nevertheless underline the potential importance of the tie up.

Mr Bayrou’s pledge to support Mr Macron, 39, removed a potential rival in the centreground just as increasing numbers of backers from the Socialist party and the centre-right trickle in.

The former banker, who started his own political movement “En Marche” (“On The Move”) last April, has also started giving more details of his pro-business platform ahead of the official launch of his program on Thursday.

At the same time, Ms Le Pen and rightwing Republicans party candidate Francois Fillon, 62, have become more deeply embroiled in legal problems.

Both are accused of misusing public money by using fake ­parliamentary aides, while Ms Le Pen faces a separate ­investigation into the funding of election campaigns in 2014 and 2015.

An aide and a political ally to Ms Le Pen were charged last week, while Mr Fillon faces a full judicial inquiry into claims he paid his wife and children for fake parliamentary jobs.

They deny wrongdoing and have sought to portray the investigations as politically motivated.

AFP