Le Pen Closer Than Ever to the French Presidency (and to Putin)

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/world/europe/le-pen-putin-france-election.html

Le Pen Closer Than Ever to the French Presidency (and to Putin)
As elections approach Sunday, the far-right candidate is linked to the Russian president by a web of financial ties and a history of support that has hardly dimmed despite the war in Ukraine.
By Roger Cohen
April 22, 2022, 3:00 a.m. ET

PARIS — When Europe’s far-right leaders gathered in Madrid in January, they had no problem finding unity on the issues they hold dear, whether cracking down on immigrants or upholding “European Christian ideals.” But as Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border, they were divided on one issue: the threat posed by President Vladimir V. Putin.

Marine Le Pen, the extreme-right challenger for the French presidency, objected to a paragraph in the final statement calling for European solidarity to confront “Russian military actions on the eastern border of Europe.” Even in a gathering of illiberal nationalists, she was an outlier in her fealty to Mr. Putin.

Now, on her campaign website, the leaders’ statement appears with that paragraph cut in an unacknowledged change to the text. This little subterfuge is consistent with an embrace of Mr. Putin so complete that even his ravaging of Ukraine has hardly diminished it.

Over the past decade, Ms. Le Pen’s party, the National Rally, formerly the National Front, has borrowed millions from a Russian bank, and Ms. Le Pen has supported Mr. Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, as well as his incendiary meddling that year in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where just this week Russia redoubled its offensive.

Her support for Mr. Putin is one thing in a time of peace and another in a time of war. Russia, a nuclear power, has invaded a European state, and Ms. Le Pen is closer than ever to her cherished goal of becoming president of France, having narrowed the gap with President Emmanuel Macron before the decisive round of the election on Sunday.

[cilla4progress]

1. Narrowed the gap?

I think it's still 15% yes?

Please goddess...

[AZSkiffyGeek]

4. I think Macron won by closer to 30 points last time

So it is closer, but it's still not close.

[Me.]

2. "French polls suggest Macron pulling away from Le Pen as campaign ends"

“Survey finds 57.5% say they intend to vote for incumbent president against 42.5% for far-right rival”


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/22/french-election-polls-suggest-macron-pulling-away-from-le-pen-on-last-day-of-campaign

[BeyondGeography]

3. Fearmongering

The Times is really embarrassing itself.

[rso]

5. Macron

Macron will win by at least 10 points, La Pen will be decisively defeated.

[secondwind]

6. LET IT BE SO!!