Credited with 2% of the vote according to the latest Ipsos-Sopra Steria survey carried out among more than 12,500 people, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan accused Emmanuel Macron, still not an official candidate, of wanting to "steal the presidential election from the French", during his wishes to the press.
"Lies about the reality of the Covid crisis, manipulation of opinion, propaganda at all costs, everything is done to scare the French, and make them forget the gravity of the situation in the country, major insecurity, explosion of immigration, record of the external deficit, collapse of the hospital etc", denounced the candidate.
"The choice is very simple: are we going to become digitized objects, little robots at the mercy of a global oligarchy, or on the contrary will we remain human beings, full-fledged French (...) with their free arbiter who, in conscience, decide to make a nation, France, prosper?" he asked.
Mr. Dupont-Aignan, who had obtained 4.7% of the vote in the first round in 2017, this time approaches the election weakened by departures of executives from his movement Debout la France, parties to support the candidate of the RN Marine Le Pen, or relatives who did not share his opposition to the vaccination pass.
He castigated a "masquerade designed to anesthetize voters to re-elect an unscrupulous, cynical and dangerous man" and warned of the risk of a "strong" abstention.
Mr. Dupont-Aignan refused to "determine himself in relation to the other" candidates such as Marine Le Pen or Éric Zemmour, who are "in a spiral of dangerous mutual criticism".
The deputy of Essonne and former mayor for 22 years of Yerres highlighted his "local experience" and claimed to be "the most credible" with a "solid, costed" project to give the French "their freedom" and "restore the order".
He indicated that at this stage he had 450 sponsorships out of the 500 required to present himself, and said he did not believe "in the polls or in + the union of the rights + (advocated by Éric Zemmour, editor's note) but in the gathering of the French".
Mr. Dupont-Aignan did not go back on his wish, expressed on Sunday on France 2, to appoint the former 13H presenter of TF1 Jean-Pierre Pernaut Minister for Regional Planning, but was delighted that "it had been talked about" about him.
© 2022 AFP