Concerns in the declarations of the presidential candidates.

Paris announced on Saturday February 26 that France would deliver more military equipment to Ukraine and strengthen economic and financial sanctions against Russia.

A situation that worries the presidential candidates about the French economy.  

It was also decided during a Defense Council at the end of the day, gathered around Emmanuel Macron to deliver additional "defense equipment" to the Ukrainian authorities as well as "fuel support", indicated the Elysee. without further details.

At the same time, economic sanctions will be reinforced "in coordination with the Europeans and the Americans".

Were decided "national measures to freeze the financial assets of Russian personalities", and finally "new measures", to be taken "with European partners concerning the Swift facility".

The Defense Council has also taken "measures to combat propaganda from Russian influencers and media on European soil". 

.@GabrielAttal about Ukraine: "There will be a meeting around the Prime Minister with the candidates for the presidential election to inform them and give them an update on the situation" #QuestionsPol pic.twitter.com/9YQFlZgpWB

– France Inter (@franceinter) February 27, 2022

"Determination"

Emmanuel Macron insisted on Saturday morning: the conflict "will last" and "we must prepare for it", he underlined by announcing in front of agricultural officials at the Agricultural Show a next "resilience plan" to "secure" sectors and "build shields in terms of costs […], over time". 

"There is no need to panic, but we are preparing for all the hypotheses and in particular that which consists in supporting the sectors", confirmed from the Salon the Prime Minister Jean Castex, who will receive all the candidates on Monday. the presidential one. 

Emmanuel Macron, who had to postpone his declaration of candidacy again due to the international context, as the deadline of March 4 approaches, promised to support farmers "in terms of income", and the French "on the impacts in inevitably in terms of costs". 

"The consequences, couldn't we think about it before?" 

Even before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the acceleration of inflation had already put purchasing power at the forefront of the concerns of the French in this presidential campaign, pushing the candidates to multiply the proposals in favor of wage increases, cost reductions or energy savings to reduce the bill. 

However, the start of the conflict immediately resulted in a jump in the world prices of oil, gas and certain raw materials, including wheat, and the fear is now that Moscow will introduce retaliatory measures against Western sanctions. 

LFI candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, put on the defensive for positions deemed pro-Russian, criticized the President's response to farmers.

"The consequences, couldn't we think about it before?", He asked from Reunion Island, denouncing "a bad joke". 

Also pinned for pro-Russian statements that are difficult to assume in these times of war, the RN candidate, Marine Le Pen, is more comfortable when it comes to warning about the consequences of sanctions on the purchasing power of the French, which according to her could be "terrifying". 

"The sanctions in themselves will be ineffective" and "will affect" the French "interests", had abounded his far-right rival Éric Zemmour Friday during a meeting in Chambéry (Savoie). 

Disrupted agendas 

On the right, the LR candidate, Valérie Pécresse, losing ground in the polls, seized the opportunity in Normandy to attack the candidates for the Élysée "who defended" Russia, now "discredited to govern France" – include Mrs. Le Pen and MM.

Zemmour and Melenchon.

She also said she was in favor of defining at European level the "strategic productions" to be supported. 

The socialist candidate, Anne Hidalgo, for her part proposes a "blocking of energy prices" in France and a "European policy of security and defense [more] solid", she detailed during a meeting. in Bordeaux. 

The campaign, which was struggling to take off, suffocated by the health crisis and the absence in the arena of the outgoing president, is now turned upside down by the war. 

The conflict "should not overshadow the democratic campaign that is before us", wished the president of the LREM group in the Assembly, Christophe Castaner, Saturday on TF1, but "the French also expect Emmanuel Macron to be the president, that 'he works to […] have a strong and firm response [to Vladimir Putin]", he argued.  

Candidates' trips have been canceled, and the agendas are adapting: the ecologist Yannick Jadot, the communist Fabien Roussel and Anne Hidalgo participated in rallies in favor of the Ukrainian people on Saturday, respectively in Paris, Lille and Bordeaux. 

With AFP

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