Economic promises and the strengthening of military power.. Macron's program to win a second term in the French presidential elections

French President Emmanuel Macron promised Thursday to raise the retirement age, cut taxes and ease labor market rules if he wins a second term in elections next month, vowing to lead his country to make the difference at a "crossroads" the world is going through.

Opinion polls show Macron's lead over his rival presidential candidates has increased in the past few weeks, with voters praising his diplomatic efforts before and during the Ukraine war.

Expectations indicate that Macron will win the first round on April 10, and he will be able to beat any competitor in the second round scheduled for April 24.

"We are at a crossroads where we can make a real difference," Macron said, highlighting the war on the periphery of the European Union, and the global challenge to confront climate change.

He said that making France a more self-reliant and self-sufficient country would be a major goal, as he began drawing the features of his program with proposals that varied between pumping "huge investments" to achieve industrial and agricultural independence for France, and moving forward with building more nuclear reactors and strengthening the army.

His assertion of his pro-business program is not without risks, with French households feeling the pressure of rising prices, but Macron said he wants to lead a comprehensive process of reshaping the economy.

Announcing his electoral program in detail for the first time, Macron said he would raise the retirement age from 62 to 65, cut taxes by 15 million euros a year, make some benefits conditional on community work, and implement reforms in the unemployment insurance program to push people back into the labor market. .

Macron indicated that he wants to build what he described as "European metaverses" to compete with major American technology companies, and to make the European continent more independent in this field as well.

Opinion polls published in the past few weeks indicate that he will receive 30.5 percent of the vote in the first round of elections, down from 25 percent last month.