20 days before the election, it's the last straight line and it's time for general mobilization to ward off abstention, which could be high.

If Emmanuel Macron, given around 30% in the first round in the polls, is a big favorite, second place is more undecided.

The outgoing president would get 28% of the vote in the first round, down three points over a week, according to a "rolling" Ifop-Fiducial poll published on Monday.

He is followed by Marine Le Pen (18.5%), while Jean-Luc Mélenchon (14%) passes Eric Zemmour (12.5%), Valérie Pécresse pointing to 5th place with 10.5% of intentions to vote, according to this study carried out for Paris Match, LCI and Sud Radio.

In the Macron camp, the proposals continue to be shelled over the days.

According to Le Parisien, the president-candidate is considering pooling the tax return of free-union couples, which is now reserved for married or PACS couples, to reduce their taxes.

President Emmanuel Macron during a ceremony on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Evian agreements, ending the Algerian war, on March 19, 2022 at the Elysee Palace, in Paris GONZALO FUENTES POOL / AFP

Guest of 8:00 p.m. of TF1, not as Prime Minister but as support for candidate Macron, and while the outgoing president has often been criticized for his verticality, Jean Castex praised "a man extremely concerned about all subjects of daily life of our fellow citizens".

After the Insoumis candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon who managed to gather tens of thousands of supporters in Paris on Sunday, his far-right rival Eric Zemmour intends to do the same on March 27 at the Trocadero.

A sign of a radicalization of his posture, he announced Monday evening that he wanted to create, if he were elected president, "a ministry of + remigration +", to expel "foreigners whom we no longer want", "clandestines", " delinquents", "criminals" and "files S".

Between these two major gatherings of the week, Ukraine invites itself back into this funny campaign with President Volodymyr Zelensky who will speak live on video to French deputies and senators on Wednesday, almost a month after the Russian invasion.

"No particular admiration"

The National Rally candidate marked her difference on Monday, saying that she had "no particular admiration" for the Ukrainian president and explaining on franceinfo that she would not be at the Assembly on Wednesday when he will address to French MPs because of "obligations taken on for a long time".

"I just think he behaves like a head of state. And that shouldn't arouse admiration, it should be + normal +", she said, immediately attracting the wrath and mockery, coming in particular from the side of Emmanuel Macron.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, candidate of La France insoumise (g) in the presidential election, during a rally in Paris, March 20, 2022 Christophe ARCHAMBAULT AFP

A few hours later, she finally announced her presence on Wednesday.

His radical left rival Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the only other deputy among the presidential candidates, said he would be present in the Assembly for the intervention of the Ukrainian head of state.

The best-placed leftist candidate, on the rise in the polls in recent weeks, he hopes to find "five points in three weeks" in order to qualify for the second round.

It will now hold a large meeting per week, with a public meeting at the Prado in Marseille on Sunday.

"Aperoussel"

"This time we can afford the luxury of chasing the far right from the table of the presidential election in the first round," said the number 2 of La France insoumise Adrien Quatennens on LCI.

In the camp of the right-wing candidate Valérie Pécresse, who accuses the president-candidate of having looted his program, we still want to believe in it despite the polls which give her in 4th or even 5th position.

LR presidential candidate Valérie Pécresse speaks at a press conference in Paris on March 21, 2022 Thomas SAMSON AFP

"It's not about aiming for third place, or anything. The presidential election is a podium for two," said Xavier Bertrand (LR), assuring Cnews that Emmanuel Macron does not had "more ideas": "his only project today is to stay in power".

"The campaign has not started," lamented the leader of the LR senators Bruno Retailleau on France 5 for whom "we have to rant" about Emmanuel Macron's refusal to descend into the arena to debate with his opponents.

For Fabien Roussel, "the remaining twenty days are decisive".

"It is now that we are attacking the Col du Tourmalet", declared the Parisian the communist candidate, who will offer "apartment meetings, aperitif evenings, the + Apéroussel +, in our premises, on the markets..." everywhere in France.

In the event of a Macron-Le Pen second round, he said he would call "to block the far right".

© 2022 AFP