Presidential D-2: the campaign is over, last calls for votes

In the street, online media or social networks, the candidates, from the outgoing president to the RN candidate to the leader of the radical left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, called on the French and in particular young people to mobilize on election day, on which hovers a possible record abstention.

The RN candidate did the same in a video posted on social media, as did her far-right rival Eric Zemmour on YouTube.

And Mr. Mélenchon, who ranks third in the polls at around 17-18%, has been multistreaming all day and then on his show, “AllöMelenchon,” on Twitch.

Socialist Anne Hidalgo and LR candidate Valérie Pécresse participated in the program "Ten minutes to convince" on TF1, while environmentalist Yannick Jadot made a last impromptu outing in the streets of Paris to call for mobilization. .

The two far left candidates, Philippe Poutou (NPA) and Nathalie Arthaud (LO), who are close to 1% in voting intentions, were not left out, with final meetings respectively in Grenoble and Rouen, shortly before the end of the official first-round campaign on Friday at midnight.

The presidential candidates Jonathan WALTER AFP

A sign of growing tension 48 hours before the vote in mainland France, the National Commission for the Control of the Electoral Campaign and the Polling Commission issued a joint press release in the evening calling on voters to exercise the "greatest caution" after the broadcast by SMS of a "fake poll" placing Eric Zemmour in the second round.

"No instructions"

This end-of-campaign excitement arises when new cracks have appeared in the "republican camp" in the face of the rise of Marine Le Pen, who is trailing Emmanuel Macron in the latest polls.

In the morning, the LR candidate Valérie Pécresse, below the 10% bar neck and neck with Eric Zemmour, announced that she would not give "no instructions" to vote for the second round, seeming to endorse her failure to to access.

President-candidate Emmanuel Macron (c) visiting a market in Neuilly-sur-Seine, April 8, 2022 near Paris Ludovic MARIN AFP

The RN candidate, on the move Friday in the South, was quick to rush into the breach: "I think it's a wise decision", she reacted on franceinfo.

According to the latest polls, Emmanuel Macron collects 26% of voting intentions for the Elabe, OpinionWay and Ifop Fiducial institutes, 26.5% according to Ipsos Sopra Steria and 27% according to the Harris Interactive study.

Ms. Le Pen is given 22% by OpinionWay, 23% by Ipsos, 24% for Ifop and Harris Interactive and 25% for Elabe.

Given the margin of error, the order of arrival on Sunday seems particularly uncertain, especially since Emmanuel Macron's curve of voting intentions has continued to fall in recent days, unlike that of Ms. Le Pen, constantly rising.

- "Febrility" -

The question of a "republican front", to block the road to the far right, is placed at the heart of the last day of the campaign.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, LFI presidential candidate, during the program "10 minutes to convince" on TF1, April 7, 2022 in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN AFP

On the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon who said he wanted to consult the 310,000 people who supported him online before giving instructions, faced with criticism, clarified his position on Friday morning on BFMTV and RMC: He recalled having "always says + we do not give a voice to the far right +".

The communist Fabien Roussel will call to "prevent the far right from getting their hands on" France, just like Anne Hidalgo ready to "block the far right".

Yannick Jadot also said he was in favor of a "republican front".

The former Keeper of the Seals and a time candidate Christiane Taubira, for her part, called for Jean-Luc Mélenchon to vote in the first round precisely to "bar the road" to the far right.

On the last day of the campaign, the duel announced Macron-Le Pen became more virulent.

The president-candidate, who made an impromptu visit to a market in Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine), attacked the RN candidate in Le Parisien, accusing her of "lying to people" with a social program that it will not be able to finance, and denouncing "a racist program, which aims to split society and of great brutality".

The presidential race Cléa PÉCULIER AFP

He went further on Friday evening, denouncing his proposal to ban the veil in the street.

Reaction of the person concerned: "I find him very aggressive since he entered the campaign, aggressive in his postures, aggressive in his remarks".

She even believes she perceives "a" certain form of feverishness ".

© 2022 AFP