It is the third time that the far right has reached the second round of a presidential election in France, after her father and former leader of the National Front Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2002, then herself, already five years ago. years.
She will find in the second round on April 24 the same opponent as in 2017, Emmanuel Macron, outgoing president, whom she should face in debate on April 20.
A game for which it is preparing, anxious not to miss it like five years ago, and to appear credible in particular on the economy.
The National Rally candidate crossed the bar in the first round despite high abstention (between 24 and 26.5% approximately), competition from Eric Zemmour, given between 6.5 and 7.1%, and the invasion of the Ukraine by Vladimir Putin, with whom she appeared in 2017. While Emmanuel Macron led a campaign deemed too short and cautious.
Photomontage made on April 10, 2022 of French President Emmanuel Macron (March 7, 2017 in Paris) and the President of the National Rally Marine Le Pen (October 20, 2021 in Paris) Joël SAGET, Eric Feferberg AFP
Marine Le Pen presented herself as the candidate of "quiet France" on Friday by already setting up the duel, judging the outgoing president "aggressive" and "feverish".
"Metamorphosis"
Her far-right rival Eric Zemmour embarrassed her, even surpassed her in the polls in the fall, but by pointing to the radicalism of her remarks, the candidate now appears to be refocused.
Faced with the threat, Marine Le Pen took on a "field" campaign in small meetings in the provinces, when Eric Zemmour bet on large gatherings.
Marine Le Pen has also positioned herself on purchasing power, relegating immigration to the background, a theme which resonated with her popular electorate, affected by the inflation generated by the war in Ukraine, and which had begun the movement of yellow vests.
Between chats and confidences, Marine Le Pen herself has smoothed her image a lot and watered down certain proposals.
"The power of cats is a marker of this campaign", notes its spokesperson Sébastien Chenu.
Marine Le Pen, April 1, 2022 in Stiring-Wendel (Moselle) Jean-Christophe VERHAEGEN AFP / Archives
Frédéric Dabi, director of the Ifop institute, evokes the "metamorphosis" of a "chiraquised" candidate, even ahead of Emmanuel Macron on his ability to bring people together.
"All this announces a particularly tight second round".
His project remains however also "radical" on immigration and Islamism, according to the Jean-Jaurès Foundation.
Marine Le Pen wants to include in the Constitution the principle of "national priority", which breaks with the constitutional principle of equality, as well as the primacy of French law over European law, which leads to a de facto Frexit, according to specialists .
It also intends to ban the "practice" and "the manifestation" in the cinema, in the press and at school, of "Islamist ideologies" and would sanction by a fine the wearing of the veil in public space.
Stature
In addition to the credibility of her project, Marine Le Pen will be judged in the second round on her international stature, while Russia has declared war on Ukraine, where Moscow is accused of abuses.
She tried to counter any idea of closeness with Vladimir Putin, who had received her in 2017, by amending her remarks and renouncing, at this stage, a military "agreement" with Moscow.
She also offered to take in Ukrainian refugees.
But it remains opposed to economic sanctions which would strain the household budget.
And she is still the ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the only one in Europe to offer to buy Russian gas in roubles.
Electorally, Marine Le Pen has a reserve of votes for the first time with Eric Zemmour, but is betting above all on the erosion of the "republican front", which Valérie Pécresse began to crack on Friday, saying that she would not give no voting instructions.
In April 2021, the Jean-Jaurès Foundation saw Marine Le Pen's victory possible on three conditions, "that the moderate right-wing electorate turn massively towards her, that she be sufficiently + demonized + to push the voters of the candidates eliminated from the first turn towards abstention, and that Emmanuel Macron has become a similar foil" to his.
© 2022 AFP