In search of new voters, the far-right candidate is now venturing into less favorable lands and must explain her controversial proposals, a time masked by the radicalism of Eric Zemmour.

In a speech with very populist accents, she called in Avignon, for her first meeting between two rounds, to "block" Emmanuel Macron and "this caste which governs us with arrogance", presenting herself as the candidate of the "people facing the oligarchy".

In front of some 4,000 people who shouted "Marine president", she also invited her supporters not to be "abused by the posturing of a system that can do nothing but defend itself to keep its prebends".

Promising to return salaries to unvaccinated caregivers, or to set up the referendum of popular initiative to "give substance" to "claims of street movements" such as yellow vests.

"Protection"

"The French", but not foreigners, are entitled according to her to "complete protection", "protection of the sovereign" such as "immigration control", and "protection of everyday life" in terms of purchasing power.

Tricolor flag in hand, Yohann, 27, a handler in Carpentras, says that "between Mélenchon and Le Pen, it's kif-kif" on the referendum, but Marine Le Pen "on immigration and security issues, she says real things".

By going to Avignon, then to Arras on April 21, far from the countryside or the France of the "forgotten", it is also for Marine Le Pen, in search of credibility, to make her opponents lie, who accuse her of carry out "a campaign in slippers" in places where it has made its best scores.

The candidate conducted a risk-free campaign in the first round, going to small towns that are favorable to her, without being disturbed by demonstrators.

Demonstration against the far right in Avignon on April 14, 2022 before a meeting by Marine Le Pen CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU AFP

But the atmosphere has changed since his accession to the second round.

An hour before the candidate took the floor in Avignon, some 200 to 300 people, at the call of left-wing organizations, marched through the city, several kilometers from the meeting, to express their rejection of the extreme right.

"Down with the National Front, F for Fascists, N for Nazis," shouted the demonstrators.

"System"

Tuesday in Vernon (Eure), after her press conference on the institutions, she was both greeted by her supporters and shouted down by some opponents.

His press conference on his diplomatic project on Wednesday was also briefly interrupted by a left-wing group accusing him of his "complacency" with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“There is a small stiffening of the system” and of the “elite bloc” but “it will calm down”, estimated on the sidelines of the meeting the RN mayor of Fréjus David Rachline.

"The prospect of a victory for the opposition to Emmanuel Macron seems to make them lose their temper", abounded at the desk Marine Le Pen, castigating "excesses" and "defamation".

First meeting between two rounds of Marine Le Pen in Avignon on April 14, 2022 CHRISTOPHE SIMON AFP

With the spotlight again on her, as a finalist for the presidential election, Marine Le Pen must also answer more insistent questions about her program, whereas until now she has been talking mainly about purchasing power.

His plan to revise the Constitution by referendum, a hypothesis disputed by jurists, and his vision of foreign policy on Russia or Germany, have sometimes put him on the defensive.

The elimination of Eric Zemmour also puts her back in the front line against accusations of racism or Frexit, when she had avoided developing her radical proposals on immigration and Europe before the first round.

"Even if his program does not work, at least she tries to get us out, us low-level or middle-level French people, shit," said Agnès Marchietti at the meeting.

© 2022 AFP