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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 18 april 2017
France’s would-be presidents rally in Paris days before vote

SYLVIE CORBET campaign has been dam-
ANGELA CHARLTON aged by accusations that
Associated Press he misused taxpayer mon-
PARIS (AP) — As France’s ey to pay his wife and chil-
unpredictable presidential dren for government jobs
campaign nears its finish that they allegedly did not
with no clear front-runner, perform. French investiga-
centrist candidate Em- tors are probing the case.
manuel Macron and far- Fillon denies wrongdoing
right leader Marine Le Pen and is focusing instead on
hope to rally big crowds security issues that reso-
in Paris with their rival vi- nate with many voters af-
sions for Europe’s future. ter two years of deadly at-
Meanwhile, far-left can- tacks across the country.
didate Jean-Luc Melen- French voters will cast their
chon, enjoying a late poll ballots under a state of
surge, is campaigning on emergency that’s been re-
peatedly extended as new
a barge Monday floating violence has hit.
through the canals of Paris. After Macron, Le Pen is
And conservative candi- holding her last big rally in
date Francois Fillon is tak- the Paris region later Mon-
ing his tough-on-security day.
campaign to the southern Meanwhile, Melenchon,
French city of Nice, which speaking on a river boat
was scarred by a deadly Independent centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron waves during a meeting in Paris, in Pantin, in the Paris sub-
truck attack last year that Monday, April 17, 2017. The two-round presidential election is set for April 23 and May 7. urbs, said he doesn’t want
killed 86 people. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) France to exit the Euro-
The race is being watched pean Union but would be
internationally as an impor-
tant gauge of populist sen- dential runoff. The latest guises ... No, we will not let gesting some are seeking ready to do it if other mem-
timent, and the outcome polls suggest that Le Pen, them do it,” he said. the presidency to get judi- ber states don’t accept
is increasingly uncertain Macron, Melenchon and He also made an implicit cial immunity. negotiations to reform the
just six days before Sun- Fillon all have a chance of reference to Fillon by sug- Fillon’s austerity-focused 28-nation bloc.
day’s first round vote. Le reaching the runoff — and
Pen’s nationalist rhetoric as many as a third of voters
and Melenchon’s anti-glo- remain undecided.
balization campaign have Advocating for strong pro-
resonated with French vot- European views, he has
ers sick of the status quo. pledged to represent an
Macron, meanwhile, is “open, confident, winning
painting himself as an anti- France” in contrast with
establishment figure seek- far-right and far-left rivals.
ing to bury the traditional Without naming them,
left-right spectrum that has he said Le Pen and Me-
governed France for de- lenchon want to isolate
cades. France form the rest of the
The top two vote-getters world.
Sunday of the 11 candi- “We feel everywhere the
dates on the ballot ad- temptation of barbarism
vance to the May 7 presi- ready to surge in other