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'Last image of the campaign' Le Pen's tour of France to win votes ends by the sea

INTERNATIONAL: Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen spent the last day of her campaign on Friday (April 22) in northern France, where she enjoys widespread support among blue collar workers and farmers.

After visiting a market and a rehabilitation centre, she strolled along a seaside promenade in the beach town of Berck, posing for photos with supporters and greeting children and families.

“It’s the last image of the campaign, surrounded by all the French people, surrounded by youth, surrounded by pensioners, surrounded by children, who give me a lot of energy throughout this whole campaign,” she told journalists.

Voter surveys have shown a widening of incumbent President Emmanuel Macron's lead over Le Pen to as much as 56%-44% since the first round on April 10, where a few points separated the candidates.

Le Pen, who has accused Macron of elitism and ruining France’s traditions, said she had refined her programme based on what she’s heard from French citizens in her visits around the country.

Their number one concern was the inability to make ends meet due to taxes, low salaries and small pensions. High energy prices have made low-income families even more vulnerable.

Le Pen chose to close the curtain on her campaign in the Pas-de-Calais department, where she is deputy. It also represents the France that she has claimed to fight for - people who feel abandoned and left behind by globalism and open markets.

The northern region has suffered from the decline of the mining industry and closures of factories, leading to joblessness and overall disillusionment. Immigration is blamed for security problems.

“This is a woman who will give us back life, give us back spending power, so we can move forward, when it comes to retirement, when it comes to a lot of things in life,” a 59-year-old pharmacy assistant, Christelle Lojou, said.

Some of Le Pen’s supporters are already predicting a loss on Sunday’s (April 24) election, but are optimistic that the 53-year-old politician will continue pushing her programme to revive “the other” France.


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