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Newscaster: In France it’s the final stage of campaigning in the race for the presidency, which will be settled on Sunday. Millions of voters will choose between the incumbent Emmanuel Macron and his rival Marine Le Pen.

The two candidates faced each other on Wednesday night in a nationwide televised debate, after which many French voters are still said to be undecided.

Our Europe editor Katya Adler has been taking the temperature for this weekend.

 
Could this be France’s next president?

Marine Le Pen, patriotic woman of the people, visiting France’s forgotten villages — or far-right nationalist hiding behind a carefully reinvented softer image.

“How radical are you?” I asked.

Marine Le Pen, French Presidential Candidate: “I’m not radical, sorry. I’m running for president to establish government of the people, for the people giving back power to the people.”

But these people and plenty of others in France remain unconvinced. So close to the elections, emotions are running high.

It’s always like this on campaign trail of Le Pen: there’s protesters, press and protesters wherever you look.

Marine Le Pen remains the outsider in this election, but her popularity has grown. She’s focused on voter’s number one concern — the spiraling cost of food and fuel.

Market Stall Holder: “Marine Le Pen goes to markets to meet working people like us. She’s down to earth. We’ve always liked her.”

Woman Wearing Headscarf: “Marine Le Pen, even if she tries to distance herself from the extreme right, that’s her background. That’s her party. I’m voting for Macron to keep Le Pen out.”

 
In fact, both presidential candidates have a reputation problem.

“EU obsessed and elitist” is how Emanuel my car’s critics describe him. So at this campaign event in Marseille, he ditched the designer jacket and appealed across party lines to vote for him on Sunday.

Emmanuel Macron, French President and Presidential Candidate: “The 24th of April is a referendum for or against the environment, for or against young people. This election can be the start of a new french and European era, of great hopes and ambitions.”

Brussels and Washington are watching all this extremely carefully especially with the raging Russia-Ukraine crisis. France has the EU’s biggest military its second largest economy.

 
Macron wants to use that to boost EU, NATO and transatlantic relations. Le Pen is Euro and US skeptic, with traditionally close ties to Moscow.

Who becomes France’s next president is as important abroad as it is at home, for a number of reasons.

Bruno Le Maire, French Economy Minister: “Marine Le Pen’s program would directly lead to a total collapse of the French economy, which would hurt the other European countries. Also a very important economic partner which is the UK.”

Marine Le Pen defends her economic plans. But France’s next president, she or he, won’t be able to claim the heart of all French people. This is a divided country.

 
Newscaster: Let’s go to Paris now and talk to our correspondent Hugh Schofield. Here we’re entering the final hours. How are we expecting the candidates to spend their day?

Hugh Schofield, BBC Correspondent:

Well we know that Marine Le Pen is up in her heartland in the north of the country; she had a last rally at a place called Arras last night. And she’ll be doing more markets what she’s spent her the last couple of weeks doing meeting supporters.

She tends to go to places where she knows she’s popular to avoid those protests which Katya is referring to.

And the president will be down in Figeac in the Lot Department in the southwest, doing one of his kind of civic meetings where he talks and gets people to ask him questions.

So they’re both out campaigning right to the last minute I mean the polls are fairly clear they show that the president is way ahead, Emanuel Macron.

But both know that there’s a big unknown in all of this which is abstention. And if abstention is high and the turnout is low, then that could change the numbers and make a Le Pen presidency more likely.

No one really knows.

But they’re both out and will be continuing right to the end of today to encourage those voters who went for other candidates in the first round, in particular the left uh Jean-Luc Mélenchon who came a close third in in the first round race two weeks ago to turn out and vote for them.

It looks like most of Mélenchon voters will who are going to vote will vote for Macron. Some will vote for Le Pen, but an awful lot of them are just going to abstain.

And it’s them in particular that both candidates are out trying to garner their votes today.

Newscaster: Hugh, thank you very much for now. Hugh schofield in Paris. Lots more to come in the next day or so.

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Questions

Politics, Government. What is considered the main or ultimate way for citizens to determine who to vote for?

Economy, Business. Does Marine Le Pen only campaign in large cities and metropolitan areas?

Taxes, Revenue. Everyone likes and supports Le Pen. Is this right or wrong? Are her opponents passive, active or both?

Infrastructure, Facilities. Is the main concern of ordinary French citizens the conflict in Ukraine?

Transportation, Bridges, Highways. Is Le Pen a firebrand? Does she make fiery, bombastic speeches?

Airports, Harbors, Ports. Are they both pro-EU or Euro-skeptics? What are their views on the European Union?

Clinics, Hospitals. Only French people are concerned about the presidential election. Is this correct or incorrect? Will the results of the French presidential election have repercussions in throughout Europe and the world?

Education, Schools, Universities. Are Macron and Le Pen campaigning throughout France? Are there both supporters and opponents of both everywhere in France?

Environment. Emmanuel Macron will definitely win. A Macron victory is a foregone conclusion. Will both candidates only rally their base supporters?
 
 
 
Military, Defense. Do voters in your country tend to be unified or divided in terms of politics, ideals and values?

Free Trade, Imports, Exports, Foreign Relations. Is there a correlation between demographics and ideology?

Pensions, Retirement Funds. What are some main concerns or issue for ordinary people?

Unemployment Benefits, Welfare. Who are some great or famous presidents, prime ministers or other leaders in your country’s history?

Council Housing, Public Housing. Have there been losing candidates who might have become great leaders? What non-politicians or non-candidates might make great leaders?

Immigration, Migration, Refugees. What could or should people and politicians do?

The Media, Newspapers, Television. What might happen in the future?