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LONGUEAU, France – Forget about the benefits of the home court.
In this economically depressed region of northern France, near the place where Emmanuel Macron grew up, there is not much love for the local boy, who later became one of the youngest presidents in his country.
On the contrary, several locals described him as a wealthy man who had nothing to do with the daily care of the “little people.” Some have said they plan to vote for his rival, far-right chief Marin Le Pen, in the last round of the April 24 presidential election.
“I really don’t like Macron. He is the president of a rich man, “said retired Didier Balesdens, as he lined up at the Longo market on the outskirts of the northern city of Amiens, where Macron spent his childhood. “He gave money to big companies during the pandemic, but couldn’t he take some of their profits to help people?”
Balesdance, who voted for far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon in the first round, is uncomfortable voting for Le Pen and worries about the tensions her immigration policy will create if she becomes president. But his hatred of Macron and his “inability to understand little people” outweigh those fears and could lead him to vote for Le Pen in the final round.
Such contempt for his homeland highlights wider challenges for Macron.
Although he defeated Le Pen by 5 percentage points in Sunday’s first round of elections, Macron must now persuade a much wider section of the electorate – namely left-wing voters – to support him in the run-off. But if Balesdance and others like him are ready to move to the far right, Macron could face a much tougher race against Le Pen than in 2017, not only in his home region but across the country. (A POLITICO poll suggests that Macron will win 53 percent of the vote against Le Pen.)
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN FRANCE POLLING POLLS
For more survey data from all over Europe, visit the POLITICO Poll of Polls.
Given the challenge, Macron rushed to soften his image before the final round. He turned down his offer to return the retirement age to 65 and offered to re-hire unvaccinated nurses who had been removed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Balesdance and others like him are not convinced by the last-minute changes. Hostility to Macron was widespread this week among locals who spoke to POLITICO in Longo, just a short drive from where Macron grew up in the Soma department.
“He has not left good memories here,” said Longo Mayor and left-wing independent Pascal Urduye, recalling Macron’s failed attempt to keep a local Whirlpool factory open. Even though the Macron government boasts that it has lowered unemployment to its lowest point since 2008, the loss of jobs at the local level has made headlines here.
The closure of the white goods factory during Macron’s term has become a symbol of his struggle to keep jobs in industry in France. During the 2017 presidential election campaign, Le Pen and Macron met with Whirlpool workers and pledged to try to keep the factory open if elected.
“He came here, made a show, made promises and did not keep them,” said Urduye, who recalls that in 2018 the factory closed despite several attempts to save it.
A national rally invades
Others in Longueau said that despite their disappointment, they would pinch their noses and support Macron in the second round.
“I don’t like any of them, but especially not Le Pen,” said retired left-wing Jacqueline Mast. “Macron doesn’t take me off my feet. He makes promises and breaks them, but the far right and their hatred of foreigners – no, thank you. ”
Mast echoes leftists such as Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Greens Yannick Jado of the Greens, who are urging voters to vote for Macron to keep the far right out of power after being ousted from the race in the first round.
In 2017, Macron took advantage of what is called the “Republican Front” against the far right, through which left-wing voters, hated to see a far-right candidate gain power, voted for the other camp despite their reservations.
But this time things are not so simple. The Le Pen National Rally Party is invading low-income cities like Longo.
Ten years ago, this former city for railway workers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Socialist Party. In Sunday’s first round of voting, 27 percent supported Le Pen, compared to 23 percent for Macron.
Many here say that Le Pen’s strategy to detoxify the National Rally helps her. Not only has it abandoned unpopular commitments to leave the EU and soften its anti-immigration rhetoric, but it is pursuing a more mundane agenda by campaigning on bread and butter and promising to cut taxes on basic foodstuffs and fuels amid galloping inflation.
“[Her proposals] there is an echo here. “Railway workers do not have high wages and are severely affected by inflation,” said Joel Brune, a retired teacher and communist.
In the last presidential election, 60 percent of Longo’s voters came out in support of Macron in the run-off against Le Pen, although only 23 percent voted for him in the first round. Brune believes Macron is unlikely to benefit from the same support this time.
“I don’t think it will be in Le Pen’s favor, but it will be much stricter,” he said.
“It is becoming annoying that every time we have to vote for a candidate we do not approve of, just to keep the far right out of power,” he said.
Back in the mayor’s office, Urduye feels confident that the balance across the country will fall in Macron’s favor in the second round on April 24.
“I am not worried at all. He will beat her 52 to 48, “he said.
Some would prefer stronger odds.
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