PARIS
\nFrench Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday that Emmanuel Macron was not guaranteed to win the 24 April runoff in the presidential election against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. \u201cThe game is not done and dusted,\u201d Castex told France inter radio. \u201cOne puts Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen on the same level. But there are key differences.\u201d Le Pen is challenging incumbent centrist Macron in the election, with opinion polls showing Macron edging ahead in next Sunday\u2019s second round vote.
\nMacron and Le Pen are seeking to attract voters who backed far-left leader Jean Luc Melenchon, after he came third in the first round on 10 April with about 22 per cent of the vote.
\nMelenchon\u2019s party has given no voting instructions for the runoff after its internal consultations showed most people would abstain or submit a blank vote on 24 April, adding to uncertainty over the outcome.
\nFinance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Europe 1 radio that Le Pen would \u201chand France\u2019s sovereignty to Vladimir Putin and to Russia\u201d if she was elected, after she previously voiced admiration for the Russian president.
\n\u201cI heard Marine Le Pen\u2019s international policy proposals … This is the end of French sovereignty,\u201d he said, adding that her victory would lead to an alliance with Putin, a lack of NATO protection and cutting ties with Germany.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PARIS French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday that Emmanuel Macron was not guaranteed to win the 24 April runoff in the presidential election against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. \u201cThe game is not done and dusted,\u201d Castex told France inter radio. \u201cOne puts Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen on the same level. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-256189","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n