SURVEY – According to an Odoxa-Backbone Consulting survey for Le Figaro, each candidate has their competitive advantage in terms of the economy.
It is a new match that the two candidates are leading. According to an Odoxa Backbone consulting survey carried out for Le Figaro, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen now have almost as many advantages as each other in the economic field. Where the nationalist candidate, five years earlier, was still in difficulty.
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“What is spectacular is that we even have a very close match on this subject», explains Gaël Sliman, president of Odoxa. “She had very little credit on this before the inter-round debate, she had completely screwed up on that occasion, and she has now scored obvious points“, he continues.
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Macron weakened by pensions
Thus, 72% of French people approve of the candidate’s main economic measures, with the exception of the income tax exemption for young people under 30 (44%). A figure slightly higher than that of Emmanuel Macron (68%). In detail, Marine Le Pen is acclaimed for the themes of pensions (57%) and purchasing power (54%) – the main axis of her campaign -, where the outgoing president stands out on growth (58%) , debt (54%) and employment (50%). “Even if Emmanuel Macron’s record is good on these themes, there is still a difference between the feeling and the statistical data which means that he is judged negatively.“, observes Gaël Sliman.
Overall, however, the Head of State remains the most competent in the eyes of the French (57%). But his desire to push back the legal retirement age to 65, where Marine Le Pen wants to keep it at 62, greatly weakens him. The measure is indeed widely rejected (69%), and this in particular by the voters of Jean-Luc Mélenchon (90%), left-wing sympathizers (74%), and even part of the moderate right (51%). An unfavorable opinion capable of jeopardizing the postponement of votes hoped for the victory of the second round.
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Unsurprisingly, the economic programs of the two candidates also make them popular with two very different Frances. On the one hand, only executives (85%) and retirees (50%) believe that the re-election of Emmanuel Macron would be beneficial to them. On the other, Marine Le Pen brings hope to workers (75%), the unemployed (62%), public (57%) and private (55%) employees. “It reactivates the idea of a president who would favor executives and business leaders, and penalize the popular categories», Comments Gaël Sliman.
The candidate supported by the RN is however faced with a risk: that of “give the feeling that we shave for free“, according to the director of the institute. “Emmanuel Macron’s credibility advantage still shows that Marine Le Pen’s program is almost too good to be true“, he adds, seeing there”a useful element for the candidate in the debate that he can direct on the infeasibility, the inconsistencies and the difficulties of implementationof his opponent’s proposals.
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