this week, even more people of visibly in the don't know, tower law, difficult choices in uncertain times, french voters will go to the polls at a moment of crisis in europe. whether they choose to ability and continuity or something different, is as unpredictable as the conflict that's overshadowed this election. natasha butler, al jazeera, monta tale france. ah, this is al jazeera and these are the top stories and you video has emerged, excuse me, that appears to show you cranium, forces killed, killing rather detained russian soldiers. it was reportedly shot outside the village of them, retrieved care, a few kilometers southwest, a butcher on march, the 30th wrestle, sir, dar has more. frank demetrika raved over there. several other russian forces also had been captured by d. u green. your forces. 2 of them are particularly important because the de,

a video that support an outrage has been emerged right over there. in the video recei dead, one of the euclid did the russian soldier still alive and heavily. britain have been killed by the ukrainian or forces, the ukrainian defense minister said at the destruction of the russian columns here was precise work. however, the video that emerged shows a more complicated reality. grains foreign minister has called for more weapons to fight russia. the metro collaborate told g 7 ministers that ukraine can defeat russia. the world provides support. u. s. is imposing more sanctions on russian banks as well as them have pollutants. an old daughters, as joe biden says, moscow is paying a severe and immediate price for its reported atrocities and future. jamini, president savage rival romance or hardy, has delegated power to

a new leadership council. saudi arabia is advising the new assembly to start negotiations with the who these plans to give yemen $3000000000.00 to rebuild it. economy. a turkish court has transferred the trial for murder. journalist jamarcus shocked ye to saudi arabia. the saudi critic was killed inside the kingdom's stumble, consulate, and 2018 wides group. say the decision ends. any hope of justice for shockey students. the latest group to join protests in tra lanka calling for the president to resign because of the economic crisis. there been weeks, the protest serve a high food and high fuel prices as well as lengthy power fire. right candidates, marine. the pen is holding her final rally of the french presidential election campaign. later on thursday. all suggest the race is tightening. as a headline, so be more useful here on al jazeera right off the inside story. say next time that i a

o, be the next president of france. emanuel micron bids for re election in the shadow of war and ukraine. but candidates from the far right and far left. say he's out of touch with the french population. will the voters prove them? right? this is inside sort. ah hello and welcome to the program. i'm hammer, jim jim. 5 years ago, emmanuel macro was a new comer to french politics. he swept aside the traditional left, right,

political divide by forming an interest party and becoming the youngest ever president. now the 44 year old is the incumbent seeking re election. sunday's 1st round of voting is happening in the shadow of russia's invasion of ukraine. mcgraw held his only campaign rally last saturday outside paris. he promised to defend europe's democracy while raising pensions and cutting corporate taxes. opinion polls suggest a repeat of 2017 when micron faced marilla pon in the 2nd round. the far i candidate has since toned down her previous statements against immigration. instead, she's focused her campaign on the high cost of living. both are facing lay challenge from the far left will bring in our guests in a moment. first natasha butler reports from legal. oh, middle so is one of from his best known politicians and fully re orita and former trotsky east. the far left party leaders spend years on the margins of french politics, but mental shows, fortunes are changing. opinion polls suggest he could make it to the 2nd round of

the presidential election at a rally in lille. he said, if elected it end inequality, fight climate change and tackle the cost of living crisis law junior good in new york, off millions of french people are being strangled by the rising cost of living and fuel prices, millions of french people. so the role of those you lead the nation is to fix this war. now. so supporters say he's the antithesis of emmanuel, my call. mental shore once nicknamed the president of the rich i. it's been a difficult 5 years for many people. so as far as i'm concerned, we can't relax manual michael without me awful. i janet malone shaw embodies anti capitalism. pro workers' rights were seek a factory shutting in france. we want a strong europe and milan shoals the only one with answers. this will be one of the main reasons i last saw is doing so well in this presidential election. this because france, traditional leveling socialist party is doing both. for decades,

the socialist party was a political force that created presidents. but the arrival of the centrist macro in 2017 and to shift among voters to the political right has left the socialist party in tatters and his presidential candidate. and it'll go floundering in the polls. the socialist party still has local or mayors, but on the national level, it has lost in the appeal because it's lost a program. it's less idea is it lost the battle of ideas and, and also launch presidency is seen in its legacy as a moment of weakness or in terms of ideas in terms of proposals, in terms of also answers to the problems of globalization of, for the changes or in the society, with most parties on the left, including the green, trailing in the poles,

men or shore is expected to reap the majority of left wing votes. few people expect him to win the presidency, but making it past the 1st round could signal that frances left is ready for a revival. natasha butler al jazeera little. ah. all right, let's go ahead and bring in our guests in paris, hamid shipped a political commentator and researcher on french economic affairs in san malo. jacqueline, i am a senior research fellow at the global policy institute and a specialist in economic and social policy. also in paris, j, as in november, a program coordinator with the german marshall fund of the u. s. paris office and an expert in european security issues. a warm welcome to you all, and thanks for joining us today on inside story. shocked. let me start with you today. where do things stand in the election right now? opinion polls are suggesting a repeat of 2017 when president micron faced marine la penn. in the 2nd round. do

you think that's what we're going to see happen? they joke. so i get to the stage, it looks like it my call was wearing dirty when the war started at 32 percent now is down to 26 to 7 percent, but not a bad reason from 17 to 22. you know, space ad already other competitor could be short, shall we dive rows quite 5 onto the last week is not 15 around 1516. but i don't think it would be able to of a date that enough. and so it looks like the whole loop and the george saw the salon round, but with a closer margin, narrow margin was expected. that's already even 2 weeks ago. so that's

the main point is the rise and rise of not been in the last couple of weeks. and i can explain why that has happened to the stage that if you want to can, can stop now. yeah, and all, all little jack. i'll actually get back to you with a question on that in just a moment. i'm just seeing, let me ask you, how much has russia's invasion of ukraine up in? did president microns plans for what he had hoped to accomplish in the 1st half of this year? and how, how much is the shadow of the conflict in ukraine looming over this election cycle? so maybe i was, that was the 1st question. thank you very much for that. so in this context, it is very important to know that france apparently holding the rotating presidency of the council of the european union. and when you are holding this function or when you have this row, that means that you have kind of a coordinating role and can give some ideas for what can be done on the european level. and when my call prevents this broker in december,

which was clear that he wanted to put the focus on everything related to european sovereignty, but also to economic recovery as well as creating a feeling of belonging to europe and with new crank. rise of the crisis in terms of foreign policy. it was particularly the patch on sovereignty. that is becoming more and more important. so as you might now, since if sub on speech in 2017 michael has all was pitched the idea of european strategic our economy. lately changed to wedding to summer antique. but the idea of this is basically that the you itself is able to make its independent decisions based on its interests. and of course, where possible in cooperation with partners and over quite a long time, fellow europeans were trying to kind of wary of the concept so that it's kind of

hyper activism of michael. but then when the war in ukraine kicked in, other europeans painfully realized that this idea of having a europe that is kind of a bit more submarine in terms of energy supply and, and defense and can really leverage. it's his tools. yeah. that this is maybe not the worst idea. and when he saw what europe has done that is basically putting my whole concept of sovereignty into practice. so of course, it was not only him where the chief step, but yeah, that's a clear success ulta, knowing that my call is the only channel of communication that europe has for russia and leave it here. if you want to follow up, i'll get, i'll get back to you on that point. actually in a moment to me, let me ask you from your vantage point, how the electorate is responding to what's going on in ukraine. i mentioned this because, you know, president micron has been heavily involved in trying to broker some type of

diplomatic solution to the crisis in ukraine. he has been reaching out repeatedly to russian, president potent, he's been shuttling around, trying to come up with some type of solution. is that something that that's hurting him or a helping him when it comes to voters and when it comes to this election, when it comes to the voters or the beginning of the cranial crisis and micro benefits, of course, during his election, but been on the bay defense both as we see, is there not resolving police or not? i think this is the main important point. we've seen empty presidential there we've been immune and we've seen one of the dimensional, the american again issued by t as in the group in parliament. so a french people are very daunted by the pretty, don't feel micro and doing it. he lost 5 reins of the french president. so i believe that the french people will not, of course,

support diesel war about the russian invasion by the end of the, of the end of the day. they are very worried about discussion approach, the social situation and the going to meet the teacher nation suffering in problems we've never seen in front of people. i've never seen personally in process. people are going to bring a food from the beam in front, embarrassed. so i live in the popular area, which is my gene are just more prompts and it did this. let me consortia, duration is worse. but before jack, i want to pick up on the point you were starting to make in your last answer, which is the reasons for the sudden surge in the polls for marine le pen. so i want to ask you, 1st of all, what are some of the reasons for that? and secondly, the fact that marina penn has softened some of her rhetoric around topics like

islam and like your skepticism, is that something that is helping her right now to, to when potential voters outside of her typical solid base isn't in the thing is that, i mean, was mentioning the people at 1st were very concerned about the wall and not in the last some point because she's so pro, put it, she's a great put in subordinate as you've been rates rated recently. that the best a life of cross would be russia. but the fact is that people are more concerned about the consequences of the work done. they will add the consequences on the cost of living and the cost of living as being the home because of the little bed in the last few months. she's come paid on that. she as she did, i liked a positions on race and she's so for the image and concentrated on the ghost

for people will find it hard to make ends meet. and she has a lot of support and all the working classes and luck exit more. for example, a lot of extremities. well, it does, we can see the working areas working parts or process like norfolk cross. she's very popular there. and so she made a very good campaign, no big meetings. she travelled stead close to the people at one factor which is very important is that it exhibits who with this radical positions as made, her look sought, looked goodly. she has a better image. now, people luck, 46 percent of the french people think that she understands people like that. it used to be 22 percent in 2017 and now she's developed an image. the image of the hoover next door will look after would be via the food and look up to your

caps when you're away. and she's actually made a big on the fact that she's, she loves gus. she's become the, kept the kept breeza. so she has a much softer image, but at the same time, and that's my main concern, is that the booty sees are which has been challenged much by the media. and she has not taken bargain when you, but she's still home. i think that the bed is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and we can talk about the receives on immigration and europe, and audio going to be there would be damaging fault france. fall is going to be for francis standing in europe, i figured would be a victory of money. would be equipped, would be more than a g. right to your buddy young j. as in, you heard jack there talk about the opinion he was expressing was that a pen presidency would be damaging for francis standing in europe. i want to ask

you, what would a pen presidency mean for europe? well, the pen presidency would be very bad news for europe. that is for sure. maybe to start from of it's like an integration and institutional perspective. the pen has a heads until the breakfast referendum actually always lobbied for a frances and underlined that this would be a good idea, but her narrative has changed. i mean in fact, what she is advocating for now is kind of leaving me here. read staying inside because she said that she wants to reinstall the primacy of french and national law over you know, so basically you will all would not even, i would not any more be applied and your members are in france, which basically means you're just in a loose grouping of states that doesn't have any regulatory power and that is also what makes the core of the european union from a bit, from

a pro broader perspective. and this a pen victory would be very bad news for europe. because any deeper integration project would immediately be ended or which is not because huge and particularly in the foreign and security policy. that would be extremely complicated because you always need unanimity among member states to pursue projects here. so if there is a french way to on anything, the recent geo political awakening of the you that we have just seen would have been a short momentum that which unfortunately only make it to history. but i mean eric, so more sorry, i mean i want to ask you something about 1st somebody jack was mentioning and he was saying that the candidacy of eric's and more essentially makes marine le pen look more related or perhaps more palatable to voters. i want to ask you about that . you know, erickson moore is somebody who's twice been convicted for inciting, racial or religious hatred. the fact that he is running does that,

is that something that's normalized marine le pen for, for other voters. that's something that has made her perhaps more palatable to other voters. yeah, exactly. that is true. i do a good job. she, she was normalized by the exam with the candy that goes or he was more extremely of her. so i believe that there is a, she was at the beginning of the campaign, criticizing the posture example, saying that he's in the race. you guys, one more guy, she change her speech about the integration of the french will see people we know everybody knows how to move a slum and slung him. and he was saying is more about the friendship will see people. i was to leave the face and the religion that i would like to come back to the point about the my really been and michael,

don't forget that the minute micro unlocked repents have the same economy program as she is a liberal and he's a liberal. the only come to that to really propose a social reform is jolly criminal shock. once you're also increase the minimum salaries for french people and he knows how french people during the macros president the have been suffering considerably. i would like as well to me, to jewel, to reach, to raise sort of an important point about the, you know, the moment the ideal is your b one in front is still there is still in the south, in the heart of the french people in france i think. busy the crisis is more d, a deeper than the bundle, the, the french election, these fans, and the democratic crisis, which will have to be resolved today. the, for the regime of the rubric is now finished. and that's why, yeah,

the more contact the the, the, the more gotcha crisis is it has to be results in prop jack. he just mentioned john, look national and we heard in natasha butler's report earlier in the program that perhaps his political fortunes may be changing. now do you think that is the case and could he potentially make it to the 2nd round as a candidate? i think it's a bit difficult. last time he was very close to not ended up becoming in position. but last time they were no great candidate and know government is candidate and they've been eating it to and the voters are presenting about 7 and 78 percent. you don't know exactly if they decided to mode fall shortly. but also short been also would have a chance to come 2nd, but i doubt it. and we had to go back to the boy. i mean, it is the climate and from the moment is that there is

a kind of democratic wariness. i would say was it okay, we have an ex shows, but the thing don't shop is sort of was more the same thing. yeah, it's true. we are part of europe in union and a free markets. it's tara governments come to too much because of the short constraints. so there's a desire to go to of a fraud, a table to kick just to be defeating there was the java, brings it in bridge, and we're in the morning to skate at the moment. you said that maybe this gave good, could be images had call you sense. even though contrary to what i mean, say he's not, he hasn't got to say, but he sees money bed and is nothing they already bear or ease socially or, or advocates to social market economy. but they already were old and we can see mean the laughter meeting, you know, that you went to honda. right? saying should arise to 65 and then people are getting super missouri benefits

should of some kind of you know, for much a world of ok. tried to not obligatory work but trading. but that is, same done is made sure that you realize is that easter, when he asked to vote on the left is because some more social measures social raising the minimum pension and so on. quite a few measures go towards a big if you look at his record, you're not that much. i'm not doing too badly compared to the other. the energy prices in prompts have risen by 4 percent in the rest of the use 29 percent. good job. but 50 percent that the french are was to think that it's to reboot any. what we wanted to do was leased an equal countries. i'm sorry, jock, i'm sorry to interrupt you. it's just we are starting to run out of time. i. i do want to ask just another question here. did you, you wrote

a piece recently in which you said, i'm going to quote it. micron is the most euro file president that france has perhaps ever seen. and the quest for european strategic autonomy has characterized his foreign policy over the last 5 years. i know that you were talking about some aspects of this in an earlier answer, but how much has a president micron transformed the you? well, i would say if you had asked that question to me in 2019 or before the covered premises, i would say not really because the call for european. so teaching told me didn't resonate, and his file in his 1st years of presidency. but this completely changed with colors and the recovery plan when you repeat, basically discovered that they are completely dependent on supply chains and need to set up their own capacities and capabilities to deal with these challenges. and also what i think from foreign policy and defense posty perspective is particularly

interesting is that his narrative of european strategic, honda, me, and strengthening european sovereignty has now made it into the language of the institutions. so a lot on the line, the cry, our mission president. so michelle, president of the council, they are all using this word any and that's basically shows that there is kind of a change in thinking on how the new approaches global global challenges. and also when you're looking at what was achieved in terms of new defense initiatives, for example, i would say my cold stretch record is quite yours. so for example, we now have a new rapid deployment for was in the strategic comcast was strategic compost as a document which is kind of a strategic guideline that was just up to the end of the match. and that is characterized also by french influence. so i would say he has transformed the new in terms of methods and also have given an important impetus to the you

to see itself and to stats understanding it says, and the apology collector has also contra transformed. you are because europeans are now working differently together, right? not only in the new, but also coalition of the women. i mean, we only have about a minute and a half left. i just want to ask you about the fact that president micron, you know, he really swept aside the traditional left to right political divide when it comes to french politics by forming this central party. is that something that has completely remade french politics? while my call is out of foot shit in his policies in front during the. ready presidency, but i believe that the up sundays, new fonts, it's very important today. more than 60 percent of the people maybe will not vote people i've been deceived by the president of micro and this is, will also increase the democratic crisis in france. and i'm very worried about the

political tricia in the political mom in front. this is, is a, i mean, a huge warning for the french needs. and the, if we, if my call will not pick seriously the social problems in france and resolve the book, the station, the yellow best in france. this is will go all his pendency is presidency, will be a disaster on the french economy and the political church and will be in symbol already was, will destabilize the order. we have been in our, i will, le, we have run out of time to we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thank you so much. all of our guests have each yet to seen labor and jock along and thank you for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com, and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter or

handle is at ha, inside story. for me, how much am during the whole team here? and uh huh. bye for now. ah and a m u. s. sleep walking their way to war in the struggle over ukraine. here is the test for president joe biden from is really trying to do is rewrite the security architecture in europe. if your personal united states you, sir, if you got to walking through gum at the same time, you're weekly, take on us politics and society, that's the bottom line. april on, i'll just see of frontline reporting and in depth analysis. we bring you the latest

on the ukraine war and the unfolding, humanitarian crisis, immersive personal sorts, documentary africa, direct showcase, african stories from african filmmakers. the campaign for the philippines president the end final fast, but with the country facing it worth assessing year. which candidate will emerge as a front runner. time of pandemic sauce. what the world can learn from the global h. i. v epidemic in the fight against cult 19 emmanuel micron is expected to be re elected as president. that what will a 2nd term mean for france and the u. april on al jazeera, i enjoy bringing my neighbors, my neighbors, children, so they can see and get more comfortable. fives. children are at the heart of america's love affair with weapons. fact that the barrels fell. mom makes a recoil there from the machine. and it's fun. but a new generation is fighting fire with reason we're fighting for voices to be heard,

because we don't want to see any of this. maybe get hurt by a little never again, part of the radicalized youth series on al jazeera. ah, i wrote madison in doha. the top stories a large, a 0, a new video has emerged that appears to show ukrainian forces killing detained russian soldiers. it was a portly shot outside the village on the cliff care, a few kilometers south, west of boucher on march. the 30th russell seller has more from the thrift care on march 12th he it, while the russian, a forces were withdrew him from a nearby town called demetrika. and they had been ambushed here by.