whether he has put theirs aptly whether he has put theirs response villages front and centre of an engagement in past weeks, and yes campaign, he has outlined a vision for france. he has built on what we have done the last five yea rs years together. obviously the war in ukraine, he has had a determining factor in the war in ukraine, he's been a key participant, it's absolutely right that he has put those responsibilities front and centre of his engagement in past weeks and he has campaigned, he outlined a vision for france. he has built on what we have done for the last five years together, which is make france competitive again, which is creating jobs in france, which would make france a decisive act of europe. this is what we will outline in the coming weeks. i presume he will outline tonight, the campaign is not over, there are two weeks left. it's absolutely clear that both candidates could theoretically win and we have to keep on fighting until the very last minute to convince every single french person that a better future is with emmanuel macron. why do you think marine le pen did so well? doesn't it show that emmanuel macron is out of touch with the french people?

your poll seems to suggest that the president has come out as the first and the leading candidate in france so i think that's a signal that i don't think he is out of touch at all. but there are people with very different views in france. this is what the presidential election is all about. there is a first round, there are 12 candidates, more than in many democracies. people can outline what they seek in the presidential candidate and then there's a second round with the two frontrunners. and if you believe that france has a decisive factor in tackling climate change, in building our europe tomorrow, in creating a sovereign france, that there is a very clear path for that to happen. marine le pen offers a programme of turning in, of shutting out most of the world, a programme, in my view, which will impoverish the french and that's the alternative that presenting to the french. but make no mistake, we have to fight for the coming weeks for every single voter, and every single voter has expressed, quite reasonably, his own perspective on what path france should take in the coming years. is a trait to raise the pension age for the french people now from 62 to 65? and do you fear as a member of his party a return of the giletjaune? i think it's completely right to do

a real pension reform because our pension system is very, very unfair in france. and what are we saying? we are saying that gradually, as the french live older, we're going to have to push the edge upwards, about four months a year, really, until 65, as you say, in quite a few years. and at the same time, we are going to say every pensioner in france gets a minimum pension of 1,100 euros. that's significantly more than they get today. we are going to make sure the pension system is fairer. so this is not only about an age measure, this is a fundamental reform of our pension system to make it more transparent, to make it more understandable, to make it fairer and to ensure that everybody has a decent pension in france. let's show you the pictures on french television which show emmanuel macron is just arriving at

the headquarters. a lot of pundits here are saying emmanuel macron shouldn't be too triumphalist about the event is now going into a second round on april 24. on that note, interestingly, a poll in the last couple of moments has said in the second round of their predictions are 51% for emmanuel macron and 49% for marine le pen. i think we can show you inside the headquarters now. emmanuel macron is entering the building and will be going up onto that stage injust building and will be going up onto that stage in just a few minutes�* time. but if you have just cut outs, the projections from the first round of the french presidential elections here in paris, despite a narrowing of the polls and a very real belief

in some quarters that marine le pen could well either come close or even pip emanuel mccrone in the first round here, he has won the first round here, he has won the first round by four percentage points over his far right rival marine le pen —— she could come close or even pip emmanuel macron. he has done it again. the first time we caught sight of him back in 2017 when he ran for president without a political party behind him at the age of 39, the youngest political leader in france since napoleon, he absolutely crushed marine le pen in 2017 to take the presidency. he promised a new, unified france but since then he has had the pandemic and before that he had the fuel

protests and the rise in taxation, the cost of living which produced the cost of living which produced the giletjaune —— giletsjaunes protests in 2018 and 2019. he has wanted to reform the unions, the pension age and is talking about reforming the pension age now if he gets that second term. raising it from 62 to 65. he has fought this campaign as a progressive, having effectively emasculated and eviscerated the left and the right in france, but now up against him in the second round, once again, is marine le pen, the leader of the national rally party, the daughter ofjohn marie le pen who in 2002 got into the second round and was crushed byjacques into the second round and was crushed by jacques chirac. into the second round and was crushed byjacques chirac. i'm going to hound you tojessica parker, who

is at the headquarters for emmanuel macron. she can talk as in to this speech now by emmanuel macron who faces the second round on april 24. good evening. mounting excitement here at the election night base for emmanuel macron. down there you can see french flags waving, european union flag is waving, a lot of anticipation for the arrival of the incumbent, the french president who has topped the projections which has caused a lot of relief here this evening because before that projection came through earlier today when we were speaking to supporters milling around the whole as they arrived, there was some apprehension that marine le pen had successfully claimed in the polls. it was looking like it could be a tight race and there were a lot of questions that emmanuel macron was facing as to whether he had been too

complacent in terms of the campaign he had carried out too far —— so far, distracted by issues like the war in ukraine, so although there are those who thought he was right in adopting a statesman—like approach, they will feel vindicated relatively by the result tonight but there is wide acknowledgement as well that there is plenty of work now for the french president to do to try and win around voters because the second round of the presidential election, a very different matter to the first round. no voters choices will be crystallised, it's what we expected according to the polls, is what france has seen before, the choice between marine le pen and emmanuel macron but there is acknowledgement that marine le pen has fought a good campaign so far, has fought a good campaign so far, has clearly for some voters, successfully softened her image, talking about some issues less, less focus, for example, on what has

historically been her anti—eu views but still a focus on things like immigration. for emmanuel macron, one of the issues that has really come to the fore and one he has been accused of ignoring somewhat as the cost of living crisis for france. it has been seen in many countries but during his french presidency so far with giletsjaunes, he knows during his french presidency so far with gilets jaunes, he knows that the french population can cause him political problems and so there is a lot for him to focus on over the next couple of weeks. we expect to see him here on the stage pretty soon and what his supporters have been chanting is that they want to see five more years so i think there is a sense of optimism here tonight because he has topped the poll. the margin wasn't as thin as many people feared it may be but definitely talking to people here, supporters, members of his government, they know there's a lot of work to be done

over the coming weeks as well. we saw him arrive, i thought he might have been onstage by now. it was extraordinary as he was racing towards where you are with his police escorts and some are saying there's a danger he may be too triumphalist, this isjust the there's a danger he may be too triumphalist, this is just the first round as you were saying, the second round as you were saying, the second round on april 24, and he has a lot to win back in terms of trying to persuade people to stick with him because in 2017 he was the new boy. it's interesting what you say about triumphalist, the tone of a campaign is very important. we are hearing some cheers, just keeping an eye out for any arrival of emmanuel macron. you can hear the crowd getting very excited. "he's coming," we are

hearing. we expect him to arrive any moment. they will want to avoid being triumphalist. those who defended his tactics so far in keeping a relatively low profile in the domestic —— in the sense of domestic campaigning but keeping a high profile on the international stage, they say it wasn't really the time to do a really upbeat campaign, that it would be jarring with events in russia and ukraine and that was the right approach. they may feel vindicated tonight to some extent but nobody here is saying that emmanuel macron�*s campaign of recent weeks should be the campaign he goes for over the next two weeks. i certainly think you're going to see a different kind of campaigning from the french president, more energised, probably more focused on domestic issues and tackling marine le pen more as well. so far i think there was a reluctance until very recently to be seen to be getting personal or involves too much in the political fray, personal or involves too much in the politicalfray, some personal or involves too much in the political fray, some of the

mudslinging you can sometimes see in a campaign, but inevitably when you come down to two candidates, things are going to get more and more personal. it’s are going to get more and more ersonal. �* , , , ., personal. it's interesting when you look at his appeal _ personal. it's interesting when you look at his appeal and _ personal. it's interesting when you look at his appeal and the - personal. it's interesting when you look at his appeal and the fact - personal. it's interesting when you look at his appeal and the fact he i look at his appeal and the fact he represents an elite in french society in many ways, he went to the school that all elite french politicians go to, he was a rothschild banker and when you look at his economic record, he's achieved a lot and politically managed to triangulate and poach and cherry pick the best from the left and the right and effectively kill off what was historically the main battle lines in french politics, the battle lines in french politics, the battle between the left and right. yeah, it's easy to forget with all the talk of emmanuel macron versus marine le pen that for a second time

the two traditional parties have been basically knocked out of the race, obliterated, they are in real trouble in french politics. emmanuel macron burst onto the scene five years ago, a new face in a lot of ways, a new party as well, seeing as a kind of fresh pair of hands in french politics but it's only taken five years for him to now be seen as you were saying, or establishment figure —— a more establishment figure. a lot of people here acknowledge it's not always easy for the incumbent in french politics, they don't necessarily favour the incumbent in french politics, they like change, so for emmanuel macron thatis like change, so for emmanuel macron that is an issue as well for him to tackle and to try and break through this image that some people have and his opponents will certainly say as well that he is aloof, that he is part of the elite, he's not looking after the interests of every day french families across the country so i think that certainly will have

to be a focus for him tonight and going forward. it'll be very interesting to hear what his message is this evening because that message will be carefully crafted. probably not to sound too triumphalist, to give his supporters motivation, that's certainly what i can that it is going to want to do at this stage of the race but also to give them ideas or an idea of what the tone and the message will be over the next couple of weeks because you don't have a lot of time to reach voters, they are not necessarily watching the news constant —— everyday. it is something marine le pen and emmanuel macron will be thinking very carefully about, drawing and voters. i’m thinking very carefully about, drawing and voters. i'm reluctant to ull awa drawing and voters. i'm reluctant to pull away from _ drawing and voters. i'm reluctant to pull away from you _ drawing and voters. i'm reluctant to pull away from you because - drawing and voters. i'm reluctant to pull away from you because we - drawing and voters. i'm reluctant to i pull away from you because we waited so long for a manual micron to appear —— emmanuel macron to appear. bear with me if you will. i'm

hearing that he is shortly going to come to the stage. what does this mean for europe as well, where he to win the second round now? and indeed because you follow this from brussels and you know french politics inside out, what would a marine le pen victory mean for europe and the european project? that is a really interesting question because for all the apathy that voters have told us about today, we went to a market in the north of paris and there was a lot of talk of apathy, they might vote but they might do a blank vote for nobody at all, they felt that strong visions were not being set out for france but the truth is, in emmanuel macron and marine le pen, you've got two very different candidates offering very different visions for france, particularly on the issue of the european union. emmanuel macron well known for being pro—eu,

pro—european, talks a lot about european integration and the idea of what more the eu can do together. recently there have been discussions on defence which france has really seen as leading the way on, the idea of an eu army hanging over conversations although that's pretty seen —— that's all the scene is pretty unrealistic. emmanuel macron has long argued for a more clever, integrated european type of defence arrangement. marine le pen, an entirely different prospect. i'm listening to see whether we are expecting emmanuel macron shortly on the stage. it seems as if it is building. we think he is coming very soon. for marine le pen, traditionally seen as anti—eu, she has a soft stance recently, focused on that less. here he comes. emmanuel macron taking to the stage.

supporters waving french flags, eu flags, big relief here in the room tonight but it will be really interesting to hear what he has to say and what his message is going to be notjust to supporters in the room but to the french people as well as he looks to convince more and more of them to back him following the first round. merci beaucoup! translation: my dear compatriots of metropolitan france and abroad, this

sunda the metropolitan france and abroad, this sunday the 10th of april more than 36 million — sunday the 10th of april more than 36 million people used to your right to vote _ 36 million people used to your right to vote. achieved by generations before _ to vote. achieved by generations before and i thank all of you that from _ before and i thank all of you that from this— before and i thank all of you that from this first round, to have voted for me. _ from this first round, to have voted for me. to — from this first round, to have voted for me, to have chosen me, thank you _ for me, to have chosen me, thank you their— for me, to have chosen me, thank you. their trust, their belief in me makes _ you. their trust, their belief in me makes me — you. their trust, their belief in me makes me aware of my duty, makes me commitleu _ makes me aware of my duty, makes me committed. you can count on me to implement— committed. you can count on me to implement the project of progress, openness _ implement the project of progress, openness and french and european independence that we have defended throughout this whole campaign. i

want also — throughout this whole campaign. i want also to thank all those, some here lly— want also to thank all those, some here by nry— want also to thank all those, some here by my side, during these last few years — here by my side, during these last few years have all worked throughout the whole _ few years have all worked throughout the whole territory with energy. you've — the whole territory with energy. you've given your days and nights and i_ you've given your days and nights and i know — you've given your days and nights and i know what i all you, thank you _ and i know what i all you, thank you -- — and i know what i all you, thank you -- i— and i know what i all you, thank you -- i owe _ and i know what i all you, thank you. —— i owe you. chanting i call on all of you who

have worked at my side for six years to transcend differences. to come together in a great political— to come together in a great political movement of unity, of action— political movement of unity, of action for— political movement of unity, of action for our country. i want to thank— action for our country. i want to thank all— action for our country. i want to thank all of— action for our country. i want to thank all of the candidates of the first round. nathalie arthaud, anne hidalgo. _ first round. nathalie arthaud, anne hidalgo, yannickjadot, jean hidalgo, yannick jadot, jean lassalle. _ hidalgo, yannickjadot, jean lassalle, jean—luc melenchon, valerie — lassalle, jean—luc melenchon, valerie pecresse, philippe poutou, thank— valerie pecresse, philippe poutou, thank you — valerie pecresse, philippe poutou, thank you to all of those once again. — thank you to all of those once again. to _ thank you to all of those once again, to have applauded them, i appreciate — again, to have applauded them, i appreciate that. because from the beginning — appreciate that. because from the beginning and for always, we defend

our convictions with strength but respecting all others' convictions, thank— respecting all others' convictions, thank you — respecting all others' convictions, thank you for that. i know the disappointment of candidates whose names— disappointment of candidates whose names and all those who support them and their— names and all those who support them and their voters. our democracy asks all those _ and their voters. our democracy asks all those who believe in their ideas to defend — all those who believe in their ideas to defend them with strength and i appreciate that. and i thank also anne _ appreciate that. and i thank also anne hidalgo, who from this evening has said _ anne hidalgo, who from this evening has said that they will support me in the _ has said that they will support me in the next — has said that they will support me

in the next round. i invite solemnly all of my citizens” _ i invite solemnly all of my citizens,, whatever your beliefs and whatever— citizens,, whatever your beliefs and whatever your choices in the first round, _ whatever your choices in the first round, to — whatever your choices in the first round, tojoin us. some will do it to build _ round, tojoin us. some will do it to build a — round, tojoin us. some will do it to build a wall against the extreme right _ to build a wall against the extreme right in _ to build a wall against the extreme right. i'm fully aware that that might— right. i'm fully aware that that might not be the support of our particular— might not be the support of our particular project, but i respect it, particular project, but i respect it. but— particular project, but i respect it. but i— particular project, but i respect it, but i know that is the choice of jean-luc— it, but i know that is the choice of jean—luc melenchon. but here, i want to say— jean—luc melenchon. but here, i want to say and _ jean—luc melenchon. but here, i want to say and thank the clarity and the

response _ to say and thank the clarity and the response to them, to make sure they cannot— response to them, to make sure they cannot pass _ response to them, to make sure they cannot pass or come through, not to allow— cannot pass or come through, not to allow the _ cannot pass or come through, not to allow the extreme right to come through — allow the extreme right to come through. but in this moment, decisive — through. but in this moment, decisive moment, for the future of our nation, — decisive moment, for the future of our nation, nothing must be as before — our nation, nothing must be as before. that is why i hope to out stretch _ before. that is why i hope to out stretch nry — before. that is why i hope to out stretch my hand to all those who want _ stretch my hand to all those who want to — stretch my hand to all those who want to work for france, i am ready to create _ want to work for france, i am ready to create something new, to bring together— to create something new, to bring together all the different convictions and beliefs in order to build _ convictions and beliefs in order to build with— convictions and beliefs in order to build with them a joint and communal action— build with them a joint and communal action in— build with them a joint and communal action in the _ build with them a joint and communal action in the service of our nation in the _ action in the service of our nation in the years— action in the service of our nation in the years to come. it is all of our duties _

in the years to come. it is all of our duties. to all my compatriots who turned — our duties. to all my compatriots who turned and decided abstention or extreme _ who turned and decided abstention or extreme thoughts because they are angry— extreme thoughts because they are angry at— extreme thoughts because they are angry at inequality that continues, at the _ angry at inequality that continues, at the technological disorder, daily insecurity— at the technological disorder, daily insecurity of difficulty to live with — insecurity of difficulty to live with dignity, even when working hard. _ with dignity, even when working hard, because they don't feel sufficiently represented, listened, brought _ sufficiently represented, listened, brought in, i want to convince them in the _ brought in, i want to convince them in the days— brought in, i want to convince them in the days to come that our project. _ in the days to come that our project. a _ in the days to come that our project, a revision, is a much more solid _ project, a revision, is a much more solid one _ project, a revision, is a much more solid one to — project, a revision, is a much more solid one to deal with their fears and the — solid one to deal with their fears and the challenges to come. because we cannot make a mistake, nothing _ because we cannot make a mistake, nothing is _

because we cannot make a mistake, nothing is decided in the debates we will have _ nothing is decided in the debates we will have in— nothing is decided in the debates we will have in the next 15 days are decisive — will have in the next 15 days are decisive for our country and for europe — we want an independent france, strong, — we want an independent france, strong, scientifically, technologically, economically, militarily, agriculturally. we want this france — militarily, agriculturally. we want this france that allows full employment, is a serious, deals with our education, our hospitals, our pensions, — our education, our hospitals, our pensions, our public services. we want _ pensions, our public services. we want a _ pensions, our public services. we want a france that rises to the climate — want a france that rises to the climate challenge. renewable energy and ecological planning. through

ecology, — and ecological planning. through ecology, heating and energy bills will go _ ecology, heating and energy bills will go down. new energy, new technology, we want a more fair france, — technology, we want a more fair france, for— technology, we want a more fair france, for our foreign territories, for the _ france, for our foreign territories, for the whole of the hexagon, we want _ for the whole of the hexagon, we want a _ for the whole of the hexagon, we want a france that can deal with the crises _ want a france that can deal with the crises to— want a france that can deal with the crises to come, that uses science, reason, _ crises to come, that uses science, reason, skill— crises to come, that uses science, reason, skillas crises to come, that uses science, reason, skill as we have over the last months— reason, skill as we have over the last months and years. i want a france — last months and years. i want a france that— last months and years. i want a france that fights against islamic separatism that allows the division of state. _ separatism that allows the division of state, and for people to have their— of state, and for people to have their own — of state, and for people to have their own religion, not a france that— their own religion, not a france that stops—

their own religion, not a france that stops people eating as required by their— that stops people eating as required by their religion, that is not who we are — by their religion, that is not who we are , — by their religion, that is not who we are , i— by their religion, that is not who we are. , iwant by their religion, that is not who we are. , i want a france that allows— we are. , i want a france that allows progress for all, for elders, for children, workers, families, women, — for children, workers, families, women, for— for children, workers, families, women, for anybody in poverty, not a france _ women, for anybody in poverty, not a france that— women, for anybody in poverty, not a france that regresses. i won't france _ france that regresses. i won't france that regresses. i won't france that is part of a strong europe, — france that is part of a strong europe, continues to create ties with other— europe, continues to create ties with other democracies —— i want a france _ with other democracies —— i want a france that— with other democracies —— i want a france that is — with other democracies —— i want a france that is part of a strong furope~ — france that is part of a strong europe. not a france that would leave _ europe. not a france that would leave europe and pander to populism and xenophobia. that is not france. i and xenophobia. that is not france. i want _ and xenophobia. that is not france. i want a _ and xenophobia. that is not france. i want a france that is faithful.

faithful— i want a france that is faithful. faithful to— i want a france that is faithful. faithful to humanism, to the enlightenment, to our great ideals founded _ enlightenment, to our great ideals founded before. that is the france ic founded before. that is the france it on _ founded before. that is the france it on the _ founded before. that is the france ic on the 24th of april and by your vote. i will use all of my will to make — your vote. i will use all of my will to make sure we can have a better quality _ to make sure we can have a better quality of — to make sure we can have a better quality of life, spending power. the only credible vision is the only project _ only credible vision is the only project for— only credible vision is the only project for workers is for those who are at— project for workers is for those who are at the _ project for workers is for those who are at the end and struggling is our vision, _ are at the end and struggling is our vision, the — are at the end and struggling is our vision, the only project for france, of europe —

vision, the only project for france, of europe that is valid is our one. i of europe that is valid is our one. i believe — of europe that is valid is our one. i believe in — of europe that is valid is our one. i believe in all of us, whatever our path. _ i believe in all of us, whatever our path. or— i believe in all of us, whatever our path, or social standing, whoever you are, — path, or social standing, whoever you are, your origins, it's all of us, _ you are, your origins, it's all of us, whatever our opinions and our beliefs, _ us, whatever our opinions and our beliefs, we — us, whatever our opinions and our beliefs, we are altogether, that is what _ beliefs, we are altogether, that is what france is about. so for the next 15 days, let us work hard _ so for the next 15 days, let us work hard. nothing is decided. be determined, able, go and convince others _ determined, able, go and convince others so _ determined, able, go and convince others so that on the 24th of april, we can— others so that on the 24th of april, we can make the choice for a new era of france _ we can make the choice for a new era of france we — we can make the choice for a new era of france. we can make a choice for hope _ of france. we can make a choice for hope 0n— of france. we can make a choice for

hope 0n the — of france. we can make a choice for hope. on the 24th of april, we can make _ hope. on the 24th of april, we can make a _ hope. on the 24th of april, we can make a choice for france and for europe _ make a choice for france and for europe together. long live the republic. long live france. i europe together. long live the republic. long live france. lam counting — republic. long live france. lam counting on _ republic. long live france. lam counting on you. chanting. lam counting i am counting on you, nothing has been _ i am counting on you, nothing has been decided so come on, let's go forward _

studio: emmanuel macron hasjust studio: emmanuel macron has “ust finished speaking, i studio: emmanuel macron has “ust finished speaking, leaving �* studio: emmanuel macron has “ust finished speaking, leaving the h studio: emmanuel macron hasjustj finished speaking, leaving the stage and making his way through the crowd of supporters. he was ecstatic with the words he had to see this evening. they are still cheering as he leaves with his wife. amongst his supporters, clearly looking pretty happy this evening. marine le pen's campaign in recent weeks gave emmanuel macron's supporters and campaign something of a scare. it was interesting listening to what he had to say during his speech just now. something he capped emphasising, nothing is decided so i think what he's trying to do there as he has come out on top but he doesn't want any kind of complacency. there is acknowledgement there is a lot of work to be done. he's been accused of being slow off the mark in this campaign. ithink of being slow off the mark in this campaign. i think there's a feeling there is some ground to make up, not just in terms of support but really

being seen to tackle particular issues that marine le