Paris attack changes face of French elections

Paris, April 21 

The killing of a policeman by a suspected Islamist pushed national security to the top of the French political agenda on Friday, two days before the presidential election, with leading candidates clashing over how to keep citizens safe.

With the first round of voting in the two-stage election to take place on Sunday, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, an anti-EU politician who wants to ditch the euro, seized on the Paris shooting to push her policies on national security.

Le Pen, narrowly trailing frontrunner Emmanuel Macron in opinion polls, said she would take steps to beat “Islamist terrorism” if elected, including introducing tougher immigration and border controls.

Macron, a former economy minister in the government that Le Pen has criticised repeatedly for its security record, said the solutions were not as simple as she suggested. The centrist candidate, a political novice compared with his opponents, said there “no such thing as zero risk” and anyone who said otherwise was irresponsible.

There are four leading candidates in a race that is still too close to call. Sunday’s round of voting will be followed by a second-round runoff on May 7 between the top two candidates. Macron is in the lead with 24 per cent of the first-round vote, ahead of Le Pen who had fallen back slightly to 21.5 per cent, according to an Elabe survey of voter intentions taken before the shooting. Conservative Francois Fillon, a former prime minister, and the far left’s Jean-Luc Melenchon were snapping at their heels with 20 and 19.5 per cent respectively.

The attack on Thursday night on the Champs Elysees boulevard added a new source of unpredictability to a closely contested election that will decide the management of France’s 2.2 trillion euro economy, which vies with Britain for the rank of fifth largest in the world.

The outcome could also have a bearing on France’s place in Europe and the world. Should Le Pen win, it could deal a hammer blow to the European Union, which is still reeling from Britain’s decision to leave the bloc.

All the candidates are seeking to woo the high proportion of people that are undecided about who to vote for - 31 per cent according to an Ipsos poll on Friday.

Fillon also seized on the attack, which was claimed by Islamic State, saying the fight against “Islamist totalitarianism” should be the priority of the next president. “It’s us or them,” he said.

Financial markets though shrugged off the latest twist in the presidential campaign with French bond yields hitting a three-month low on Friday. — Reuters

Fillon: It’s us or them

Francois Fillon on Friday said the fight against “Islamist totalitarianism” should be the priority of the next president. Seizing on Thursday night’s killing of a police officer in an attack claimed by Islamic State, Fillon, who is lagging in opinion polls behind centrist Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen of the far right, told reporters: “We are at war, there is no alternative, it’s us or them.”

"This battle for the freedom and security of the French must be the priority of the next government. It will require an unyielding determination and a cool head. Radical Islam is challenging our values and our strength of character." — Francois Fillon, conservative presidential candidate

Le Pen: Fight ‘Islamist terror’

Marine Le Pen said on Friday that France should immediately reinstate border checks and expel foreigners who are on the watch lists of intelligence services, adding that these were steps she would take, if elected. Le Pen, who has been campaigning on a hardline anti-EU, anti-immigration platform, urged the Socialist government to carry out the battle plan against Islamist terrorism.

"I only ask one last-ditch effort from him (President Hollande) before leaving power: I solemnly ask him to effectively reinstate our borders. Elected president, I would immediately, and with no hesitation, carry out the battle plan against Islamist terror & against judicial laxity." — Marine Le Pen, far-right presidential candidate 

French PM knocks Le Pen, Fillon stance 

• PM Bernard Cazeneuve took aim at Le Pen’s reaction to shooting and also singled out Francois Fillon, criticising his record on security when he was PM
• Cazeneuve knocked back Le Pen’s call on Friday to reinstate border checks and expel foreigners on intelligence watchlists, saying she had voted against the government security efforts previously
• He said le Pen was seeking “to exploit fear without any shame” as there was nothing in the shooting probe linking immigration