[crowd chanting]
[woman speaks native language]
[cheers and applause]
-In 2016, the southern French city of Marseille
was one of the first places Emmanuel Macron went to
on his campaign to become president of France.
He's frequently returned to the city over the past few years,
and he's described it as the city of his heart.
But in the first round of the election, on April 10th,
Macron got relatively few votes here,
while the far left and the far right made strong gains.
-April 24th may be the starting point
of a new French and Europeans era,
that of hope,
that of the climate, that of ambition.
Yes, we will win!
-Macron remains the front-runner to win
the decisive second round of the election on April 24th.
But in many ways, his failure to win in Marseille
reflects some of the broader issues
that have mired his campaign.
And they also help explain why the far right candidate,
Marine Le Pen, has polled better than some had expected.
Macron has faced criticism that he has acted aloof
and behaved like a president of the rich.
-President Emmanuel Macron is a president
who doesn't seem connected to his people.
He doesn't seem concerned by the problems that are on the rise
and not very accessible.
-His efforts to counter that criticism
have focused on cities like Marseille,
where he announced a major plan last year
to boost government spending
on social affairs, schools, and hospitals.
Some of his supporters at the rally here in Marseille
said that those initiatives show
that he's headed into the right direction.
[cheers and applause]
-He's not at all a president of the rich.
There have been measures to liberalize the economy,
but those liberal reforms have made it possible
to gain purchasing power.
-But many of his critics are unconvinced
that those initiatives really will make a difference
in a city that has some of the highest poverty rates in Europe.
-He got us into debt after debt.
We now need to have a future that doesn't include Macron.
-Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen has portrayed herself
as more moderate than five years ago
and also more attuned to their economic and social concerns.
-As soon as I started my campaign,
I integrated into my presidential platform
to give back to the French 150 to 200 Euros,
on average, per month and per household,
because I can well see that they can no longer get through it,
including the middle class, who, today,
can no longer survive.
-She spent most of her campaign talking about rising inflation
and the rising cost of living.
Those are issues that really have resonated with a lot of voters,
especially as the war in Ukraine has amplified those concerns.
-Macron removed subsidies.
He removed contributions. He removed social assistance.
He removed all that to give to whom?
Not to the French. Never to the French.
The way to stop Macron is Le Pen, and I say it --
Marine Le Pen!
[cheers and applause]
-A Le Pen victory in the second round on April 24th
would mark the first far-right presidency
in the history of France.
It would also upend European politics
and replace one of the most fervent supporters
of the European Union, Emmanuel Macron,
with someone who's really known for quite empty E.U. statements.
-I will bring together the European heads of state
and government to discuss the changes needed
to put the European authorities
back at the service of the people
and gradually transform the European Union
into a European alliance of nations.
[cheers and applause]
-For many left-wing voters in cities like Marseille,
the key question now is whether to vote Macron,
Le Pen, or to abstain.
-In the first round, I voted for neither of the two
who made it to the runoff.
If the gap is really too tight between Macron and Le Pen,
in this case, we will not risk, and we will vote Macron.
♪♪