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French President Emmanuel Macron rallies supporters in Marseille on Saturday, hoping to sway voters who placed the left’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the lead during the first round of France’s presidential election a week ago.
Macron faces far-right challenger Marine Le Pen in a run-off election on April 24, with polls pointing to a tight race.
The French president, who hails from northern France, has sought to cultivate ties with Marseille during his term in office.
He unveiled a plan aimed at tackling the city’s drug-related violence and gang killings during a visit in September.
But he was soundly beaten in last Sunday’s first round of voting, trailing veteran leftist Mélenchon in Marseille by 9 percentage points.
Both Macron and Le Pen are scrambling to reach out to left-wing voters who find themselves without a preferred candidate in the second round.
The far-right candidate still trails the incumbent in the polls, though she has significantly narrowed the gap since she lost a lopsided contest five years ago.
The most recent polls have shown a tight contest between Macron and Le Pen, albeit with signs that the president may be slightly extending his lead.
A pivotal moment in the final phase of the campaign will come on April 20 when the two meet for their only live debate of the whole campaign broadcast live on French television.
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