Candidates for the French 2017 presidential election, from (L-R), Francois Fillon, Benoit Hamon, Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron, Jean-Luc Melenchon. Photo: ReutersThe killing of a policeman by a suspected Islamist militant pushed national security to the top of the French political agenda on Friday (local time), two days before the presidential election. Anyone who said otherwise was irresponsible, said Macron, a former economy minister in the government that Le Pen has repeatedly criticised for its security record. The first poll conducted entirely after Thursday's attack suggested Le Pen had gained some ground on Macron. While Macron is ardently pro-EU, Le Pen wants to quit its single currency and potentially hold a referendum on leaving the bloc.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 22, 2017 03:58 UTC