The position of Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen on Ukraine, the economy and immigration

It is the crucial moment for voters in France, as incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, will meet far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen of the National Rally at the polls for Sunday’s final presidential vote. With foreign policy an issue as war rages in eastern Europe, coupled with concerns about inflation in one of the world’s largest economies, the stakes could not be higher.

Here’s a look at their key proposals.

What would they do with Ukraine?

Macron has played a key role in international talks on supporting Ukraine amid the war and imposing sanctions on Russia. His prominence on the international stage in the early stages of the race gave him an initial boost in the polls, but impeded his ability to campaign effectively.

Macron’s government says it has sent 100 million euros in weapons to Ukraine since the Russian invasion and Macron promises to continue this support and “significantly” strengthen the capabilities and cooperation of the European armed forces. He has supported sanctions against Russia and EU unity on the issue, comparing the presidential vote to a “referendum on Europe”, saying his rival wants to trigger a “Frexit” in all but name.

For years, Le Pen has cultivated ties with Moscow, receiving a €9 million loan from a Russian bank in 2014 and meeting Putin in 2017. She acknowledged that the Russian invasion of Ukraine “partially” changed her opinion of Putin, saying that he was “wrong” and was “unacceptable”. She says that she supports the Ukrainian people and that refugees should be welcomed.

Le Pen is skeptical about arms supplies to Ukraine, opposes oil and gas sanctions and is wary of NATO as she wants France to remain a member but with a reduced role. Le Pen no longer calls for a referendum on leaving the EU or withdrawing from the euro.

What about the economy?

A former economist and banker, Macron has defended startups and promises “full employment.” The unemployment rate fell during his 2017-2022 term to its lowest level in a generation. He is dubbed “president of the rich” by some voters for abolishing a wealth tax and some of his comments about the poor.

He wants to progressively raise the retirement age from 62 to 65 years, increase the minimum monthly pension and increase the salary of teachers. He wants companies to be able to give employees an untaxed bonus of up to €6,000 and has spent billions to limit energy bills.

Le Pen has tapped into frustration among working-class voters over inflation and promises to cut taxes on energy and essential goods. He wants to keep the minimum retirement age at 62 and proposes that anyone who started working at 20 could retire at 60.

He wants to increase the minimum pension and end the income tax for those under 30 years of age. She wants companies to raise salaries by 10 percent and raise teachers’ salaries over the next five years. She claims that she could finance this by cutting back on “mass immigration.”

Are they talking about climate change?

Although Macron was associated with the slogan “Make the planet great again,” his green credentials are mixed. He capitulated to the “yellow vest” protesters by scrapping a fuel tax increase. He is committed to building new generation nuclear reactors and developing solar power and offshore wind farms. Macron promises that his next prime minister will be in charge of environmental planning as France seeks to become carbon neutral by 2050. He also promises more public transport across the country to wean people away from car dependency.

Le Pen has won the support of rural regions by campaigning against wind farms, promising to decommission them and invest in nuclear and hydroelectric power. He would also eliminate renewable energy subsidies. She wants to force schools to serve most French farm products in their cafeterias instead of imported foods.

How would they approach immigration?

This has been the central pillar of Le Pen’s party for generations. Le Pen’s plans include ending family reunification policies, restricting social benefits to French people only, and deporting foreigners who remain unemployed for more than a year and other immigrants who entered illegally. She wants French citizens to be expedited over foreigners for social services. This plan to create a “national preference” for French citizens in terms of employment, benefits, welfare and housing could violate EU law and cause problems in Brussels.

Macron has taken a harder line on immigration as he has sought support from right-wing voters. He promotes the strengthening of the external borders of the European passport-free area and the creation of a new force to better control national borders. He promises to speed up the processing of asylum applications and residence permits and to deport those who are not eligible.

What are the other big problems?

Le Pen wants citizens to be able to have a direct say in laws by allowing them to propose referendums if they get 500,000 signatures backing them. For this, the constitution would have to be revised. This was a key demand of the anti-Macron yellow vest protesters, who saw him as too powerful and out of touch with everyday concerns.

Among Le Pen’s most controversial proposals is a promised law banning the Muslim headscarf in all public places. She calls the dress an “Islamist uniform” that spreads a radical view of the religion. Macron is a staunch defender of French secularism, but warns that this ban could lead to a “civil war”. Since France has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe, this constituency’s vote could play a role in the second round.