The French presidential race has officially got under way with the official release of the final list of candidates. Eight men and four women are vying for the top job at the Élysée palace, including incumbent Emmanuel Macron, who held his first campaign event amid the Ukraine crisis. Our reporter Claire Paccalin followed him on the campaign trail.
Last week, we told you about the French sponsorship system. This Monday marked the end of the endorsement period: the presidential race has officially begun and twelve candidates are now on the starting line.
A few days after announcing his re-election bid, Emmanuel Macron is the overwhelming favourite to come out on top in the second round run-off on April 24. The incumbent finally kicked off his campaign with a forum in Poissy, a suburb northwest of Paris. He promised that he would be "president as long as [he has to], and candidate whenever [he can]" amid the Ukraine crisis.
FRANCE 24's Claire Paccalin reports from the event, which bore a striking resemblance to the "Great National Debate" created to find solutions to the social unrest that rocked France during the Yellow Vest crisis.
Finally, our campaign commentator Angela Diffley tells us more about the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the French presidential campaign. The conflict has put NATO-sceptic candidates in a tight spot.
