French elections: Le Pen says 'victory has never been so near', urges France to defeat the 'elitist bloc'

The election race in France is quickly gaining steam, with the top two contenders incumbent President Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen giving each other tough competition.

Le Pen on Thursday held a major rally in the southern city of Avignon, addressing around 4,000 supporters, she said that "victory has never been so near."

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Taking aim at her contender Macron, she said that he was "not the man of a new era but the last avatar of a system that has run its course", adding that in her opinion, it is time to put an end to a system that “has run out of breath."

Centrist leader Macron and Le Pen finished first and second respectively in the first phase of elections on April 10th. Third in the race was hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon. They now face a run-off vote on April 24th.

Before that, on April 20, the two will meet for a live debate, which will be carried live on French television, a critical event in the campaign's last phase.

Seeking to reach out to the left-wing voters, Le Pen during her Thursday rally urged France to defeat elitism and oligarchy in the elections geared to take place this month.

Watch |French Election 2022: Marine Le Pen's agenda sends shockwaves through Europe

Her comments come after the incumbent President received public support for his predecessor Francois Hollande. A socialist, Hollande urged people to back Macron in round two, alleging that Le Pen "was putting our principles into doubt".

Speaking to TF1 Television, he explained that he wants the French to vote for the incumbent "for the sake of the cohesion of France" and its "European future".

Macron also has the backing of right-wing former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Calling the 24 April run-off a showdown between the people and oligarchy Le Pen added “the popular bloc will come face-to-face with the elitist bloc."

As per the phase 1 results, Macron has a slight lead over Le Pen. However, as per an AFP report,an Opinonway poll released on Wednesday showed thatMacron has 53 per cent support while Le Pen has 47 per cent.

But even such a margin is too close for comfort for Macron supporters, who won nearly 66 per cent of the vote against Le Pen in the 2017 run-off election.

(With inputs from agencies)