Macron regrets entering France's presidential race late as Le Pen cuts lead

French President EmmanuelMacronvoiced regret on Friday for starting campaigninglateas opinion polls showed him holding a slenderlead over the far-right candidate MarineLePen, who he warned would scare investors away from France.

LePenhas surged in the polls in recent weeks and is expected to face off in the second round againstMacron, whose re-election was thought to be a foregone conclusion even a few weeks ago.

Macronis still ahead in the polls for the second-round match-up, but hislead is within the margin of error.

"Who could have understood six weeks ago that all of sudden I would start political rallies, that I would focus on domestic issues when the war started in Ukraine,"Macrontold RTL radio.

"So it is a fact that I entered (the campaign) evenlater than I wished,"Macronsaid, adding that he retained a "spirit of conquest rather than of defeat."

Watch |Gravitas: France Election: Anti-semitism takes centrestage

IfLePenis elected this month, her social programme will drive away international investors,Macronsaid in an interview with dailyLeParisien.

"Her program will create massive unemployment because it will drive international investors away and it will not hold up budget-wise," he said.

"Her fundamentals have not changed: it is a racist program that aims to divide society and is very brutal."

LePentold France Info radio on Friday: "EmmanuelMacrondoes not know my program... he must think it is that of (far-left contender) Jean-Luc Melenchon."