Fascist, dirty liberal, racist, elitist - the violent dislike in this French election is startling.
Finding a French election poster for either top candidate that hasn't yet been defaced is almost like a treasure hunt.
"Marine", as she now likes to be known, has tried oh so very hard to rebrand herself as a patriotic centrist. Nagette, a young Muslim office worker, told me Le Pen could '"change her mask as often as she liked" but that she remained far-right in her roots and policies.When I followed Le Pen on her campaign trail in the south of France a few days ago, her press officers had us journalists meet them in a car park at an arranged time. We then were left to hang around irritably, until they suddenly announced the name of the village Marine Le Pen would imminently appear in for a campaign event.
It's about choosing "the best of the worst", people tell you. Preventing the most odious candidate from taking office. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, told me he thought the wider world, not only Europe, was aware of what was at stake in this election: two visions of the future of France and two visions of the future of Europe, he said.Brussels and Washington are watching the vote extremely closely, crossing their metaphorical fingers. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and well-known Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny have both called for Macron to be re-elected.
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