As riots overshadow Macron’s final months in office, presidential hopefuls jockey to succeed him

PARIS (AP) — Emmanuel Macron, a centrist, has entered the final stretch of his decade-long presidency as France faces a wave of intense protests, with little sign he can prevent a candidate from the political extremes from succeeding him. On the eve of a major protest planned for Oct. 17, he was photographed at a Celine Dion concert.

Early Monday morning, with French cities still smoldering and littered with wreckage from the riots, Macron was flying abroad to secure a favorable fuel supply deal. Presidential contenders on the far right and far left seized on the unrest to attack him. Macron himself acknowledged “failures” in planning and intelligence gathering.

Constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term, the centre-right president entered the crisis with his popularity at its lowest since he took office in 2017 — below even the levels recorded during the “yellow vest” protests against social injustice and inequality that began in 2018. He has yet to endorse a candidate, and it is unclear how much influence his backing would carry. Polls show moderates trailing far-right and far-left contenders.

With further protests planned for Thursday and Saturday, here is a look at France’s political landscape and how candidates are positioning themselves to succeed Macron. The far right seeks to broaden support for Le Pen’s bid Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, seen as the favorite in next year’s election, has sought to turn anger over the riots into support for her presidential bid, presenting herself as the alternative to a government she described as powerless. “We are facing a state that is collapsing,” Le Pen told broadcaster FranceInfo on Wednesday.

“We are facing a government in its final days that has, in reality, lost its grip and can no longer maintain control,” she said, blaming the violence on “far-left rioters” and “looters from the suburbs.” Earlier this year, a Paris appeals court cleared a path for Le Pen to run by shortening a ban on seeking public office that had threatened her presidential ambitions. And now she is “the only candidate to capitalize on this event,” according to Frédéric Dabi, director general of Ifop, a pollster. That makes it hard to imagine her failing to reach the election’s runoff, he added.

Jordan Bardella, president of Le Pen’s National Rally party, has urged citizens to channel their anger into votes and promis… Polls show moderates trailing far-right and far-left contenders.With further protests planned for Thursday and Saturday, here is a look at France’s political landscape and how candidates are positioning themselves to succeed Macron.The far right seeks to broaden support for Le Pen’s bidFar-right leader Marine Le Pen, seen as the favorite in next year's election, has sought to turn anger over the riots into support for her presidential bid, presenting herself as the alternative to a government she described as powerless.“We are facing a state that is collapsing,” Le Pen told broadcaster FranceInfo on Wednesday.