France has long feared a terror attack in the run-up to the presidential election. What impact will the Champs-Elysées shooting of a policeman that was claimed by terror group Isis have on Sunday’s crucial first round vote?
The news that a policeman had been shot dead on the famous Champs-Elysées avenue broke as the 11 presidential candidates were appearing live on TV in a show dubbed “15 minutes to convince” France.
The far-right Marine Le Pen had not long finished her 15-minute slot when it became clear that France had been hit by another jihadist attack against its forces of law and order. An attack quickly claimed by terror group Isis.
Hence the reason the government extended the state of emergency to cover the campaign.
The immediate impact of Thursday night’s attack saw Marine Le Pen, François Fillon and Emmanuel Macron announce they were suspending their campaigns. They all cancelled meetings on Friday, the last official day of campaigning.
Although events have been cancelled the candidates haven’t quite gone quiet.
Marine Le Pen, who has seen her campaign tail off in recent weeks launched an attack on previous governments.
“This war is being waged without mercy and without respite,” she said in a statement at her headquarters.
“Everyone will understand that we can not lose it, but for the last ten years, under the governments of the Right and the Left, everything was done for us to lose it,” she said.
Far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon refused to cancel his last day of campaigning, not wanting to give the terrorists the last word or allow them to “disturb our democratic process”. Macron and Hamon are due to give speeches later.
Both Macron and Hamon urged the French public not to “give in to fear”, a familiar call in recent years.
And what about the voters?
With no major attack in France since Nice in July last year the issue of terrorism and security had been relegated down the order of top priorities for voters.
Finding a way to boost the country’s sluggish economy and cut unemployment had become the number one concern for voters, but experts and candidates alike feared that would change if there was further bloodshed.
Even before Thursday’s attack Marine Le Pen has sought to push the issue of terrorism back to the forefront this week arguing that the attacks in Nice and at the Bataclan would not have happened under her watch.
Those statements were ridiculed by many.
In all the analysis of whether Le Pen could pull off another shock populist election victory experts had said it was unlikely, but had all warned that an “outside event” such as a terror attack could boost her support, given she is seen as being the most uncompromising on how to deal with the terror threat against France. Even without campaigning she has made her positions clear: close the borders, expel suspects, and strip them of French nationality (if they are dual nationals).
US president Donald Trump, whose own populist victory was celebrated by Marine Le Pen reckoned that attack will have a “big impact” on the poll.
“Another terrorist attack in Paris. The people of France will not take much more of this. Will have a big impact on presidential election,” Trump tweeted. Was he suggesting a boost for fellow populist Le Pen?
