![France's Macron faces anger over prices on campaign trail](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/34/2c/4c/France-s-Macron-faces-anger-over-pr-268864.jpg)
-
Venezuela takes diplomatic jab at Brazil in spat over election
-
Multiple people shot along highway in US state of Kentucky
-
'Super proud' Sabalenka downs Pegula to win US Open thriller
-
In Papua New Guinea, Pope holds mass 'at the edge of the world'
-
Hewett stays positive for wheelchair tennis despite agonising defeat
-
Three things on US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka
-
Sabalenka downs Pegula to win US Open thriller
-
USA men land Paralympic basketball three-peat, Jiang takes 7th swim gold
-
USA slump to first home defeat against Canada in 67 years
-
Argentina hand Australia record 67-27 loss in Rugby Championship
-
England impress on Carsley bow, Germany, Dutch hit five
-
AFP photographer wins top prize for Gaza coverage
-
No Love for Packers for three weeks after ligament sprain: reports
-
Pedro Almodovar: chronicler of modern Spain crowned in Venice
-
Almodovar wins top Venice prize for end-of-life film
-
Trump sounds dark tone at rally, Harris 'ready' for debate
-
Wirtz and Musiala dazzle to kick-start new Germany era
-
Chinese teenager takes 7th gold of Paris Paralympics
-
England interim boss Carsley 'respects' divided opinions over anthem
-
Neuville moves to the front in the Acropolis Rally
-
Garfield, Pugh charm Toronto in new romance 'We Live in Time'
-
21 boys confirmed dead in Kenya school inferno
-
Over 100,000 protest in France against new prime minister
-
Golden 30 minutes takes China to swimming Paralympics swimming domination
-
Green leads Australia to T20 series sweep of Scotland
-
Nigeria, Cameroon win afer chaotic AFCON build-ups
-
Nicole Kidman: A-lister, cinematic chameleon, wins in Venice
-
'I had to prove myself', says Kolisi after win against All Blacks
-
Almodovar wins top prize at Venice film festival
-
Grealish savours England redemption after 'worst summer'
-
Carsley makes flying start as England interim boss in win over Ireland
-
Springboks close on Rugby Championship with storming win over All Blacks
-
Sri Lanka's De Silva and Kamindu Mendis defy England in third Test
-
Farrell's Racing lose on opening day of Top 14
-
Ireland and UK to 'reset' relations as Starmer visits Dublin
-
Dunbar takes second Vuelta stage as Roglic closes in on victory
-
Fritz eyes US Open glory to end 21 years of American hurt
-
Thousands protest in France against new prime minister
-
Death toll from Kenya school blaze rises to 21
-
Brazil's right rallies for 'freedom' after X suspended
-
Trump to hold rally in swing state, Harris preps for debate
-
Stone at the double as Sri Lanka collapse against England in third Test
-
French tennis player takes legal action over online abuse
-
Italy backs Kyiv's 'legitimate defence' as Zelensky presses allies
-
The Body Shop rescued from administration after deal
-
Martin roars to victory in San Marino sprint, extends MotoGP lead
-
Smoke and screams: The horror of Kenya's school dorm inferno
-
MotoGP leader Martin roars to victory in San Marino sprint
-
Ireland and UK to 'reset' relations as Starmer begins Dublin visit
-
Ma Lin turns brutal encounter with bear into glorious Paralympic career
![France's Macron faces anger over prices on campaign trail](https://www.berlinertageblatt.de/media/shared/articles/34/2c/4c/France-s-Macron-faces-anger-over-pr-268864.jpg)
France's Macron faces anger over prices on campaign trail
French President Emmanuel Macron faced voters worried about their incomes and rising energy prices on Monday as he hit the campaign trail less than two weeks from elections.
Switching from his lofty perch as head of state to the rough and tumble of domestic politics, Macron travelled to the eastern town of Dijon for a classic pre-election walkabout and a visit to a high school.
"Do you find it normal that I can't live off my income?" a 46-year-old salesman asked him during one stop. "Everything is going up... put yourself in the position of a French family. It can't carry on, people will go nuts."
Macron pointed to a government-ordered cut of petrol prices by 18 centimes ($0.20 cents) that will come into force on Friday, as well as caps on gas and electricity prices at a cost of 20 billion euros ($22 billion).
"There isn't magic money," he explained, while claiming that he was "the one who is doing the most" in Europe to try to lessen the impact of inflation on households.
Macron has so far largely shunned the presidential campaign, insisting that he has had to focus on the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently the war in Ukraine.
Monday marked the start of the official campaign period running up to the first round of voting on April 10, with all 12 candidates now entitled to equal time and space in the domestic media.
The top two candidates in the first round will go through to a run-off on April 24.
- 'Things can still change' -
The 44-year-old head of state is the current favourite to win, with the war in Ukraine seen as helping raise his profile, while veteran far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is running in second place, polls suggest.
A new survey by the Ipsos/Sopra Steria group published in Le Monde newspaper on Monday showed Macron at 28 percent ahead of the first round, down a point, while Le Pen gained 1.5 points to 17.5 percent.
In a runoff between the two, the poll suggested Le Pen had closed the gap to 47 percent versus 53 percent for Macron, a much smaller margin than most other surveys.
"Victory is so close, if the people vote, the people will win," her National Rally party wrote on Twitter as it highlighted the survey.
Le Pen continues to run a low-key campaign that has seen her tone down her usual hardline rhetoric on immigration in favour of focusing on household income, voters' biggest priority according to polls.
Macron also took aim at rival far-right opponent Eric Zemmour on Monday after weekend images from his rally in Paris in which the crowd can be heard chanting "Killer Macron."
Zemmour, a former TV pundit running an anti-immigrant campaign, was criticising the government at the time for letting what he called foreign criminals into the country, a small number of which have been involved in murders.
Macron allies have criticised Zemmour for failing to condemn the chants, while Zemmour's team has said he did not hear them.
"There are two theories: the first is that it is a shameful act, which seems to be the most credible, but is not a surprise," Macron told reporters in bright spring sunshine.
"The second one is that there's a lack of knowledge about a very important reform during my term in office," he added, explaining how the cost of hearing aids was now fully covered by the social security system.
"I invite the hard-of-hearing candidate to get himself sorted out at lower cost," he added.
Zemmour, who soared in opinion polls last autumn while teasing his presidential ambitions, has since slipped to fourth or fifth.
Frederic Dabi, a leading polling expert at the Ifop group, stressed that the race remained unpredictable despite Macron's apparent strength in voter surveys.
O.Krause--BTB