A new poll shows that Marine Le Pen would beat French President Emmanuel Macron in a head-to-head rematch, making the left’s struggle against Macron’s pension attack a struggle for democracy in France.

By Kenny Stancil.  Published 4-7–2023 by Common Dreams

A demonstration on the 11th day of nationwide strikes against the government’s proposal to raise the retirement age in Paris, France on April 6, 2023. Photo: Alexandros Michailidis/Twitter

 As French workers intensify their fight against President Emmanuel Macron’s deeply unpopular plan to raise the nation’s retirement age from 62 to 64, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

A poll released Wednesday shows that reactionary lawmaker Marine Le Pen—leader of the far-right National Rally party, the largest opposition force in Parliament—would beat Macron by a margin of 55% to 45% in a head-to-head rematch. The neoliberal incumbent defeated Le Pen in a runoff election last April, but the openly xenophobic and Islamophobic challenger has gained significant ground since their first matchup in 2017.