(AFP) President Emmanuel Macron has clashed with his rival Marine Le Pen over her plan to ban women from wearing the Islamic headscarf in public, with an eye on the votes of Muslims in the second round of elections.
Le Pen on April 24 will seek to cause the greatest upset in modern French political history by defeating Macron in a run-off in presidential elections.
While polls indicate Macron is ahead, they also point to a far tighter race between the centrist and the far-right leader than in their 2017 run-off.
Analysts say one reason for her advance is Le Pen’s success in cultivating a more moderate image and portraying herself as the candidate best equipped to deal with problems like rising prices.
