Pensions, energy, defence, old age, but also the future of Corsica… There will be many stumbling blocks in this between-two rounds of the 2022 presidential campaign. Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen are once again entering the ring as in 2017, with respectively 28.5% and 23.6% of the votes in the first round.
Everything suggests a priori that their differences relate to the same themes as five years ago. But time has passed and the two finalists in the race for the Élysée no longer fight over the same subjects. Le Parisien takes stock of the main differences noted in their programs.
On pensions
This is one of the major measures – contested even in his camp – of Emmanuel Macron’s program: the president-candidate wants to implement a gradual extension of the retirement age to 65. This reform would take into account the long careers, the disability and the difficulty of each profession, he assures. Emmanuel Macron also proposes to increase the minimum pension to 1,100 euros per month, which today is 713.11 euros for a person who has contributed at least 120 quarters to the general scheme.
Marine Le Pen does not plan to raise the retirement age. It also proposes to allow those who started working before the age of 20 – and who justify 40 annual installments – to retire at 60. Marine Le Pen offers a minimum pension of 1,000 euros.
In summary : Retirement age gradually brought to 65 – with some exceptions – and minimum pension raised to 1,100 euros per month for Emmanuel Macron. For Marine Le Pen, legal retirement age maintained at 62, lowered to 60 for careers started before age 20, and minimum retirement at 1,000 euros.
On taxation
The candidate-president intends to modify the rights of succession in direct line by passing from 100,000 to 150,000 euros of abatement. Marine Le Pen wants to abolish taxes on direct inheritance for the most modest families, without however specifying a precise threshold. It also intends to exempt those under 30 from income tax. Regarding the TV license fee, both intend to remove it but this is conditional on the privatization of public broadcasting for Marine Le Pen.
In summary : Emmanuel Macron proposes to increase the reduction of charges on the direct succession of heirs from 100,000 to 150,000 euros. Marine Le Pen wants to abolish this tax for the most modest families. Both want to remove the contribution to public broadcasting.
On social assistance
Emmanuel Macron undertakes to ensure that social aid is paid automatically “at source” in order to be sure that the “20 million French people” who benefit from the RSA, the activity bonus, housing aid or allowances families receive their due and in order to fight against fraud.
Marine Le Pen, she plans to reserve the allowances for families with at least one of the two parents is French, a measure which will be submitted to a referendum, she specifies. It also intends to create a ministry for the fight against fraud.
In summary : Social aid for 20 million beneficiaries for Emmanuel Macron, paid directly at the source. Social aid for families with at least one parent is French for Marine Le Pen, who plans in parallel to dedicate a ministry to the fight against fraud.
On the right to abortion
Emmanuel Macron, opposed to the extension of the period of twelve to fourteen weeks of the right to abortion, however, affirms that he will not question the law, passed on March 2 by Parliament, which authorizes it. This lengthening is “a poisoned gift” given to women, believes for her part Marine Le Pen, who refuses it.
In summary : Emmanuel Macron does not object to the 14-week deadline for the use of abortion voted by Parliament; Marine Le Pen opposes this extension.
On old age
Emmanuel Macron wants to promote home care and proposes to do this to help the elderly to transform their housing in order to limit departures for specialized establishments. Marine Le Pen wants to recruit more staff in nursing homes.
In summary : More seniors longer at home for Emmanuel Macron; reinforcement of personnel in nursing homes for Marine Le Pen.
On the end of life
Marine Le Pen is “opposed to euthanasia and assisted suicide”. She believes “that we must not go further than the Leonetti law” against the “unreasonable obstinacy” of the medical profession and the “ artificial prolongation of the patient’s life. Emmanuel Macron, he plans to set up a “citizen convention” to “move calmly” on end-of-life and euthanasia issues.
In summary : Marine Le Pen opposed to euthanasia and assisted suicide, Emmanuel Macron in favor of consulting a citizen debate on the issue.
On the future of Corsica
The crisis which followed, in Corsica, the death of the separatist Yvan Colonna, revived the debate. The majority undertook, through the voice of the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, to launch – if Emmanuel Macron is re-elected – an “unprecedented discussion” around the question of the independence of Corsica, which could go as far as to the autonomy of the island for Macron. It remains to define, concedes the minister, the lines of this autonomy. For Marine Le Pen, no concessions on this point: the candidate believes that “Corsica must remain French”.
In summary : Macron ready to go to the autonomy of Corsica, a categorical refusal for Marine Le Pen.
On immigration
Marine Le Pen wants both to put an end to family reunification, to abolish the law of the soil and to harden the obtaining of naturalization. It also provides that asylum applications can only be processed abroad. The RN candidate will give people of French nationality priority in obtaining social housing or employment. It will also abolish the residence permit for foreigners who have not worked within 12 months. Marine Le Pen also claims the “systematic” expulsion of illegal immigrants, delinquents and foreign criminals.
On this last point, Emmanuel Macron joins her since he proposes to expel nationals of foreign countries who “disturb public order”. The outgoing president also intends to review the conditions for access to residence permits for more than 4 years, which he will condition “on a French exam and a real process of professional integration”. If he is re-elected, Emmanuel Macron will ensure that the refusal of asylum is worth the obligation to leave French territory.
In summary : Marine Le Pen wishing to include national preference in the Constitution, the theme of the treatment of immigration, given the number of measures she proposes on this subject, would be her great five-year cause (or seven-year, because the candidate proposes to return to a term of 7 years). Emmanuel Macron intends for his part to expel offenders of foreign nationality and to tighten the conditions for obtaining a long-term residence permit.
On security
Emmanuel Macron wants to create 200 gendarmerie brigades and deploy a new “ task force of republican action” which would mix “security forces, magistrates and educational teams” in the districts “when situations of insecurity appear. It also provides for the deprivation of civic rights for those who attack the holders of public authority. Marine Le Pen, for her part, wants to establish the “presumption of self-defence” for the police in the event of the use of force or a weapon by the latter.
In summary : more gendarmes and a new “republican action” force led by various professional bodies on the Macron side; a “presumption of self-defense” for the police on the Marine Le Pen side.
On juvenile justice
Emmanuel Macron proposes that juvenile offenders have the possibility of benefiting from supervision by the military to prevent recidivism and strengthen discipline. Marine Le Pen, for her part, wants to double the educational penalties with financial penalties for parents (including the suspension of family allowances). It also plans to generalize closed centers for minors to all departments.
In summary : submit minor offenders to military supervision on the side of Emmanuel Macron; impact parents by suspending benefits for Marine Le Pen.
On the environment and energy
On this level, it is certainly wind power that digs the most differences between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. The first wants to build a French renewable energy production sector and set up 50 offshore wind farms by 2050. The second wants to put an end to wind and solar projects and dismantle those that already exist.
In summary : Develop wind power for Emmanuel Macron; stop wind power for Marine Le Pen.
About Europe
This year, unlike 2017 for Marine Le Pen, both want to stay in the Schengen area on condition of reforming it. Emmanuel Macron proposes to do this to create a specific council and to strengthen the Frontex system for monitoring European borders. Marine Le Pen wants to renegotiate the Schengen agreements and restore border control which would be relaxed, however, for EU nationals. It intends to make the French Constitution prevail over European texts.
In summary : Schengen reform for both; primacy of the French Constitution over European law for Marine Le Pen.
On Russia
Macron wants to continue “to punish [la Russie] every time a step is taken” in the war she launched in Ukraine. “When civilians who are disarmed are massacred in this way, we must indeed respond in a firm manner”, concedes for her part Marine Le Pen, but the candidate is much more cautious about the idea of multiplying the sanctions against the Kremlin, whose the National Rally is historically reputed to be close.
The candidate believes that once the war in Ukraine is over, France will have every interest in renewing good diplomatic ties with Moscow, otherwise Russia could “fall into the arms of China” and thus form a formidable “megapower” for Europe, she said Wednesday evening on the set of “10 minutes to convince” of TF 1. Marine Le Pen also judges that a high number of sanctions against the Kremlin would impact too heavily the purchasing power the French. She is thus opposed to any European embargo on Russian oil which could, according to her, “kill our economy before that of Russia”.
In summary : sanctions against Russia, yes, for the two candidates, but not too much for Marine Le Pen, who believes that this could harm the purchasing power of the French and post-war diplomatic relations with Moscow.
on defense
The two candidates roughly agree on the defense budget, which they both want to revise upwards: 50 billion euros in 2025 for Emmanuel Macron, 55 billion from 2027 for Marine Le Pen. It is more on France’s membership of NATO that their positions diverge: with the war in Ukraine, Emmanuel Macron has reviewed his position on this organization which he previously described as “brain dead” and he wishes now give it meaning. Marine Le Pen is not of this opinion. For her, this “warmongering organization” does not serve “the protection of European countries”, but simply aims “the dangerous encirclement of Russia, from Georgia to Ukraine”. She therefore considers that France must withdraw from NATO’s integrated military command.
In summary : maintaining France in NATO for Emmanuel Macron, leaving NATO for Marine Le Pen.
On surrogacy
Emmanuel Macron intends to maintain the ban on surrogacy in France but leave adoption procedures authorized for children conceived by surrogacy abroad. Marine Le Pen wants to make it impossible to circumvent the law by going abroad.
In summary : not to the surrogacy for one as for the other, but the use of the adoption of children conceived by surrogacy abroad authorized for Emmanuel Macron.