Editor's note: Freddie Reidy is a freelance writer based in London. He studied history and history of art at the University of Kent, Canterbury, specializing in Russian history and international politics. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On April 10, France will go to the polls in the first round of voting in the country's presidential election. While the election held initial promise, it has failed to garner much enthusiasm from the public.

The conflict in Ukraine and subsequent energy concerns have dominated the news agenda. To many observers, the position of incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron had appeared a foregone conclusion, however, in recent weeks the polls have radically narrowed.

According to French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) as of April 7, the president is ahead on 26.5 percent but his nearest rival in the far-right "National Rally" party, Marine Le Pen, has closed the gap at 24 percent with socialist veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon in third, establishment center-right candidate Valerie Pecresse on 9 percent and far-right firebrand and broadcaster Eric Zemmour with 8.5 percent.

For President Macron, the campaign got off to a slow start, with major campaigning only starting in earnest a week out from the first round. In 2017, Macron came through a crowded field largely thanks to the implosion of front runner Francois Fillon whose campaign became mired corruption allegations. Conversely, Macron embodied a new dynamic, he even had to form a new party in order to stand.

Macron's election had a popular groundswell which appealed to both center-right voters as well as the center-left voters who he had served under President Francois Hollande.

In 2022 though, Macron is struggling with the mantle of incumbent, struggling to win over those to the left with his right-leaning social policies, while also struggling with those on right frustrated by the glacial progress of his flagship pension reforms.

The president's opponents have consistently accused him of representing a wealthy elite, a charge hard to shake during times of economic uncertainty. Where Macron had called for a "revolution" in French politics, he instead retreated to the Elysee Palace where decisions are metered out by a tight circle of technocrats.

This imperial style of leadership is colorfully illustrated by the president's not infrequent use of the former royal Palace of Versailles as a backdrop for significant policy moments.

While the seeds of Macron's electoral success lay in his anti-establishment, post-political party grassroots appeal, the president's attention and focus has instead been consistently drawn to the international stage.

The price of which is that early attempts to foster a more inclusive politics, with mass debate on topics such as climate change and the aftermath of the "gilets jaunes" (yellow vest) movement that flared due to rising fuel costs has, as with other initiatives, failed to yield tangible outcomes.

Forays on the international stage too have produced mixed results. Macron's grand vision of a more autonomous Europe does have some major support, however, events in Ukraine and a lack of energy security has led to major questions.

Throughout the 2022 election, President Macron has declined to actively campaign until recently, and has instead channelled efforts into his position as a European statesman, attempting to broker a peace between Ukraine and Russia. Again, a foray which underwhelmed. It drew a sharp rebuke from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a lack of solidarity.

While struggling for an electoral theme, Macron fell back on galvanizing anti-Le Pen support at a rally last weekend, cautioning "Look at what happened with Brexit and so many other elections. What looked improbable actually happened… I am telling you very strongly, nothing is impossible."

Le Pen has been aided by the vociferous campaign of presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, a social commentator and broadcaster with extreme views on immigration, notably commenting that he would prefer that Ukrainian refugees "stay in Poland." Zemmour's views though, have struck a chord with swathes of the electorate.

For Le Pen, it has curiously created the impression that her candidacy is somewhat more moderate than it may be in reality. Le Pen represents the far-right but in opposition to Macron it is right-wing dogma with socialist characteristics. Aligning nationalist sentiment with what she describes as "a sovereigntist left which supports re-industrialization and the defense of our great industries."

So far, Macron has gambled that projecting statesmanlike authority and rising above the domestic culture wars, while conveniently avoiding scrutiny of his own record will see him re-elected.

The president is also taking a far greater gamble in relying on the support of others in a second round as happened in 2017, as well as when Marine Le Pen's father Jean-Marie Le Pen entered the run-off against Jacques Chirac in 2002. With so much of the 2022 campaign being fought on the right though, is President Macron's bet dangerously misplaced? 

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