Could Le Pen snatch victory from Macron?

When the attacks commence it’s clear that Marine Le Pen’s enemies are unnerved. For months – actually make that five years – few have viewed the leader of the National Rally as a serious contender for the 2022 presidential election. I include myself among that number, having declared on Coffee House in September 2017 that Le Pen ‘has no future’. More fool me. Along with many others, I underestimated her tenacity, her resilience and her sheer bloody-mindedness in refusing to throw in the towel.

Will her stubbornness be rewarded with a win against all expectation? There is gathering optimism in Le Pen’s camp that a political earthquake will be felt in France next month.

Recent polls have detected a momentum shift. Support for Macron is down from 33.5 to 27 per cent and for Le Pen it’s up from 16 to 21 per cent. That’s still some ground to make up but Le Pen and her supporters are campaigning furiously to win over the millions who can’t decide if they can be bothered to go to the polling booth on 10 April.