Le Pen: Exiting the Euro Will Not Be My Economic Priority

Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate for the French presidential election, stated on Saturday that abandoning the Euro as France's currency would not be her top economic priority. On Sunday, she defended this new position, saying in an interview with a French newspaper that the Euro could become 'a shared currency alongside France's national currency.' According to Reuters, Le Pen had said a day earlier that abandoning the Euro would not be her primary economic priority, but her remarks were not well received by her supporters. Le Pen's recent comments about the Euro come after she previously stated in a January interview that she wanted independence for France's currency and budget. In a tweet on February 22, she wrote: 'The Euro is the currency of bankers, not of the people who are experiencing a decrease in purchasing power and public unemployment.' This far-right presidential candidate has repeatedly stated that if she reaches the presidency and does not find a suitable partner among EU countries that agrees with her conditions, she would hold a referendum within six months to exit the European Union. Exiting the Eurozone was part of Le Pen's declared policies; however, this policy is less popular among the public. According to Reuters, polls in France show that while the majority of Le Pen's party supporters prefer a return to the Franc, two-thirds of all eligible voters in France want to keep the Euro as the country's currency. Emmanuel Macron, the candidate from the newly established 'Forward' party, stated that 'the European Union will face exit from this union if it does not reform.' According to Reuters, Macron said on Monday that 'European policies are of great importance.' However, he noted that 'the French people are very angry and dissatisfied with these policies, and the inefficiency of the European Union is no longer bearable.' In the first round of the French presidential election, Emmanuel Macron received 23.9% of the votes, and Marine Le Pen from the far-right National Rally received 21.4% of the votes, advancing to the second round. Both candidates are trying to attract more voters in the remaining days before the second round, which will be held on May 7.