{O/C} French President, Emmanuel Macron, has declared his bid for a second term in office.
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With his serene tone in a low-key letter announcing his intention to run for a second five-year term in several newspapers, Macron appears increasingly confident and aloof, the Ukraine conflict notwithstanding.
In it, Macron mentioned France has experienced the trials and tribulations of terrorism, the anti-government yellow vest protests, the pandemic as well as the Ukraine war. Events he portrayed as on an unprecedented scale and making him impotent to make good on his promises.
This, in addition to bringing the country's unemployment rate to a 15-year low at 7.4 percent, a 10 percent decline from 2017.
While he did not draw up his manifesto, Macron vowed to continue cutting taxes, tacitly suggesting a return of a ditched pension reform and an overhaul of the education system, saying teachers deserves better pay.
Indeed, results of a straw poll have proved winning the April runoff election a cinch. And his popularity has remained relatively stable at around 40 percent, higher than his predecessors Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy.
Those barely nipping at his heels include prominent far-right figure, Marine Le Pen.
The contenders' fate will be decided on the 10th of April, when the two candidates who win the bulk of the votes will vie for the presidency in a run-off election two weeks later.
This, as the French are reluctant to change horses in the midst of the cataclysmic Ukraine conflict and the ravaging pandemic.
Macron was the first candidate reaching the threshold for entering the race -- 500 endorsements from elected officials.
However, campaign events will be minimised for now.
Having exhorted French voters to elect him, Macron took the helm back in May 2017 on a pro-business and -European platform.
Much to the chagrin and frustration of Macron and his opponents, the war in Europe appears to take precedence over campaigning, and is expected to have Macron's back against the wall.
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