Tags: EU | France | Election | The Latest

The Latest: French Socialist Candidate Holding Paris Rally

The Latest: French Socialist Candidate Holding Paris Rally

Wednesday, 19 April 2017 12:38 PM EDT

PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the French presidential campaign (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

French Socialist presidential candidate Benoit Hamon is holding a rally and concert in Paris four days before a vote likely to devastate his once-powerful party.

Hamon is polling a distant fifth place ahead of Sunday's first-round election and has little chance of reaching the decisive May 7 runoff. He pledges a universal income, tax on robots and legal cannabis.

Crowds converged for a concert and Hamon speech at Place de la Republique, which has become a symbolic rallying place for the French left.

Some Socialist heavyweights are joining him at the event, though others are urging voters to choose centrist independent Emmanuel Macron instead.

Hamon won the Socialist primary but the party is deeply divided, and Socialist President Francois Hollande is so unpopular that he's not seeking a second term.

10:45 a.m.

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen says all the presidential contenders — and all French people — are potential attack targets.

The candidates for France's first-round presidential election Sunday have increased security in recent days. Authorities announced Tuesday that they had arrested two Islamic radicals suspected of plotting a possible attack around the vote.

While prosecutors haven't identified the potential targets, Le Pen said on BFM television that "we are all targets. All the French."

Le Pen also defended her decision to force national French news network TF1 to take down the European flag during an interview Tuesday night. She said Wednesday that "I am a candidate in the election for the French republic" and said Europe is acting like France's "enemy."

© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Europe
The Latest on the French presidential campaign (all times local):6:20 p.m.French Socialist presidential candidate Benoit Hamon is holding a rally and concert in Paris four days before a vote likely to devastate his once-powerful party.Hamon is polling a distant fifth place...
EU,France,Election,The Latest
267
2017-38-19
Wednesday, 19 April 2017 12:38 PM
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