Layli foroudi, Elizabeth Pineau

AUXERRE France (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron & far-right candidate Marine Le Pen issued final appeals to undecided voter on Friday. The voters were weighing the risks of a Le Pen presidency against Macron’s past record.

Recent surveys show fear over loathing in Sunday’s election run-off. Macron, the pro-European centrist incumbent, is leading his opponent anti-immigration and eurosceptic by 10-14 percentage points.

However, nearly 3 in 10 voters have said they won’t vote. It is possible that Le Pen will win a surprise victory similar to Brexit and Trump’s election.

Macron wrapped up his campaign at the postcard-pretty medieval town of Figeac (south France), telling voters that Sunday was nothing less than a plebiscite regarding the country’s future.

He stated that April 24 would be an election for or against Europe. “We want Europe” he added. “April 24 will serve as a referendum on a secularized, univocal France. We are in favor of it.”

France’s top pollsters released surveys on Thursday and Friday showing that Macron’s score fluctuated between 55% and 57%.

They also estimated turnout to be between 72%-74%. This would make it the lowest presidential run-off result since 1969.

Jean-Daniel Levy, Harris Interactive polling said to Reuters that there is a danger that suddenly a portion of the electorate awakens which we have not been able measure.

He said that the “risk seems minimal because this is an two-round system”, in contrast to Trump’s win and Brexit.

Auxerre was the center of Auxerre, which is an excellent indicator of presidential outcomes over the years. Some retired telecom workers, like Marc Venner were gathering support for Macron.

Our democratic system and institutions are in peril. Venner stated that no candidate is capable of solving the true problems. We are a nation in decline, de-industrialized.

Ghislaine, a Moroccan hairdresser, stated that she will switch to Macron after having voted for Jean-Luc Melenchon, a far-left candidate, in Sunday’s second round. However, she stated that Le Pen would be voted by some clients as an anti–Macron protest.

Madalie (36), said, “I find her disastrous because she’s racist.” “I feel anxious. For me, and for my children. I don’t understand this harassment (of Muslims), I don’t understand what she has against veiled women.”

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Macron is characterized by an eliteism, according to Le Pen. His policies ban the wearing of headscarves on public places for Muslims, give priority to French citizens on job and benefit opportunities, limit Europe’s regulations on cross-border travel and restrict Europe’s laws on foreigners.

Many people in France’s former industrial north feel the same. This is where Le Pen has decided to finish her campaign.

Marcel Bail, a 65-year-old Le Pen voter and longtime Le Pen supporter, stated to Reuters, “The working class is always at bottom of the heap,” he said at a Roye service station on motorway. This was where Le Pen had lunch Thursday with truck drivers.

On Friday, the message was repeated by her supporters in Etaples.

Pascal Blondel (52) said, “I make 1,300 Euros a month after I pay rent, heating, and petrol. That’s 400 euros.” Macron’s entry means that we can no longer afford lunch.

The cost of living was the most prominent campaign issue in the election, despite one of the best welfare systems around the globe, huge support for French families during the pandemic, and fuel bill caps that offset rising energy prices.

Even though data show that households in the top 5% are more financially secure than they were five years ago (which is not the case), analysts believe that the stagnation of purchasing power over the past decade has created a feeling of hopelessness that prevents people from achieving their goals.

Combining this with Macron’s often shrewd leadership style, and the perception that many left-leaning voter had of him, they quickly switched to economic liberal policies shortly after he was elected. This alienated a large section of the population.

Le Pen stated that “he does not like French” on Europe 1 radio, Friday. Le Pen accused him of disdainful remarks towards her and voters at Wednesday’s TV Debate and said he didn’t have the same common sense as she did when she was a mom of three.