Macron compares Le Pen to Vladimir Putin

The En Marche! leader said Marine Le Pen's policies of isolationism and protectionism would lead to "economic war."

Emmanuel Macron upon his arrival on stage during a campaign rally on May 1, 2017 at the Paris Event Center in Paris. | Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron compared his opponent Marine Le Pen Monday to Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that if she wins, her policies will bring “economic war” to France.

Addressing an audience at a May Day rally in Paris, the En Marche! leader said the National Front’s “program of protectionism, isolationism and nationalism leads to economic war, misery and war in general.”

Macron also slammed Le Pen’s disdain for the EU, saying that contrary to Le Pen’s call for a Frexit, the 39-year-old “wants a strong France in a Europe that protects it.”

And he highlighted the Front National candidate’s choice of political friends. “We all know who Le Pen’s allies are: [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orbán, Putin. These aren’t regimes with an open and free democracy.”

Macron’s speech also repeatedly referred to Le Pen as the “heir” of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. The National Front founder is a controversial political figure in France, whose statements include calling the Holocaust “a detail” in history.

“For decades, the FN has used anger and spread lies. They use hate and impose their discriminatory rhetoric,” said Macron.

The nominee also took a swipe at Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Le Pen’s intended prime minister, about his position on France leaving the euro.

“[Dupont-Aignan] says we don’t have to leave the euro right away. So we’ll have a French franc in the morning and a euro in the afternoon and with this monopoly money everything will be better,” he said.

French voters will go to the polls on Sunday May 7.

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