Macron not a candidate yet but campaigning for reelection

By SYLVIE CORBET
The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron hasn’t officially declared that he’s a candidate for April’s presidential election yet. But he already has a full campaign team and makes speeches about his future plans for France. Critics say he’s unfairly using his taxpayer-funded presidential pulpit to campaign for a second term while dragging out his widely expected announcement as long as possible. Macron said last month that he has “the desire” to run for a second term but he wanted to wait for the COVID-19 situation to improve before making a decision.  Still, his recent trips across France tend to increasingly look like campaign events. The deadline to declare a candidacy is March 4.