France’s Macron faces angry voters as he fights for 2nd term

By SYLVIE CORBET
Associated Press

MULHOUSE, France (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron is facing a tougher-than expected fight for reelection. To win, Macron has hit the campaign trail at last — and it isn’t always proving welcoming. But he’s not shying away from angry voters, instead engaging in lively, sometimes confrontational debates. Since Macron and his far-right nationalist rival Marine Le Pen qualified Sunday for France’s April 24 presidential runoff, the 44-year-old leader has seemed eager to go in the field to explain his policies. On Tuesday, Macron was asked hard questions during a campaign visit to the eastern city of Mulhouse. Voters asked Macron about his policies for public hospitals and his proposal to raise France’s retirement age from 62 to 65.