The upcoming parliamentary elections are being framed as a fierce battle between far-right populists calling for a return to nation states and europhiles pushing for deeper integration. “I have one regret: that we’re giving too much importance to my image and not paying enough attention to what’s at stake in this election. “I get the impression that we’re preparing for the Eurovision song contest [and not for a parliamentary election],” Mrs Loiseau told the news channel BFM TV on Tuesday.
“I’m not here to put on a glittery show, I’m not here to tap dance. That is not my European project,” she said, before stressing that she was “not Bilal Hassani,” France’s Eurovision candidate and a flamboyant queer icon.
Mr Macron’s La République en Marche (REM) is widely seen as running a humdrum campaign and Mrs Loiseau as lacking charisma.
The French leader had been hoping to capitalise on her expert knowledge of EU affairs and Catholic background to expand the REM’s appeal beyond centrists to more conservative voters.
But Mrs Loiseau has struggled to energise supporters and woo the crowds at rallies, unlike her far-right opponent Jordan Bardella, the 23-year-old political novice heading Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement national (RN) list.
Polls show Mr Macron’s centrist REM and Mrs Le Pen’s eurosceptic RN running neck-and-neck, with the RN clutching on to a narrow lead.
But coming in second place behind the RN would be a huge blow to Mr Macron’s European ambitions. It could also leave him weakened when it comes to negotiations over top EU jobs, including the European Commission president, whom Paris wants to be French.
Mrs Loiseau also commented on the ongoing Brexit drama, saying Britain must not “export its political crisis” over to Europe.
“We respect the British. We ask them to allow us to go forward on our own path, and in the meantime we ask Britain not to export its political crisis over to the European Union,” she told RTL radio on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Theresa May set out a “new deal” for Britain’s departure from the EU on Tuesday, offering sweeteners to parliament including the chance to vote on whether to hold a second referendum to try to break the Brexit deadlock.
Mrs Loiseau stressed that it was up to Britain to decide on whether or not it wanted to go through with Brexit or choose a second referendum.
Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party is on course to win the most British seats in the EU parliament, as pro-European Union parties remain deeply divided.
Britain was forced to take part in the EU elections because it delayed the date of its exit from the bloc, but British MEPs will leave the parliament when Brexit happens.
The vote takes place this Thursday, May 23 in the UK and on Sunday, May 26 in France.