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On the campaign trail with
Emmanuel Macron

He launched his new centrist party a year ago and is now
challenging Marine Le Pen for the top job in France. Ben Judah
joins Emmanuel Macron and the wife who was once his
teacher — and tracks down the friends he left behind

 

 
The Sunday Times, April 2 2017, 12:01am

Three years ago, nobody had heard of Emmanuel Macron. Today he is on the verge of becoming the president of France in the most spectacular style: not even 40 and with a new centrist party, En Marche!, that he founded only last April.

We settle into second class for the next train ride of his campaign and the 39-year-old politician who thinks he can beat Marine Le Pen and break the populist wave shakes my hand. Macron’s eyes are the clearest blue and his piercing, lingering stare is so dissecting, after a few moments it makes you glance away.

He is in a great mood. Polls released the day we meet have put him ahead of Le Pen for the first time, while also increasing…