The lightening election campaign has seen a leftwing NFP [Nouveau Front populaire] alliance promising to undo Macron’s business-friendly taxation policies: undoing pension reforms, raising the minimum wage, increasing public sector salaries and benefits for those on welfare benefits, while also introducing price freezes for basic food items and energy to help households afflicted by the cost of living crisis.

The alliance says it would fund its programme through a wealth tax and increasing income tax on those in the highest income bracket.

The Financial Times says the left-wing alliance plans have caused France’s corporate bosses to ‘recoil’ and to race “to build contacts with Marine Le Pen’s far right”.

The paper spoke to senior executives and bankers who said they felt Le Pen’s party was more of a “blank slate”, open to persuasion on key issues for businesses, while the left would not budge on its “hardline” stance...

The RN has made the issue of overturning Macron’s pension reforms a campaign promise, and that it would give French companies preference in government procurement  – sourcing goods and services for the public sector – even though this would be a violation of EU law.

France 24 said that Macron’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire yesterday urged business to “stick their neck out” on the programmes on offer...

MEDEF said in a statement that “a new campaign is starting in which we do not share certain political visions, which are incompatible with business competitiveness and prosperity for our country and fellow citizens” – but that comment has been taken as possibly applying to the left-wing alliance rather than the RN...