Emmanuel Macron is set to confirm this week that he will be a candidate in next month’s French presidential election, with polls and political commentators suggesting that the war in Ukraine has further boosted his status as favourite to win another five-year term.
Macron, first elected in 2017, is expected to declare his candidacy without fanfare before Friday’s deadline to underline his preoccupation with urgent affairs of state.
With some rival candidates facing scrutiny over their previous sympathy for Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, Macron is benefiting from his prominence in western efforts to deter Russia and resolve the conflict.