Paris (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday hit out at his main election rival, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, as his lead in polls further narrowed to a wafer-thin advantage that has alarmed supporters.
Macron accused Le Pen of "lying" to voters on social policy, having a "racist" programme and showing "complacency" in her ties with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The president is projected to come out on top in Sunday's first round of voting, but far short of the majority needed to avoid a run-off between the top two candidates on April 24 -- and with Le Pen close behind.
Adding to the intrigue, far-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon is snapping at their heels in third place and still fancies his chances of causing an upset by reaching the second round.
While Macron easily beat Le Pen in the 2017 run-off, polls have shown a much tighter scenario this time, with one poll published Friday showing Macron with a lead of just over one percent against Le Pen in the first round.
The candidates of France's traditional parties, the right-wing Republicans and the Socialists on the left, are facing a debacle on election night, continuing a shake-up of French politics begun when the centrist Macron took power in 2017.
Friday is the last day of campaigning, with no more rallies, interviews or other campaign activities allowed from midnight (2200 GMT) until after the polls close Sunday at 8:00 pm.
Le Pen, who has sought to moderate her image and play on concerns about declining purchasing power, said Thursday that she had never been "so close" to power at a jubilant final rally in her party's southern stronghold of Perpignan.
Analysts predict one quarter of French adults may abstain and the final turnout is seen as crucial for the outcome.
'Spirit of conquest'
Macron, criticised by some for doing only minimal campaigning as he dealt with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sought Friday to regain the initiative by turning his fire on Le Pen.
In an interview with the Parisien daily, he accused her of deceiving France with promises of social spending that she would not be able to finance.
"She is lying to people as she would not be able to do this," he said.
After Le Pen called for any woman wearing the Islamic headscarf in public in France to be fined, he added: "It's a racist programme that plans to split society in the most brutal way."
With her party still paying back a loan from Russia, he said: "Mrs Le Pen is financially dependent on Mr Putin and his regime and has always showed complacency towards him."
Le Pen, speaking to franceinfo radio, slammed his comments as "extremely outrageous", saying she was "shocked" to be described as racist.
Asked by RTL radio if he feared losing, Macron said: "Nothing is taken for granted...(but) I have a spirit of conquest more than a spirit of defeat."
'Not 2017 scenario'
Should he triumph on April 24, Macron will be the first French president since Jacques Chirac in 2002 to win re-election.
He would have a new five-year term to implement his vision of reforming France and consolidate his status as Europe's number one national leader after the departure of German chancellor Angela Merkel.
For his European supporters, Macron is a centrist bulwark against the populism prevalent in much of Europe, especially after election victories last weekend by the right-wingers Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic, who both have cordial ties with Putin.
An array of polls published Friday confirmed previous projections of Macron winning the first round ahead of Le Pen, and the run-off, but by slim margins.
This is in stark contrast to his face-off with Le Pen in 2017, where he won over 66 percent of the vote in the second round.
The tightest projection was the latest poll by Elabe, which gave Macron 26 percent and Le Pen 25 percent in round one, followed by a nerve-shredding victory margin for the president of just two percent in round two.
Prominent political analyst Pascal Perrineau said there was "uncertainty" ahead of the first round, as in France there had never been so many voters who were undecided or had changed their minds.
"And as for the second round, it will not be the 2017 scenario with a large victory for Macron," he told AFP.
'Later than I wanted'
A figure from Macron's party, who asked not to be identified, acknowledged that the campaign had not gone according to the original plans.
The Ukraine war "turned the initial campaign plan upside down" the official said.
Macron in his RTL interview admitted he had entered the campaign "later than I had wanted" due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Melenchon has enjoyed a last-minute poll bump and is talking up his chances of springing a surprise, helped by an innovative rally Tuesday that saw him beamed by hologram into 11 French cities.
Greens candidate Yannick Jadot, the Republicans candidate Valerie Pecresse and the flagging Socialist nominee Anne Hidalgo appear certain to be ejected in the first round.
Far-right former TV pundit Eric Zemmour made a stunning entry into the campaign last year, but analysts say he has aided Le Pen by making her appear more moderate.
