Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, who are to face each other in the run-offs for the French presidential election. Le Pen, who took 24 per cent of the vote in the first round, depicts urban and liberal climate politics as the new enemy of workers. Picture: AFP via Getty
The French presidential election has once again highlighted the deep social divide that exists within western Europe, as the liberal centrist Emmanuel Macron prepares, yet again, to face off against the far-right Marine Le Pen in a run-off vote on April 24. The far-right are increasingly anchored in the older and traditional urban and rural working class, whereas the left and liberal-right are anchored in the new and younger professional salaried middle class. Climate politics is...