French leader Emmanuel Macron still not a candidate for presidential polls

French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal quashed speculation that President Emmanuel Macron would this week declare his candidacy for April's presidential election, saying that Ukraine and the Covid pandemic are still high on his agenda.

French President Emmanuel Macron gives a speech at the Elysée Palace in January. He has yet to officialise his bid for re-election. © Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters

“There area lot of events at the moment that require his full attention,” Attal told France Info radio Tuesday, adding that the President's duties “do not give him much scope to express himself as a campaigner”.

The president’s schedule, released Monday, showed no formal events planned for Thursday or Friday, leading some to wonder if he was leaving enough time to announce his bid to run for a second term in office.

But when he was asked directly whether the declaration would happen this week, Attal answered “no”.

The President, he said, is holding daily talks with world leaders on the crisis between Russia and Ukraine as well as working with the government on easing Covid restrictions, even while cases remain high.

'Deliberate delay'

Some of Macron's rivals have accused him of deliberately delaying his candidature in order to take advantage of his office to make other announcements and do media appearances without being seen as candidate.

But Attal denied this, adding that not announcing could even be a disadvantage.

“Maybe it's a handicap not to be able to be in the campaign right now while the opposition is," he said.

Valerie Pecresse from the conservative Republicans party has launched her campaign, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen is to hold a rally in Reims to formally launch her campaign this weekend.

The two are tipped to be Macron’s main rivals in the first round of the election on 10 April, and polls show either one could make it to the second round runoff on 24 April.

(with AFP)