Last week far-right TV pundit Eric Zemmour announced he was running in next year’s French Presidential election, but who is he? And what does his candidacy mean for Macron and Marine Le Pen? Normandy-based journalist John Lichfield gives Ros Taylor the lowdown on France’s new far-right contender, as well as Valérie Pécresse of the centre-right, the woman who could take down Macron.

• “Zemmour is a convicted racist and he rewrites French history to suit his own agenda.”
• “Zemmour argued that France fought on the wrong side of the First World War, as they would’ve done better under a German-led Europe.”
• “There would be a very aggressive policy of forced assimilation if Zemmour were to win.”
• “A lot of the policies that Zemmour wants to implement would destroy the EU.”
• “The core of Marine Le Pen’s voters are working class and disaffected, Zemmour’s supporters are more bourgeois.”
• “The default position in France is to get rid of who is in power, but I think Macron is more likely to get back in than not.”

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Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production

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