From WNYC Studios, it's Brian Lair, a daily politics podcast. It's Tuesday, April 19th.

As the world watches the gruesome campaign of war crimes unfold in Eastern Europe, let's not miss what might be about to happen

in Western Europe. This coming Sunday, far-right leader Marine Le Pen could be elected the

president of France, downgrading France's role in NATO, and tilting more toward Russia during

this war could be just two of the extreme ramifications if she

wins. Others, according to New York Times, Paris Bureau Chief Roger Cohen, could include

relegating climate issues to a low priority, banning the wearing of headscarves by Muslim

women in public, and more. Now, there hasn't been much coverage of the French presidential campaign in this country,

I guess because of other pressing issues to pay attention to, like Ukraine and crime and COVID

and inflation.

But the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, of course, and Le Pen, came in first and second in the first round of the election, separated by just four and a half points, and Le Pen came in first and second in the first round of the election, separated

by just four and a half points, and they are now in the home stretch of the runoff campaign

toward this weekend. New York Times Paris Bureau Chief Roger Cohen joins us now live from over

there. Roger, thanks so much for some time for our U.S. audience today. Welcome

back to WN.YC. Thank you very much, Brian. I'll ask you, of course, why this race is close

and how close it appears to be. But first, I'd like to ask you to describe for our listeners

some of Le Pen's positions. You use the label far right for Marine Le Pen. So in general,

and then we'll go down some specifics. In general, how far right is she? Well, she's attempted a

milk toast makeover during this campaign, but if you look at her program, she's still pretty far to the

right. She's an anti-immigrant candidate, and that has been the position of her national

rally, formerly National Front Party, for a long time. She wants to ban the use of the

headscarf in public if she's elected.

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