Macron, not candidate but already campaigning for reelection

French President Emmanuel Macron hasn’t officially declared that he’s a candidate for April’s presidential election yet

PARIS -- He has a full campaign team that’s fanning out around France, meeting with voters. He makes speeches about his plans for the country in the upcoming years. The problem? Emmanuel Macron hasn’t officially declared that he’s a candidate for April’s presidential election yet.

Critics say he’s unfairly using his taxpayer-funded presidential pulpit to campaign for a second term while dragging out his widely expected announcement as long as possible.

Less than two months before April 10's first round, Macron's intention is no mystery. He said last month that he has “the desire” to run for a second term, but he wanted to wait for the COVID-19 situation to improve before making a decision. The deadline to formally declare candidacy is March 4.

Far-right presidential contender Eric Zemmour accused Macron of trying to use the pandemic argument to make French voters forget about what he considers France's decline.