Macron Hits Back On Consultant Controversy at Campaign Rally

(Bloomberg) -- French President Emmanuel Macron used a campaign rally to try to get past a controversy over the use of private consultants by his government, as far-right rival Marine Le Pen gains in polls a week before voting.

“I've heard a lot about tax evasion and U.S. consultancies these days, and I'd like to remind those who are outraged that they've used them when they were in government,” Macron said at Saturday's event near Paris.

Russia's war in Ukraine, which initially gave Macron a bump in opinion polls, has largely overshadowed the campaign, and Macron has limited his public appearances.

Saturday's event was a chance to fire up enthusiasm among supporters. Macron is trying to reverse a recent dip in his poll numbers as the initial rally-around-the-flag effect faded.

He also used the rally to push back against the criticism over the so-called “McKinsey affair” -- his government's widespread use of management consultants.

Macron led Le Pen by 5 percentage points in the Ipsos daily election poll released on Saturday, down from a lead of more than 10 percentage points two weeks ago.

While he's expected to win the first round of the election on April 10 and the two-person runoff on April 24 to gain a second five-year term, Le Pen has shown momentum recently.

Macron's Lead Over Le Pen Narrows in Daily Ipsos Election Poll

Macron urged his backers not to be complacent. “Don't believe pollsters who say the election is already decided,” he said. “Look at us! Five years ago, it seemed impossible. Nothing is impossible.”

Speaking at a sports stadium that can seat as many as 30,000 people, Macron reiterated pledges he made during his first campaign, including placing gender equality on top of his priority list. Even as the incumbent he channeled candidates on the fringes by slamming “the system,” and cited the slogan of former conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy, saying one should earn more money by working more.

Macron also said the government would expand a program begun during the pandemic that allows companies to provide up to 6,000 euros ($6,625) of tax-free bonuses to workers.

The crowd, waving French and European Union flags, chanted “one, two and five more years” and “Macron president.” Some of the biggest applause came when Macron highlighted that his government had extended insurance coverage for in-vitro fertilization treatment to lesbians, and when he said the French should work longer and retire later.

Le Pen and Macron's other competitors have used outrage over the consultancy affair to attack the president since the Senate released a report on the issue in March.

Consulting companies had wide-ranging influence over government decisions, the report concluded, prompting accusations that Macron had wasted taxpayers money and served his own interests in the process.

The outcry was fanned on social media after the report revealed that McKinsey & Co. hasn't paid taxes in France since 2011, even while earning millions on government projects.

Contracts with consultancies, including EY and France's Capgemini, have been used for years, but spending by French ministries on external private advisers more than doubled during Macron's term, to 894 million euros in 2021 from 379 million in 2018, the report showed.