The terrils are now a place of leisure in the former mining town of Lens, on April 2.
Photographer: Anita Pouchard Serra/Bloomberg
Macron Brought Jobs to Lens But Le Pen’s Taking the Votes
The struggle of France’s president to loosen Marine Le Pen’s grip on strongholds like Lens is raising questions about whether he can keep his job on April 24.
When Emmanuel Macron visited France’s former mining heartland in February, he came with what he called a moral obligation to show people the state would improve their lives.
The economic situation in Lens, the president told a gathering of local officials, had already gotten better with a sharp decrease in unemployment, less poverty, state investment in housing, and fewer people claiming the most basic level of welfare support. “For our citizens here who have sometimes had doubts, have sometimes been angry, and with good reason, I want us to restore the meaning of keeping your word,” Macron said.