John Authers, Columnist

Le Pen Is Finally Getting Noticed by Markets

France’s nationalist leader still looks like a longshot if she reaches a runoff against President Emmanuel Macron. But if her chances were overrated five years ago, the opposite could be true this time.

Marine Le Pen greets supporters in Reims, France.

Photographer: Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

To get John Authers' newsletter delivered directly to your inbox, sign up here.

It’s still very, very likely that Emmanuel Macron will win a second term as president of France. But as Sunday’s first round of voting approaches, a distinct whiff of concern is blowing through markets. It isn’t like the last election in 2017, when fears that the far-right Marine Le Pen would complete a black swan hat trick after the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump’s election the year before grew overpowering. But it’s become another risk to monitor in a world where there are already more than enough.