France's Macron warns of post-Trump election-like 'hangover' ahead of presidential vote

French President Emmanuel Macron, candidate for his re-election in the 2022 French presidential election, reacts as he meets with supporters after a campaign rally in Figeac on the last day of campaigning, ahead of the second round of the presidential election, France, April 22, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Pool

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron compared France's choice in Sunday's presidential runoff to that of U.S. voters before they elected Donald Trump into the White House, whilst warning that his current polling lead was not a guarantee of victory.

"The next day they woke up with a hangover," Macron told BFM TV on Friday, saying that the situation in France is very similar as it involves a very fundamental choice about the direction of the country. He also pointed to opinion polls' inability to predict the outcomes of either the U.S. election or the Brexit referendum in 2016.