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President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Thursday to steer the country through what he called a new era of crisis if he wins a second term in next month's election, saying the world is at a "tipping point" where France can make a difference.

Opinion polls show Macron's longtstanding lead over rival candidates has grown in recent weeks, with voters approving of his diplomatic efforts before and during the Ukraine war. He is seen winning the first round of the election on April 10 and beating any opponent in a run-off on April 24th.

"We are at a tipping point where we can make a real difference," Macron told a news conference, highlighting the war on the European Union's doorstep and the global challenge of climate change. read more

He said his plans for a second term are "anchored in the moment that is ours, that of the return of tragedy in history".

Making France a more self-sufficient country will be a key objective, he said, as he started outlining his platform, with proposals ranging from "investing massively" toward France's agricultural and industrial independence to pushing ahead with building more nuclear reactors and strengthening the army.

Macron said he wanted to build a "European metaverse" to compete with U.S. tech giants and make Europe more independent on that front too.

There will also be subsidies for home improvements and other measures to fight climate change, for example ensuring access to affordable electric vehicles, including through leasing programmes.

Until now, little had emerged about Macron's campaign platform, aside from plans to raise the retirement age to 65 and scrap a TV license fee.

With economic growth surging and unemployment falling, Macron can point to data to show he has rebooted the euro zone's second biggest economy since he took office in 2017. read more

"I had promised to lower unemployment, (and) despite the crises we did it," he said, adding that if re-elected he would continue to reform the labour market with the aim of wiping out unemployment.

He said he will also open up more spots to study in university.

Opinion polls in recent weeks show Macron winning up to 30.5% of the vote in the first round, up from around 25% last month.

But even if he goes on to win re-election, Macron will need his centrist La Republique en Marche (LaRem) party - which has failed in all recent local elections - and its allies to win a parliamentary election in June if he is to have a strong base to implement his policies.

It has been an unusual presidential campaign, first dominated by the rise of a new far-right candidate, Eric Zemmour, and now largely overshadowed by the war in Ukraine. (reuters)