French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen told a political rally on Sunday that the euro currency which she wants France to ditch was like a knife in the ribs of the French people.

The leader of the eurosceptic National Front (FN) also told the rally in the city of Bordeaux that the forthcoming election for president could herald a “change in civilization”.

“We are at the mercy of a currency adapted to Germany and not to our economy. The euro is mostly a knife stuck in our ribs to make us go where others want us to go,” Le Pen said to loud cheers and applause.

Reiterating her anti-globalization views, she declared: “We do not want France to be open to all commercial and human flows, without protection and borders.”
She hit out at her two main opponents in the French election, independent centrist Emmanuel Macron and conservative candidate Francois Fillon, saying they belonged to “the same system”.

“The system is panicking because it sees people are waking up,” she said.

The high number of undecided voters means the outcome remains unpredictable and motivating people to go to the polling stations will be key for the leading candidates.