French President Emmanuel Macron intends to announce the provisions of his program for the new presidential term during a special press conference on Thursday, Les Echos newspaper reported.

The exact time and place of the event have not yet been confirmed. The press conference is expected to take place in the afternoon in Paris.

According to Macron's advisors, his speech at the campaign meeting in the commune of Poissy did not have the expected media effect; one of the most discussed topics is the refusal of the head of state to engage in direct debates with his political opponents before the first round of voting. Macron's team is trying "to destroy the image of a president who does not want to take risks. As the newspaper points out, "Ukraine is no longer in the center of public attention" as it has been in recent days, so the election campaign can begin.

The French presidential election will be held in two rounds, on 10 and 24 April. On Monday, the Constitutional Council registered 12 candidates for the presidential marathon, including the current head of state. According to the latest opinion polls, he has the highest number of sympathizers, and his rating has risen noticeably since the start of the Ukrainian crisis.