The media is hailing the contest for the French presidency as a battle of “center vs. far right.” It can be seen in almost every single news story reporting on the upcoming May 7th vote between National Front candidate Marine Le Pen, and En Marche candidate Emmanuel Macron.

Here is the AP’s opening paragraph on the story:

Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right populist Marine Le Pen advanced Sunday to a runoff in France’s presidential election, remaking the country’s political landscape and setting up a showdown over its participation in the European Union.

And here is Reuters:

Centrist Emmanuel Macron took a big step towards the French presidency on Sunday by winning the first round of voting and qualifying for a May 7 runoff alongside far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

This was how the New York Times headlined it on their website’s landing page.

But because of the multifaceted nature of French politics, labeling Le Pen as “far right” and Macron as “centrist” is incredibly simplistic and reduces their actual positions to labels that aren’t actually accurate.