French socialist MP Corinne Ehrel dies after collapsing during Macron campaign speech

A French MP has died after she collapsed on stage at a rally for French presidential front-runner Emmanuel Macron.

Corinne Erhel, an MP with Macron's En Marche! party, was the final speaker at the event in Plouisy in western France on Friday (5 May), just two days before the second round of voting in the French presidential elections.

The 50-year-old had been an MP for northern Brittany since 2007 and joined Macron's party last year.

En Marche! secretary general Richard Ferrand tweeted: "We cry. Corinne Ehrel taken away during a meeting. We will miss our wonderful friend."

President François Hollande said according to Sky News: "A member of parliament since 2007, she was fully invested in her parliamentary work, while still remaining close to the people."

Ehrel became a member of parliament for Côtes-d'Armor, a part of northern Brittany, in 2007 as a member of the Socialist Party but joined Macron's centrist political movement En Marche! ("On the Move") in 2016.

It was reported by French newspaper Le Monde that following her collapse she was transported to the Saint-Brieuc hospital, where her death was pronounced.

Ehrel had sat on the Assembly's Economic Affairs Committee and a touching tribute was made by fellow socialist colleague and now Secretary of State for Budget Christian Eckert on his personal blog.

He said the minister, who he had "shared emotions" and a "sincere friendship" with was a "fully active MP".

French lower house speaker Claude Bartolone wrote: "I learned with immense sadness of the death of Corinne Ehrel at the event in Plouisy, where she was speaking to 300 activists."

Macron is predicted to defeat Marine le Pen, the Front National leader, in the second round of the presidential race taking place on Sunday (7 May).

The pair took the top two spots in the first round of voting in the French presidential election on 23 April.

According to opinion polls, Macron has a considerable lead over the far-right candidate Le Pen and is projected to win with about 62% of the vote.