French President Emmanuel Macron tore up his far-right contender Marine Le Pen in a televised debate Wednesday on her ties to Russia and his desire to deprive Muslim women of the right to cover their heads in public as he seeks the votes he needs. to win another five-year term.
In their only direct confrontation, before the electorate spoke in Sunday’s all-in-one vote, Macron took off his gloves, arguing that his rival was unfit to lead a nuclear-armed and ethnically diverse European power and deal with Moscow. He tried to portray Le Pen as fundamentally unreliable, accusing her of dishonesty and using the wrong numbers in her campaign promises.
He also said the anti-immigration candidate’s plans to ban Muslim women from wearing headscarves in public places would spark a “civil war” in a country with the largest Muslim population in Western Europe.
Le Pen, for his part, has tried to attract voters who are struggling with rising prices amid the aftermath of Russia’s war in Ukraine. She said reducing the cost of living would be her priority if she was elected France’s first female president, presenting herself as a candidate for voters who could not make ends meet.
She said Macron’s presidency had left the country deeply divided, and she repeatedly mentioned the so-called “yellow vest” protest movement that rocked his government before the COVID-19 pandemic with months of violent demonstrations against its economic policies.
People watch the debate in the studios hosting the event at La Plaine-Saint-Denis on Wednesday. (Ludovic Marin / Associated Press)
“France needs to be sewn together again,” she said.
The debate has led to a gaping political and character gap between the two candidates, who are once again running for president, five years after Macron successfully defeated Le Pen in 2017.
Surveys show that Macron, a pro-European centrist, has a growing and significant lead over Le Pen, an anti-immigration nationalist, ahead of Sunday’s vote. But the result is expected to be closer than five years ago, and the two candidates are vying for votes among voters who did not support them in the first round of elections on April 10th.
“I’m not like you,” Le Pen said as they clashed over France’s energy needs.
“You’re not like me,” Macron said. “Thanks for the reminder.”
Sparring over Russia
The French leader was particularly scathing in his criticism of a loan taken out of Le Pen’s party in 2014 by a Russian-Czech bank. He said the debt meant that if she was elected president, Le Pen’s hands would be tied when dealing with the Kremlin.
“You talk to your banker when you talk about Russia, that’s the problem,” Macron said in an evening debate in prime time that was expected to be watched by millions.
“You made a choice that obviously acted to limit your political position and does not make you independent on this issue. That’s a fact, “Macron said.
A man walks past campaign posters in the North, outside Paris, on Wednesday. (Christoph Ena / Associated Press)
Le Pen shuddered at Macron’s suggestion that she owed Russia. She described herself as “completely free.” She said her party was paying off the loan and called it “dishonest” to raise the issue.
Just hours before Wednesday’s debate, imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny joined the French presidential campaign, urging voters to support Macron and claiming that Le Pen is too closely linked to Russia.
Macron puts Le Pen in defense
Macron advanced from the first round on April 10. But Le Pen, who prevailed this year by using anger against inflation, significantly narrowed the gap in public support compared to 2017, when he lost 34 percent of the vote to 66 percent of Macron.
Both candidates had carefully prepared for Wednesday’s debate. But Le Pen made an unfavorable start: after being chosen to speak first, she began speaking before the debate began. I can’t hear it because of the music, it had to stop and start again. She apologized.
WATCH Macron, Le Pen went to the second round:
Macron, Le Pen went to the second round to decide the presidential election in France
Polls show that incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right politician Marine Le Pen are heading for a run-off to decide France’s 2022 presidential election. 2:06
After the fighting began, Macron quickly put Le Pen in defense. He focused on her vote as an MP and questioned her understanding of economic figures.
In 2017, such a debate dealt a decisive blow to her campaign.
Both candidates must expand their support ahead of Sunday’s vote. Many French people, especially on the left, say they still don’t know if they will go to the polls at all.
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