Macron takes the lead in the French election televised debate with Le Pen France

After the debate, the dissection: was Emmanuel Macron arrogant or polite? Was Marine Le Pen dominant or passive?

Hours after the clash in the marathon between the two contenders for president of France on Wednesday night, the verdict was that Macron came out as the winner in essence and Le Pen holds him together with style.

The exchange was a rematch of the 2017 televised debate, during which the far-right leader became aggressive. This time Le Pen remained calm, though he still bumped from time to time. Le Monde likened Macron to a boa who slowly pressed his opponent to death.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said the debate was generally satisfactory: “If the presidential campaign itself is disappointing, here we have seen the choice between two types of France, two different visions,” he told Europe 1.

Jordan Bardella, leader of Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN), accused Macron of being “the number one public insulter”, adding: “When he insults Marine Le Pen, as his supporters do, he really insults the French. . ”

Clement Bonn, the European minister, accused Le Pen of trying to organize Frexit covert. “It was clear on this subject that Marin Le Pen had no project and that she had simply cut Frexit into smaller pieces,” he said.

Marin Le Pen says he will ban the hijab during the French presidential debate – video

A spokesman for the government, Gabriel Attal, said that Le Pen had “changed his style, but not his essence”. He accused Le Pen of wanting to “divide the French”, reiterating Macron’s accusation that her proposed ban on Islamic headscarves would provoke a “civil war” in the city’s suburbs.

Sociologists Elabe asked viewers after the debate and said that 59% found Macron more convincing than 39% for Le Pen. Among supporters of radical left-wing leader Jean-Luc Melanchon, whose 7.7 million voters and two presidential candidates are running, the poll found that 61% found Macron convincing, compared to 36% for Le Pen. Only 29% of respondents believe that the far-right leader shows “the most qualities needed to be president.”

Macron was considered more dynamic, a little more sincere and with a better program than Le Pen. Half said Macron was “more arrogant” than his opponent, while about half thought Le Pen was “anxious.”