French Presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen clashed over issues ranging from Russia to the cost of living last night in the only televised debate before the election on Sunday.
In a debate that lasted nearly three hours, Incumbent President Macron went on the offensive against the far-right challenger, accusing Le Pen of 'confusing everything' on a variety of issues and adding that her programme lacked substance.
Marine Le Pen said she acted as the spokeswoman of the people, aiming to give the French people their money back. Emmanuel Macron performed as the experienced statesman, telling Le Pen where she was wrong in her economic policy.
Both candidates were seeking to win over left-wing voters. Despite this, Le Pen accused Macron of being responsible for the yellow vest movement after his attempt to raise fuel prices sparked extended nationwide protests.
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Macron fired back, saying that Le Pen would enrage the country into a civil war by trying to ban headscarfs in public – stating that in his view secularism is a principle of "freedom", not repression.
He criticised her close ties to Russia, including a loan to her party from a Russian bank with close ties to the Kremlin. "You're dependent on Vladimir Putin," Macron told Le Pen. "When you speak to Russia, you speak to your banker."
Le Pen rejected his attack, maintaining that the only reason she took the loan was that no banks in France would lend it to her.
For what a Le Pen victory could mean for Europe, see here.
What the polls say
For last night's debate, a snap poll by BFM TV found that 59% of viewers favoured Macron's performance, finding him more convincing than Le Pen. The debate did not greatly alter the polls for Sunday's showdown either.
Recent polling suggests that 56.5% of voters would opt for Macron, while 43.5% would go for Le Pen.
France, Ipsos-Sopra Steria poll:
Presidential run-off election Macron (EC-RE): 56.5% Le Pen (RN-ID): 43.5% +/- vs. 17 -19 April 2022 Fieldwork: 18 - 20 April 2022 Sample size: 1,687 ➤ https://t.co/TKq3Z8zbNB pic.twitter.com/F1U7zFoC6U — Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) April 21, 2022
It appears that the presidential debate has had a small effect as Macron rose by 1.5% compared to Wednesday, while Le Pen's numbers dropped by 1.5%.
Verdict
Beyond Le Pen's favoured subject of immigration, the challenging candidate lacked vision and ideas. She failed to shine outside of her comfort zone of stoking division and hatred, in her usual routine of pitting French people against immigrants.
Unlike in 2017's pre-election debate, Le Pen didn't resort to sarcastic comments but remained calm and honed in on the rising cost of living, a key issue for French voters. However, Macron put her on the defensive by asking why she had voted against caps on electricity prices if she was serious about wanting to help working people.
Meanwhile, Macron defended his programme and went on the attack to poke holes in Le Pen's programme, especially concerning her stance towards the EU and Russia.
Overall, the debate was a more nuanced affair compared to their previous showdown in 2017.
