The two finalists in France’s presidential election faced a live televised debate that could be crucial in convincing hesitant voters – especially from the left – four days before the decisive second round. Here are some of the highlights of what was generally a much more civilized exchange than their meeting five years ago:
Asked to start the debate by indicating what kind of president he will be, Marine Le Pen says he will be “president of everyday life, of the value of work … President of a national fraternity, uniting the national around a collective project.” “Another choice is possible,” she said. Macron says he has had a “difficult time” with the country, a time when “there are fears, apprehensions”. He seeks to continue to do so because “I believe we can make our country more independent and stronger.”
Cost of living crisis: Le Pen says seven out of 10 people think their purchasing power has declined in the last five years. She says she will cut taxes, reward hard work and help those who are vulnerable. “I will return the money to the French,” she said, at 150-200 euros a month per household. Macron says purchasing power has increased during his presidency, but admits that “life is getting more expensive”. He said it was more effective to cut prices than to cut taxes, and noted that Le Pen had voted against cutting prices in parliament. He also noted that Le Pen’s promise to increase wages by 10% was not in her favor: “Employers are the ones who decide.” Macron added that his government’s measures have kept inflation in France significantly lower than in its EU neighbors.
Foreign policy: Le Pen congratulates Macron on steps he has taken to help the people of Ukraine “in the name of France”, but questions EU sanctions against Russia, which he says “will do great harm to the French people” . Macron counterattacked, boosting Le Pen’s support for Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the fact that her party had taken out Russian bank loans. “You are dependent on Russian power and Mr Putin,” Macron said. Le Pen vehemently insisted that the loans did not mean she was influenced by Moscow: “I am a completely free woman” and reminded Macron that he had received the Russian leader in Versailles. For Europe, Macron says: “You still want to leave the EU, just don’t say it again. Le Pen denies this: “I want the European Commission to respect sovereign nations – I want to change the EU, not leave it. Macron accuses her of concealing her true intentions: much of her program, he said, would be in breach of EU law and principles: “You can’t change the rules of a 27-member club on your own just because you’re Marin Le Pen. Your project is a project that will shrink France.
Social policy: On the controversial issue of pensions, Macron proposes a gradual extension of the retirement age to 65 by 2031, with the exception of particularly heavy physical jobs. Le Pen calls this “unbearable injustice”; she says she will set the retirement age between 60 and 62, with 42 years of contributions required for a full state pension. Macron says her plan is not feasible. Le Pen attacked the “horrific economic record of the president”, calling Macron “Mozart of finance”. She is skeptical about Macron’s claim to reduce unemployment from 9.6% to 7.4%; he protects it with international data. Macron also says he is “quite proud” of his government’s urgent economic measures to support jobs and business during the pandemic, and wants to know what Le Pen would do instead.
Environment: Le Pen says the main cause of the climate crisis is the global free market; she says her “whole project” is built around “localism.” Macron says it doesn’t make sense: fossil fuels are a major contributor to global warming, but she is proposing a reduction in VAT on petrol and diesel. He accused Le Pen of being skeptical about the climate, noting: “There are no environmental proposals in your project. He criticized her proposal to dismantle existing wind farms and ban future ones.
Digital: Le Pen says European Google “should be launched years ago”. Macron says France is the country that “produces the most startups” in Europe, but adds that Google, Apple and Amazon were born in the United States because of the size of the US market. The French market must be the whole of Europe; anyone who doesn’t like Europe can’t develop digital champions. “
Crime: Le Pen says crime and security are “an absolutely essential issue. The situation in the country is really very bad … We are facing real barbarism. ” She says this is one of the reasons why she will hold a referendum on immigration, because “uncontrolled immigration is one of the main causes of crime in this country.” It requires toughness from judges and another 25,000 cells in the country’s prisons. Macron says his government has “kept its promises” by creating 10,000 police jobs and increasing the justice budget by 30% in the last two years.
Marin Le Pen says he will ban the hijab during the French presidential debate – video
Secularism: Asked about her promise to ban the wearing of the hijab in public, Le Pen insisted she was not anti-Islamic but “opposed to Islamist ideology.” She said Macron’s policy against Islamism “was not effective”. The hijab is a “uniform imposed by Islamists” and should be banned publicly. Macron says he would never publicly ban signs of religious belief because it would be against the French constitution: “You will start a civil war if you ban the veil,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense. It confuses all the problems; confusing Islam with Islamism.”
Immigration: Le Pen says he will revise the French constitution in a referendum that will introduce a national priority for jobs and benefits, as well as abolish automatic citizenship for children of non-citizens born in France, changing the asylum process and naturalization rules . Macron says none of this can be achieved without the cooperation of third countries.
Governance: Macron says referendums can be a good idea, but insists that the referendum on citizenship and immigration “is not constitutional.” Le Pen insists her plan is constitutional: “Only the people are sovereign,” she said. “You are proposing to change the constitution without going through parliament,” Macron said.
Conclusions: Macron says the debate was “sincere” and the two candidates had “respectful disagreements”. He says the April 24 election was “a referendum for or against the EU, for or against the environment, for who we are”. Le Pen addressed the “French people”, praising his project as “viable and, I believe, vital”.
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