France
TV duel: Macron and Le Pen argue hard about core issues
Emmanuel Macron (l) and Marine Le Pen before the TV debate. Photo: Ludovic Marin/Pool AFP/AP/dpa
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In the only TV duel before France’s presidential election, incumbent Macron and his right-wing competitor Le Pen fought over the best concepts. There was no open dispute, no hard allegations.
Four days before the presidential elections in France, Head of State Emmanuel Macron and his challenger Marine Le Pen exchanged blows in a TV duel.
Both candidates tried to have an objective debate on Wednesday evening, but mutual attacks then increased in the course of the two-and-a-half-hour duel. Le Pen on the right, who always smiled brightly, presented herself as the advocate of the simple French and tried to make a sympathetic appearance. The center politician Macron, who is running for a second term, was often the more active in the debate and also acknowledged mistakes and omissions in the past term.
Inflation is the key issue
When it comes to purchasing power – a constant concern of the French and a key issue in the election campaign – Macron and Le Pen presented opposing concepts. At the start of the eagerly awaited only televised debate, Macron announced increases in pensions and the minimum wage, as well as a cap on gas and electricity prices. In addition, it is important to further reduce unemployment, a personal wage is the best way to strengthen purchasing power. Le Pen proposed lowering VAT on energy and eliminating taxes on 100 basic necessities.
When it came to the issue of pensions, which has been the subject of repeated debates in France, Le Pen insisted on retiring at the age of 60 to 62. Anyone starting their career at the age of 16 to 20 should be able to retire at the age of 60, the other employees at the age of 62, as has been the case up to now. “Retirement at 65 is an absolute injustice,” Le Pen said of Macron’s plan for a higher retirement age. Macron emphasized that a pension from the age of 65 should not apply to all employees, with the exception of people in particularly strenuous jobs. In view of an increased life expectancy, the pension system must be counter-financed.
Macron accused his right-wing opponent of making herself dependent on Russia. «They depend on Russian power and they depend on Mr. Putin. They don’t talk to other leaders, they talk to their banker when they talk about Russia,” Macron said. Macron was referring to a loan Le Pen took out from a Czech-Russian bank in 2014. Le Pen defended herself by saying that French banks would not approve such financial aid. “Don’t you think that’s scandalous?” Le Pen replied, speaking of a democratic deficit in the banks.
Macron praises Franco-German cooperation
Macron emphasized France’s anchoring in the European Union and made a commitment to Franco-German cooperation. “I believe in Europe and I believe in the Franco-German couple.” Franco-German cooperation made it possible to reach agreements. “To move Europe forward, you need a Franco-German couple.”
Macron accused Le Pen of wanting to leave the EU, as she did during her 2017 presidential candidacy. “They still want to get out because they haven’t changed the program much, but they don’t say it.” Le Pen countered that if she wanted to get out, she would say so. “I want to stay in the European Union.” However, she wants to change the EU. Among other things, she advocates that French law should have priority over EU law.
The two opponents also disagreed on the issue of independence. “Our sovereignty is national and European,” said Macron. Le Pen replied: “There is no European sovereignty because there is no European people.”
Le Pen speaks of “punitive ecology”
There was a dispute over the issues of environmental protection and energy supply. “Your program has no basis,” Macron said of Le Pen, whom he described as a climate skeptic. Le Pen, in turn, accused the President of a “punitive ecology” that restricts the lives of ordinary people. While Macron advocated the parallel expansion of renewable energies and nuclear power, Le Pen described wind power as “ecological and economic nonsense”.
Macron and Le Pen sat opposite each other in a TV duel before the 2017 presidential election, and the discussion was characterized by insults and personal attacks. Now Macron showed himself to be a listener who agreed with his opponent in some statements – but then tried to refute their conclusions or demands. Le Pen also focused on her opponent’s statements and tried to invalidate a number of statements made by the president.
Poll shows Macron as duel winner
According to a survey, Macron emerged victorious from the TV debate with his right-wing opponent Marine Le Pen. About two out of three viewers said in the survey by the Elabe Institute on Wednesday evening that the liberal head of state had been more convincing. After the more than two and a half hour debate, a total of 650 people who had followed the duel were interviewed.