Ahead of the final round of voting in the French presidential election, to be held on Sunday, May 7th, the two remaining candidates, Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, met for a final televised debate. Around 20 million viewers, out of an electorate of nearly 47 million, were expected to watch the two and a half hour debate.
Polls Had Macron Ahead
Ahead of the debate, the latest opinion polls had Macron in front with a comfortable lead of 20% over his far-right counterpart. Le Pen’s desperate need to gain support was clear as the two clashed in bitter exchanges with Le Pen attacking Macron over his past as an investment banker and former economy minister calling him the “candidate for globalization gone wild”.
In return, Macron attacked Le Pen’s promise to exit the euro which he called a fatal plan that would surely cause a currency war though Le Pen labelled Macron’s remarks part of his “project fear”. The vicious nature of the debate was highlighted by the personal insults exchanged by the two with Le Pen labelling Macron a “smirking banker” and Macron calling Le Pen a “parasite”.
Le Pen & Macron Clash Over Terrorism
The most heated part of the debate came as the pair clashed over terrorism. Le Pen accused Macron of weakness saying “you have no plan, but you are indulgent with Islamic fundamentalism”. However, Macron returned fire saying” I will lead a fight against Islamic terrorism at every level. But what they are wanting, they trap they are holding out for us, is the one that you offer – civil war”.
Much of Le Pen’s support has been gained on the basis of her hardline approach to terrorism and immigration. More than 200 people have been killed by Islamic militants in France since 2015, and a growing portion of the population have got behind Le Pen as a result. Indeed, Le Pen’s presence in the debate marked the first time that a National Front candidate has appeared in a run-off debate which highlights the level of support Le Pen has gained over her campaign.
Read more: https://www.orbex.com/blog/2017/05/french-elections-update-macron-strikes-victory-vicious-debate-le-pen/