‘VIOLENT FROM

Macron and Le Pen exchange insults during and after vicious TV debate

PARIS

JAMES COMEY, Federal Bureau of Investigation director the economy and Europe in Wednesday’s hot-tempered debate watched by 16.5 million people.

Le Pen branded the 39-yearold former economy minister and investment banker “the candidate of the elite”, while he called her “the high priestess of fear”.

After the bruising contest, a snap poll by French broadcaster BFMTV found that 63 per cent of viewers thought Macron was the “most convincing” of the two, broadly mirroring forecasts for the decisive election on Sunday.

Former United States president Barack Obama threw his support behind the pro-EU Macron, offering fresh backing for the candidate.

Obama said that Macron had stood up for “liberal values” and

AP PIC Marine Le Pen (left) and Emmanuel Macron (right) get prepared by technicians and make-up artists prior to the televised debate in La Plaine-Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Wednesday.