Fiery debate confirms Macron as frontrunner for French presidency
EMMANUEL MACRON was today confirmed as the clear favourite to become the next French president following a live TV debate in which his two main rivals were accused of corruption. A key poll showed 27 per cent of viewers believe the independent candidate, 39, has “the qualities necessary” to be head of state.
This compared with 20 per cent for the conservative candidate, François Fillon, and 13 per cent for Marine Le Pen, of the far-Right National Front.
Mr Macron, who left government last year to form his own Centrist party, En Marche!, criticised Ms Le Pen’s policy of withdrawing from the euro. “What you are proposing is a reduction in French people’s purchasing power,” he said. He accused her of lying to the people, adding: “Nationalism is war.”
She retorted: “You shouldn’t pretend to be something new when you are speaking like fossils that are at least 50 years old.”
The poll’s release followed Mr Fillon and Ms Le Pen’s humiliation at the hands of Philippe Poutou of the New Anti-capitalist Party. The Left-winger said: “Since January, it’s been a goldmine.
“With Fillon, the more you look, the more corruption and cheating you find. He’s a guy who tells you we must tighten our belts and have austerity but who dips into the public coffers.”
As Mr Fillon stood shaking his head, and pleading with his rival to stop, Mr Poutou said: “It’s the same with Le Pen, you dip into the public coffers, if not here then in Europe.” Mr Fillon, 63, and his wife Penelope face prison for allegedly helping themselves to hundreds of thousands of pounds by setting up fake jobs, including one in the French parliament. Ms Le Pen, 48, is accused of doing the exactly same thing through the European parliament, where she is an MEP.
Mr Poutou was particularly outraged that both Right-wing candidates can claim immunity from prosecution if they are elected president, saying “ordinary workers don’t have immunity”. Both Mr Fillon and Ms Le Pen deny wrongdoing and say they will be able to prove their innocence in court.
Last night’s four-hour showdown was the first time all 11 presidential candidates have appeared together in a live debate. Unless one wins more than 50 per cent of the vote in the first round on April 23, the two leading candidates will go to a second round on May 7.
The Elabe poll for BFMTV, which broadcast the debate, showed another hard-Left candidate, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, as the “most convincing” with 25 per cent. Mr Macron was on 21 per cent, Mr Fillon on 15 and Ms Le Pen on 11. Other polls suggest Mr Macron will beat Ms Le Pen in the second round in May.