Open confrontation in the highly anticipated TV duel, which almost ended in a brawl, but which has not changed the trend of the French presidential elections. Marine Le Pen he tried to attack the winner of the first round of the French presidential elections and the big favorite in next Sunday's ballot Emmanuel Macron, but apparently she didn't succeed: the polls still give Hollande's ex-minister of the Economy a large advantage with 60% of the preferences in the second round. Indeed, the novelty of the evening is, if anything, a survey released by Les Echos according to which En Marche!, the movement founded a year ago by Macron, he would also be in the lead for the June legislative elections, when the parliamentary majority will be formed which according to many would risk creating a dangerous situation of cohabitation, with the liberal-progressive in the Elysée and a right-leaning assembly. But maybe that won't be the case.
But first we have to win the presidential elections, and during the first and only televised debate, faced by the contenders in an atmosphere of very high tension, the candidate of the Front National, who recently brought the party once represented by her father Jean Marie to the all-time record (more than 7 million votes in the first round), he tried in every way to put Macron on the ropes. Above all on the themes of Europe, immigration and Islamic fundamentalism: particularly on the latter, Le Pen accused his rival of "complacency with Islamic terrorism", who rejected the accusations calling them "nonsense and lies".
Macron then defined his line on Europe as "gaullo-mitterandienne", with reference to the two greatest leaders that France has known in the post-war period: "We will collaborate with Trump on Islamic terrorism, but we will not bow to Putin as Marine Le Pen intends to do. What Le Pen proposes is an exit from history”. The far-right candidate instead insisted on her sovereign positions: “France must once again become independent and equidistant from the USA and Russia. We have to get out of Europe, which costs us 9 billion a year”.
Precisely on this statement Le Monde specified that it is a fake, given that France's official contribution to the EU budget is 4,5 billion, which rises to 6,1 billion considering other items. Another fake by Le Pen indirectly concerns Italy, given that the FN candidate accused the government of which Macron was a member of "selling the Atlantic shipyards to the Italians", with reference to the recent agreement for the sale of 49% of Stx France, the company that manages the historic Saint Nazaire plants. In reality, the sale was carried out by the Korean group Stx, the majority shareholder until a few months ago, while the French state remained in possession of its 33%, also trying to involve a group of national companies in the remaining capital. “In any case – recalls Le Monde – Macron was no longer a minister when this dossier was opened”.
The clash also took place on internal and economic issues. For example on the delicate issue of pensions, for which Le Pen confirmed his intention - which was the same as Mélenchon's - to lower the retirement age to 60 "for those who reach forty years of service". “Sending workers into retirement at the age of 60 would cost 30 billion, it is an amount that cannot be financed. I don't want to raise the retirement age, I want to leave things as they are: rights will not be affected,” Macron replied.
