May 25. () –
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his willingness to debate with the leader of the far-right National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, before the European elections, scheduled for June 9.
“If we assume that part of France’s destiny is at stake in these elections, and I believe it, we must debate. I am at your disposal. The ball is in your court,” Macron said in an interview published this Saturday by the newspaper ‘ Le Parisien’.
Le Pen has also offered to debate, but after the European elections. “After the elections this debate will no longer be of interest. I am the president of the republic,” he argued.
Macron has attacked Le Pen’s party, favorite in the polls for the European elections, and has criticized its “cowardly ambiguity” on the future of the EU. “People believe that the National Group is not serious,” he stressed.
Le Pen responded through a message on social networks: “If the President of the Republic, who is the Head of State and not the leader of the majority, enters the electoral arena, he must assume the consequences (…) “I will debate against Emmanuel Macron if he puts on the table his resignation or the dissolution of the National Assembly in the event of the failure of the Renaissance list.”
The leader of France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has also reacted, criticizing that “Macron wants to debate with Le Pen. With me it would be different! and at least there would be real differences. From 2022 there are three blocs in this country. They I would like to forget it,” he argued.
Polls give Le Pen’s party between 30 and 33 percent support, ahead of the Macron-friendly parties (16 percent) and the Socialist Party-Public Square (14-15 percent).
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