France: Tonight the Macron-Le Pen debate – The 4 issues that will dominate

France’s far-right presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, will be short of points in tonight’s televised battle against France’s central president Emanuel Macron.

Here are some issues that are expected to dominate in tonight’s telematch between the two presidential candidates, which is to start at 22:00 Greek time.

The Macron style

Macron has struggled during his presidency to reach out to those voters who do not belong to his bourgeois, liberal base. He is often described as an arrogant and arrogant leader, with no contact with the harsh reality that households face in order to meet their needs.

The critical style of the former investment banker has put him in a difficult position in the past.

He has rebuked strikers for “causing a stir” and described social welfare spending as “a handful of money”.

Le Pen is expected to present herself as an advocate for oppressed workers and portray Macron as a person belonging to a distant ruling elite, who will put multinational corporations above French families.

Lepen’s ties with Russia

Russia and Le Pen’s past admiration for President Vladimir Putin are likely to cause controversy.

Before confronting Macron in the second round of the 2017 presidential election, Le Pen said she had common values ​​with Putin and that with him, with then-US President Donald Trump and with her in the French presidency, a “new world” could emerge. order of things”.

Le Pen has condemned Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but says Russia should be treated as an ally after the end of the war.

In terms of its foreign policy, Lepen is committed to keeping equal distances from Washington and Moscow.

Macron, however, will have to walk carefully. He has welcomed Putin to the Palace of Versailles and his summer residence on the French Riviera.

In the weeks leading up to the start of the war in Ukraine, Macron spoke of the need for Europe to conclude a new security agreement with Moscow.

Covered Frexit

Macron is likely to try tonight to portray Lepen as a fanatical Eurosceptic determined to end decades of post-European integration.

Le Pen is no longer pushing for a “Frexit” (for France to leave the EU) or for an exit from the eurozone.

Instead, he speaks of restructuring the EU from within, through an alliance with leaders of similar positions as those of Hungary and Poland.

Macron describes the election as a battle not only for shaping the future of France but also for Europe, and has attacked what he calls Le Pen’s secret agenda for leaving the EU.

Macron’s allies have focused on Le Pen’s insistence on giving priority to French rather than European law and on its commitment to reinstate controls on goods imported into France from other EU countries as proof that its Eurosceptic positions have not softened.

Pension Reform, financial credentials

Macron began his campaign with a warning that many voters can hardly swallow: you will work for more years if I win.

Le Pen has called Macron’s plan to raise the legal retirement age by three years to 65 “absolutely unfair”.

On the other hand, he has told voters that any candidate who claims that the pension system can remain as it is is lying.

During a visit to a working-class city in the French north, the current president told residents that Le Pen’s economic promises include lowering the retirement age to 60 for some workers and exempting them from tax. income for citizens under 30, is a fantasy.

Macron is likely to remain in that position tonight.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ

Source: Capital

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