The Latest: Macron says Le Pen would play into extremism
The Latest on France’s presidential election (all times local) :
10: 20 p.m.
French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron says his far-right rival Marine Le Pen would lead France to civil war and give Islamic extremists what they want by infringing on the rights of Muslim residents.
Le Pen accused Macron during a televised debate Wednesday night of being complacent on extremism. Macron countered: “What the terrorists expect, it’s civil war, it’s division, it’s heinous speech.”
Le Pen has pledged to shut down a powerful fundamentalist federation linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, known as the Union of Islamic Organizations in France.
Macron insisted he would be “inflexible” and “fight against Islamic terrorism on every front” without exacerbating the problem.
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10: 05 p.m.
Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen accused her centrist rival of being “complacent” about Islamic fundamentalists.
Le Pen said during a debate with Emmanuel Debate ahead of the Sunday runoff election vote that “we must eradicate the Islamist ideology.”
She has pledged to shut down a powerful fundamentalist federation linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, known as the Union of Islamic Organizations in France, or UOIF, and said it supports Macron.
Le Pen also has proposed a series of measures to stamp out the possibility of another new terrorist attack in France, including expelling all foreigners with a file and revoking the French citizenship of dual-nationals under suspicion.
She said to Macron, “You are waiting for an attack” rather than taking proactive measures.
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9: 45 p.m.
Centrist French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron is promising to lower taxes for all workers.
During a televised debate with far-right rival Marine Le Pen on Wednesday night, the former economy minister also pledged to grant unemployment benefits to independent craftsmen, merchants and farmers who go bankrupt but are currently not eligible for the benefits.
Macron acknowledged he would raise taxes on retirees who are well-off financially.
He also accused Le Pen of not having a plan to finance the policies she has proposed.
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9: 40 p.m.
Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen says she’s the candidate of buying power and her centrist rival is the candidate of buying.
Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron exchanged barbs and insults on Wednesday during their sole televised debate ahead of Sunday’s runoff election.
Le Pen said to Macron, a former economy minister and investment banker: “I’m the candidate of buying power. You’re the candidate of buying, buying up France.”
The nationalist Le Pen’s campaign is being watched as a barometer of the appeal of populist politicians in Europe.
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9: 28 p.m.
Far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has clashed in a heated debate with her centrist rival Emmanuel Macron over how to jump-start the floundering French economy and create jobs.
The two presidential candidates came out fighting at the start of Wednesday’s debate, the only face-to-face confrontation ahead of Sunday’s runoff election.
The anti-European Union Le Pen told Macron, a former economy minister and one-time investment banker, that for him, “the law of the strongest must apply.”
She said “radical” changes are needed to reduce the country’s 10 percent unemployment rate.
Differences included how to negotiate the 35-hour work week currently in place. Len Pen advocates talks by sector instead of by company.
She claimed Macron’s choices amount to “fratricide” because they pit one group, class or company against another.
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9: 12 p.m.
Centrist French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron has derisively referred to far-rival Marine Le Pen as “an heir, ” reminding voters that the name Le Pen has been an inglorious part of French politics for 40 years.
Macron told Le Pen at the start of their televised debate Wednesday: “You are the heir of a name, of a political party.”
It was a reference to her father, National Front party co-founded Jean-Marie Le Pen. He was expelled from the party in 2015 after he reiterated anti-Semitic comments.
Jean-Marie Le Pen ran five times for the presidency; Marine Le Pen is making her second attempt.
Macron is a newcomer in politics and unknown to French people until he became Socialist President Francois Hollande’s economy minister. He launched a political movement last year to support his presidential bid.
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9: 00 p.m.
France’s presidential candidates have started debating on national television in their only televised one-to-one before the runoff election.
The far-right leader of the National Front party, Marine Le Pen, and independent centrist Emmanuel Macron sat a table facing each other, with photos of the Elysee palace projected behind them.
They being are questioned in the Wednesday debate by two journalists from TF1 and France 2, the country’s major television channels.
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8: 30 p.m.
Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and untested centrist Emmanuel Macron have arrived at a television studio outside Paris ahead of a high-stakes debate and shown there is unlikely to be any common ground in their verbal showdown.
Their one-on-one debate on Wednesday is scheduled to be the only direct confrontation between the candidates ahead of Sunday’s runoff election for the presidency.
Between the anti-EU Le Pen and pro-European Macron, the two offer polar-opposite platforms.
Le Pen said upon her arrival at the studio that she hopes the debate will help the millions of undecided French make up their minds between “continuity or change that I represent.”
Macron says he wants to show that Le Pen’s platform “cannot respond to the challenges of the country.”
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11: 55 a.m.
Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen are preparing for their one-on-one televised French presidential election debate, with much at stake for both contenders.
