French President Emmanuel Macron has attacked his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen over her ties to Russia and her suspicion of the European Union in a play for the votes he needs to win another five-year term.
In their only televised debate before voters have their say in Sunday’s run-off, Mr Macron sought to portray Ms Le Pen as fundamentally untrustworthy, accusing her of dishonesty in her election promises.
Ms Le Pen, whom Mr Macron beat in the last presidential election five years ago, is doing better in polls this time although she still trails the incumbent president.
The French leader was particularly vocal in his criticism of a loan taken out by Ms Le Pen’s party in 2014 from a Russian-Czech bank. He said that debt meant that, if elected president, Ms Le Pen’s hands would be tied when dealing with the Kremlin.
“You are speaking to your banker when you speak of Russia, that’s the problem,” Mr Macron charged in the evening primetime debate that was expected to be watched by millions.
“You made a choice which, obviously, acted as a constraint on your political position and does not make you independent on that issue. That is a fact,” Mr Macron said.
Ms Le Pen bristled at Ms Macron’s suggestion that she is beholden to Russia. She described herself as “totally free.” She said her party is repaying the loan and called him “dishonest” for raising the issue.
Mr Macron, a pro-European centrist, emerged ahead from the April 10 first round and is leading in opinion polls.
But Ms Le Pen, an anti-immigration nationalist who has gained ground this year by tapping anger over inflation, has significantly narrowed the gap in public support compared to 2017, when she lost with 34% of the vote to Mr Macron’s 66%.
Both candidates had prepared carefully for Wednesday’s debate. But Ms Le Pen made an inauspicious start: Having been picked to speak first, she started off before the debate’s opening jingle had finished playing. Inaudible because of the music, she had to stop and start again. She apologised.
Once the jousting began, Mr Macron quickly put Ms Le Pen on the defensive. He zeroed in on her voting record as a lawmaker and questioned her grasp of economic figures.
In 2017, a similar debate struck a decisive blow to her campaign.
Both candidates need to broaden support before Sunday’s vote. Many French, especially on the left, say they still do not know whether they will even go to the polls.
