Macron attacks Le Pen on Russia, Muslim headscarf ban pledge
The Hindu
Le Pen sought to appeal to voters struggling with surging prices amid the fallout of Russia's war in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron tore into his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen in a television debate Wednesday for her ties to Russia and for wanting to strip Muslim women of their right to cover their heads in public, as he seeks the votes he needs to win another 5-year term.
In their only head-to-head confrontation before the electorate has its say in Sunday's winner-takes-all vote, Macron took the gloves off, arguing that his rival is unsuitable to lead the nuclear-armed and ethnically diverse European power and deal with Moscow. He sought to portray Le Pen as fundamentally untrustworthy, accusing her of dishonesty and of using faulty figures in her election promises.
He also said plans by the anti-immigration candidate to ban Muslim women from wearing headscarves in public would trigger “civil war” in the country that has the largest Muslim population in western Europe.
Le Pen, in turn, sought to appeal to voters struggling with surging prices amid the fallout of Russia's war in Ukraine. She said bringing down the cost of living would be her priority if elected as France's first woman president, portraying herself as the candidate for voters unable to make ends meet.
She said Macron's presidency had left the country deeply divided and she repeatedly referenced the so-called “yellow vest” protest movement that rocked his government before the COVID-19 pandemic with months of violent demonstrations against his economic policies.
“France needs to be stitched back together,” she said.
The debate drove home the yawning gulf in politics and character between the two candidates again vying for the presidency, five years after Macron handily beat Le Pen in 2017.