European elections? Macron challenges Le Pen to debate before the elections
French President Emmanuel Macron has challenged far-right leader Marine Le Pen to a debate during the campaign for the 09 June European elections, aiming to expose the inconsistencies of her National Rally party.
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Mundo Le Parisien
"I am at her disposal. The 'ball' is in their court," Macron said in statements published today by the digital edition of the newspaper Le Parisien.
Read Also: Who is running, who can vote and how to vote. A guide to the European elections (Portuguese version)
"If they think that part of France's destiny is at stake in this election, which is what I think, there is a debate to be had," he added.
However, Macron is only willing to debate with Le Pen during the campaign. "After the [European] elections, the debate will have no interest. I am the President of the Republic," Macron said, quoted by Le Parisien.
According to the newspaper, Macron's statements were made last Thursday, during the flight back to Paris after the French President's visit to New Caledonia.
Marine Le Pen, who believes in a victory on June 9, had said that she wanted to debate with the President after the elections, if Macron called for legislative elections.
For the elections on June 9, the polls show that the far-right party National Rally (RN) has almost double the votes of Macron's party, Renaissance.
The French President said that he wants this debate to unmask what he calls the "cowardly ambiguity" of the RN, which he considers dangerous. "Dear compatriots, wake up and take a good look at them," reads the online pages of Le Parisien.
"I am surprised by the way this political party is always changing its mind. They wanted to leave the euro. Then they said they would not apply the [EU] treaties. Now they are not saying any of that. It's crazy," he insisted.
Last Thursday, there was a first televised debate between the 'dolphins' of Macron and Le Pen: Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, for the government, and Jordan Bardella, for the RN.
The polls give the RN between 30 and 32% of the votes in the European elections in France, while Macron's party appears with voting trends between 16 and 17%.
This is followed by the Socialist Party, led by MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, with 14 to 15%.
The fourth place in the polls is disputed by the conservative right (LR), the left LFI and the Greens (EELV), with about 7% of the votes.
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