Le Pen and Macron clash in crucial French election debate

[tenorly]

Source: BBC News

The two contenders for the French presidency traded insults in a fiery head to head TV debate, in a key moment of a long and bitter campaign.

Centrist Emmanuel Macron said his far-right rival Marine Le Pen's strategy "is to lie," while she called him a shameless "darling of the system."

Macron is well ahead in the polls, although his lead has been reduced. The aim of both candidates is to win over the estimated 18% of undecided voters ahead of Sunday's election.

The debate was heated for most of its 160 minutes, with both candidates throwing personal insults at each other.

Le Pen called her 39-year-old rival "the candidate of savage globalisation," happy to sell off France's assets and relinquish control of the country. Macron, in turn, accused the 48-year-old leader of the National Front (FN) of being "the high priestess of fear," saying she talked a lot but "proposed nothing."

For the first time, neither candidate is from a mainstream French party.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39791175

---

Pass the croissants!

[2naSalit]

1. Interesting... K&R

[tenorly]

2. Mais oui - and the first polls are now in:

French election: Macron 'most convincing' in final debate

French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron was more impressive than rival Marine Le Pen in Wednesday evening's final TV debate, a viewers' poll says.

The candidates traded insults for more than two hours, arguing over terrorism, the economy, and Europe.

The French broadcaster BFMTV found voters had a more favourable view of Mr Macron than Ms Le Pen in most categories.
He was the "most convincing" of the pair in the opinion of 63% of viewers.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39801315

[2naSalit]

4. Cool.

I do hope Le Pen loses again.

[tenorly]

5. My guess is that she'll drop out, to deny Macron the pleasure of defeating her.

Having the last word is très important in France.

[2naSalit]

7. C'est vrai.

The culture is interesting in that way. i like to watch what happens there, but I done focus on it much given our current nightmare from which I have yet to waken. It's hard to focus on much else.

[tenorly]

9. I'm sure many in France follow our politics at least as eagerly as their own for the very reason.

Le Pen is a clown in a kid's birthday party compared to the clear and present danger of a president we have now.

C'est la vie, I guess.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. A big, fat K&R!

[tenorly]

6. I just hope Hollande's DGSI keeps a close eye on Mademoiselle Le Pen

She's not above paying some desperate North African to stage something violent on the eve of the election - to say nothing of some of the thugs around her.

[2naSalit]

8. And...

Pooties' thugs.

[tenorly]

10. Exactement!

Thanks for reminding me.

[center]

Le Pen and Pepe Le Putin. C'est l'amour?[/center]

[2naSalit]

11. Oui, et oui...nt

[Alt-Orange]

12. Pepe Le Putin