Le Pen Tirade Meets Logic of Macron in Brutal French TV Duel

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The clash was brutal from the get-go, and the general consensus from commentators was that it wasn't a particularly dignified debate. "It was like a schoolyard brawl," said Emmanuel Riviere, managing director of pollster Kantar Public France. "The candidates went straight for the jugular. Le Pen started it. But Macron also played his part."

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After early exchanges about security and retirement, as each played to their base without scoring points, Le Pen ran into trouble when Macron mockingly cross-examined her plans to replace the euro with two separate currencies. Things got worse for her when she raised his personal finances, only for Macron to counter by bringing up a court probe into her party funding.

"Marine Le Pen went into this as the favorite to win the debate, but it was Macron who came closer and that may have electoral consequences," said Bernard Sananes, a pollster at Elabe.