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3. NYT: Marine Le Pen Sharpens Attack on Emmanuel Macron in French Debate
Wed Mar 22, 2017, 01:20 AM
Mar 2017

Five of the French presidential candidates faced off in a debate Monday night. From second left: François Fillon, Emmanuel Macron, Benoît Hamon, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen.

By ADAM NOSSITER - MARCH 21, 2017

PARIS — The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen clashed sharply with her probable presidential opponent, the centrist Emmanuel Macron, over immigration, integration and France’s role in the world, during a marathon televised debate Monday night, a vivid prelude to the election battle to come.

Facing off for the first time in a five-candidate debate that stretched for three and a half hours, Ms. Le Pen and Mr. Macron offered the starkest of contrasts, with the National Front leader providing a dark picture of a France besieged by immigrants and Islam, and her rival preaching conciliation.

The debate also included the three other main contenders — the Socialist Benoît Hamon, the Republicans’ François Fillon, and the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon — but it was the fight between Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen that riveted attention.

Mr. Macron, a former economy minister who founded a political movement centered on jump-starting France’s stagnant economy, but who has never held an elected office, appeared flustered at times as Ms. Le Pen displayed a mocking smile.

The first round of voting in the presidential election will be on April 23, and the top two candidates will advance to the second round on May 7. Opinion polls show that Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen are the most likely to make it to that runoff — a result that would be a stunning rebuke for France’s two main political parties, the Socialists and the Republicans.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/world/europe/france-election-debate.html
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