大象传媒

Summary

  • France's two presidential candidates go on the offensive in crucial debate

  • The far right's Marine Le Pen brands her opponent a "candidate of the elite"

  • Centrist Emmanuel Macron strikes back, accusing her of lying

  • The two argue over terrorism, the French economy and Europe

  • Four days from the poll, the debate is seen as the last real chance for Le Pen to close the gap on Macron in the polls

  • The last time the far right came this close to power was in 2002 under Marine Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie Le Pen

  • Some 20 million French viewers are expected to tune in for the debate, due to last 2 hours and 20 minutes

  1. Macron: Your new franc will plummet in valuepublished at 21:48 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    The centrist says Le Pen's "new franc" will fall in value "by 20% to 30% overnight", he says.

  2. Project Fear (again)published at 21:47 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    The 大象传媒's Gavin Lee picks up on a theme from an earlier vote...

  3. Le Pen on "Project Fear"published at 21:47 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    "Euro is the currency of the bankers, not of the people," says Le Pen.

    She accuses Macron of playing on "Project Fear".

    She says the British were also fed plenty of fear over their future after Brexit.聽

  4. Le Pen: We must return to our national currencypublished at 21:45 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    鈥淲e must return to our national currency, it鈥檚 key,鈥 says Le Pen.聽

    Responding to Macron, she says banks and large companies will have a choice as to whether they pay in euros or a French currency.聽

    Individuals, meanwhile, will return to a French currency.聽

    Macron says this will not work.聽

  5. Macron dismisses currency 'nonsense'published at 21:44 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    How can a big company pay in euros on one hand and pay its employees in another currency - "it's nonsense," he says.

    What currency would France pay its national debt in, he asks.

  6. A different kind of debatepublished at 21:43 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    "Chirac-Mitterrand in 1988 was the聽The Young Girls of Rochefort聽by comparison," Europe 1 journalist David Abiker tweets,聽recalling the 1967 seaside musical and a presidential debate remembered for its frostiness, rather than its fire.

  7. Macron: So are we going back to the franc?published at 21:41 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    He asks Le Pen whether she wants to leave the euro and return to the franc.

    The National Front's policy on the euro has been vague, with suggestions France could either leave or have two currencies operating at once - both the euro and a new national currency.

  8. Le Pen: "I want to save Europe"published at 21:39 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    "I am a European and I want to save Europe. I want to wrench Europe from the hands of the EU, which is wrecking it," says Le Pen.聽

  9. Le Pen on Europepublished at 21:36 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    She wants full control of currency, of borders and of trade agreements.

    鈥淣o one knows the name or face of the [EU] commissioners, who were not elected.鈥

  10. Where do they stand? Europepublished at 21:35 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    Macron:

    • Reform the EU by establishing a separate eurozone budget
    • Promote free trade deals like - the EU-Canada deal聽

    Le Pen:聽

    • Repatriate powers to France and hold an in/out referendum on France's EU membership
    • Restore full border controls, leave the Schengen open borders system, appoint 6,000 new customs officers
    Macron supporter waves flags of the European Union, Paris, 1 MayImage source, AFP
  11. Enter the EUpublished at 21:35 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    The debate has moved on to France's place in the EU, an issue which divides Macron and Le Pen almost like no other.

  12. Macron: I answer for what I've done, not morepublished at 21:35 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    He accuses Le Pen of blaming him for everything that has gone wrong in France in the past.

    "I take responsibility for what I've done, mot more," he says.

    But Le Pen says he represents a continuation of President Hollande.

  13. Name-callingpublished at 21:34 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    They are shouting over each other again, like a playground squabble.

    Le Pen tells Macron: "We now call you Hollande Junior. That鈥檚 your nickname."

  14. Snake oil merchant?published at 21:33 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    On a lighter note, bloggers are discussing how best to translate "poudre de perlimpinpin", which Macron accused Le Pen of offering voters. It seems the consensus is that it means "snake oil", a product or recommendation with no use. Just one of many insults flying to and fro in Paris tonight. 聽

  15. Macron: Fines for delinquentspublished at 21:30 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    He wants fines for acts of delinquency.

    It's intolerable for police that the court process for suspects takes a long time, is complex and often does not lead anywhere, he says.

  16. Macron: More police neededpublished at 21:28 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    He says he wants 10,000 extra police officers.

    He also says delinquency is becoming "intolerable" and promises police who "know the terrain" and spend more time out and about.

  17. Le Pen: Make criminals leave the countrypublished at 21:28 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    Le Pen says foreigners who commit a crime do not currently have to leave the country after they have served their sentence, and they should. 聽

    She also wants more judges and prisons.

  18. Tolerance testpublished at 21:26 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    The debate has just moved on to law and order. "What for you does zero tolerance mean?" a moderator asks.聽

  19. 'Watching a car crash'published at 21:24 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    How Guardian correspondent Kim Willsher sums up the debate so far:

  20. Macron: Algeria war divides our countrypublished at 21:23 British Summer Time 3 May 2017

    Algeria's War of Independence against France "divides our country", says Macron, but he says he wants to "move to a new stage".

    "I'm not in repentance or denial," he says.