Sit at the same table as everyone else. The president and quasi-candidate Emmanuel Macron must accept a debate before the first round of the presidential election to “report” on his “calamitous record” and “confront with reality”, estimated Sunday the right-wing candidate Valérie Pécresse.
“I hope he will agree to debate. I solemnly request a debate with Emmanuel Macron”, indicated in the program “Sunday in politics” on France 3 the candidate LR given neck and neck in the polls with Marine Le Pen (RN) behind Emmanuel Macron.
“He must account for his record, which is calamitous, for the state of our school, the state of our hospital, the state of our justice system, the violence that is rising in the streets, the immigration that is is out of control,” she added.
“Modern democracy is debate and contradiction”
“Refusing the debate before the first round is archaic. During the regionals, all the outgoing presidents accepted the debate. Me, I debated with all my opponents, I gave accounts, I was not ashamed of my record, I defended it, ”she insisted.
“Modern democracy today means accepting debate, accepting contradiction. We have a presidency of contempt, a haughty, distant and solitary presidency. I need this presidency to confront reality,” she added.
In an interview posted online Saturday evening by Le Parisien, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said he was “skeptical” about the usefulness of such a debate before the first round against rivals who, according to him, are setting up “a campaign of the living dead”.
Crossfire
“The president has always shown his interest in the confrontation of ideas. But what would that first-round debate look like? Twelve candidates seeking for 1h50 their moment with the president, who would have ten minutes to answer them, ”assured this close friend of the head of state.
The acting president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella also criticized on Sunday the fact that the outgoing president “remains hidden”. “It’s a lack of respect for the French, a lack of consideration for democracy,” he said on BFMTV.
“That the President of the Republic, after all that we have experienced for five years, does not come down into the arena to debate, it is a very particular conception of democracy, we call on him to declare himself and not to hide behind the presidential office”.