A return match more peaceful than five years ago, but not stingy with highlights. This is what the nearly 15.6 million viewers were entitled to on Wednesday evening, before the debate between the two rounds between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. If this new duel, refereed by Léa Salamé and Gilles Bouleau, was “courteous”, it was also enamelled by passes of arms and moments which will mark the presidential election of 2022. Europe 1 looks back on the highlights of the Macron debate -The pen.
The false start of Marine Le Pen
The debate between the two rounds was first marked by the false start of Marine Le Pen. The National Rally candidate started her speech about the French people at the time of the jingle. “Marine Le Pen, dare I, when the debate has barely begun, interrupt you”, launched Gilles Bouleau. After the jingle, Léa Salamé invited the MP for Pas-de-Calais to continue her speech, while assuring her that her time would not be cut off because of this false start.
How would you be a better President?
️ @MLP_official
“I will be the President of the regal, of the daily but, above all, I will be the President of the harmony restored between the French”#2022TheDebate on @TF1 | @LCI > https://t.co/K14FB2EJYmpic.twitter.com/H8QMvUsJwF
— TF1Info (@TF1Info) April 20, 2022
Poutine, Le Touquet… The strongest punchlines of the debate
Throughout the show, outgoing President Emmanuel Macron did not hesitate to multiply punchlines against his opponent. “You haven’t responded to any of my remarks, but that’s normal because I don’t think you have an answer,” he said, for example. The president added a little further: “I looked at your program, your 22 measures, there is not even the word unemployment in it. What is striking, but not a problem: it is a recognition of work well done for the past five years, thank you.”
.@emmanuelmacron tackle @MLP_official : “Coming from where you come from, you should not talk about General de Gaulle” #Presidential2022#debatmacronlepenpic.twitter.com/fO1me7DiU3
— Europe 1 (@Europe1) April 20, 2022
For her part, Marine Le Pen also attacked her evening opponent a few times. One of his most striking offensives is the construction of a possible offshore wind farm off the coast of Le Touquet, in Pas-de-Calais, where the outgoing president has a house with his wife Brigitte.
️ @MLP_official
“You want to put it everywhere, on all the coasts, except in front of Le Touquet… because you still don’t have to push it”️ @EmmanuelMacron
“Madame Le Pen… Are you kidding or what?”#2022TheDebate on @TF1 | @LCI#debatmacronlepenpic.twitter.com/Sb2fuyXCRX
— TF1Info (@TF1Info) April 20, 2022
Gérard Majax, “finito”: Macron’s surprising references
The president-candidate also stood out for having made a reference to Gérard Majax, a French magician who notably participated in the broadcasts Stars at the helm on Antenna 2 or The Dorothy Club on TF1. Emmanuel Macron took over Marine Le Pen, who took into account categories B and C of Pôle emploi to quantify unemployment in France. “No, we don’t count them in the unemployment figures. It’s not Gérard Majax tonight, Madame Le Pen,” he assured.
On the figures of #unemployment
️ @EmmanuelMacron
“It’s by Gérard Majax tonight, we’re talking about lives behind, the lives of our merchants, our craftsmen, that’s the Covid debt, you voted against.”#2022TheDebate@TF1 | @LCI#debatmacronlepenpic.twitter.com/6uhHvJyiRi
— TF1Info (@TF1Info) April 20, 2022
In addition, Emmanuel Macron used a youthful expression, “finito”, to counter an argument by Marine Le Pen on the European Union. The candidate similarly used little-used expressions, such as “ripolining the facade”. “Europe is a co-ownership, we cannot decide alone to tear down the facade,” he said facing the MP for Pas-de-Calais.
Marine Le Pen’s giant tweet on Ukraine
Accused of being close to Vladimir Putin and of having approved the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, Marine Le Pen showed one of her tweets printed in large format to respond to Emmanuel Macron. In this message, the candidate of the National Rally shares her “support for a free Ukraine which is neither subject to the United States, nor to the European Union, nor to Russia”.
Marine Le Pen brandished a giant tweet to defend herself on Ukraine and Russia.
Credits: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
A pouting Emmanuel Macron
Another image that will have marked the debate between the two rounds: the position adopted by the outgoing president during the numerous interventions by Marine Le Pen. Emmanuel Macron seemed to pout against his evening opponent.
On several occasions, Emmanuel Macron seemed to pout during the interventions of Marine Le Pen.
Credits: Europe 1
In total, the debate between the two rounds between the two candidates will have lasted nearly 2h45 against the 2h30 planned at the start.