Parliamentary elections - TV debate in France: who convinced and who disappointed
After President Emmanuel Macron unexpectedly called for short-term elections for the parliament, there is not much time left in France for party programs. The first voting round is scheduled for this coming Sunday, with the second round following on July 7. The campaign is under high pressure, particularly on television: Yesterday, representatives from all three camps appeared together in a TV debate for the first time.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, 35, defended his position and the government's line against his challengers. For the Right, Jordan Bardella, 28, was present in the studio, the Chairman of the Rassemblement National. The New Popular Front has not yet chosen a potential presidential candidate, they sent Manuel Bompard, 38, from the La France Insoumise party in front of the cameras.
Colorless TV Duel in France
Three men in dark blue jackets. The only colorful accessory was Manuel Bompard's red tie, and he had also allowed himself to grow a three-day beard, which gave him a nearly reckless aura among his neatly groomed opponents.
Before it began, each man was to describe what was most important to them using a photo. Bompard showed a scene from a job center: He wants to reform Macron's pension reform. For Attal, schools are the focus, he wants to combat social inequalities. Bardella chose a utility bill: "I will be the Premier Minister of purchasing power," he promised.
A variety of domestic policy issues were then discussed in a hurry, from pensions to the minimum wage, taxes, and electric cars, to the clothing regulations for schoolgirls and schoolboys. Foreign policy issues were not addressed, Putin's Russia, the Ukraine war, or EU cooperation remained unmentioned.
Insights were scarce. Bardella seems to be planning to shorten the contribution period to pensions for those who "start early" and do "difficult work," which he could not explain in detail during the brief exchange. Attal calculated the cost of repealing the pension reform. From the left, Bompard advocated for a basic income equal to the minimum wage. The discussion continued in this way, painstakingly and in small detail – for almost two hours.
Bardella's old tricks no longer work
What conclusions can be drawn from this evening? Jordan Bardella attempted to score points by attacking Gabriel Attal as a representative of the Parisian elite: "Yes, please, give me a lecture in economics, Mr. Premier Minister with the high debts." When he could not argue effectively, his opponent was made to look incompetent – that was his old and now outdated trick. It was not very convincing on this particular evening.
Gabriel Attal tried to present himself as a credible force of the center, he did not want to promise the impossible. He repeatedly pointed out to his colleague from the RN that the demanded measures – such as a review of government expenditures – already existed in the Republic for a long time.
Surprisingly sovereign was Manuel Bompard's performance. His constituency is located in the southern French city of Marseille, and as the only one in the circle, he could report on grassroots politics. He therefore advocated for the reintroduction of the neighborhood police, which was abolished under Sarkozy, to combat crime in social hotspots.
"I know what you're implying, your model is Cuba," Bardella attacked his left-wing opponent randomly. He countered: "Do you really want to discuss what our models are?"
Towards the end of the TV debate, Bardella brought up some of his key phrases: "The French no longer recognize the country of their childhood," which inadvertently seemed comical coming from a 28-year-old. Bompard pointed out that it was dangerous to deny healthcare services to foreigners, as the RN demands: "Bacteria and viruses don't care about a person's residence papers."
Attal declared in his closing statement that France would be voting for its values and fate in the upcoming election. Similarly, a phrase – then the discussion was over. Surprisingly, there were no unexpected positions or proposals. However, it became clear once again: When it comes to details, the RN candidate still has many blanks to fill in the implementation of his program.
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, found himself in the thick of the election campaign as he called for short-term parliamentary elections, leaving little time for party programs. During a TV debate, representatives from three camps, including Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, Jordon Bardella of the Rassemblement National, and Manuel Bompard from La France Insoumise, engaged in a colorless duel, discussing domestic policy issues ranging from pensions to education. One of Bardella's traditional tactics was to attack his opponents, especially Attal, as a Parisian elite member. However, on this particular evening, his attacks failed to be convincing.
