PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron tore into his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen in a television debate Wednesday for her ties to Russia and for wanting to strip Muslim women of…
By JOHN LEICESTER and SYLVIE CORBET
Le Pen, in turn, sought to appeal to voters struggling with surging prices amid the fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine. She said bringing down the cost of living would be her priority if elected as France’s first woman president and she portrayed herself as the candidate for voters unable to make ends meet.
“You are speaking to your banker when you speak of Russia, that’s the problem,” Macron charged. “You cannot correctly defend France’s interests on this subject because your interests are linked to people close to Russian power.”Le Pen bristled at Macron’s suggestion that she is beholden to Russia. She described herself as “totally free” and said Macron “knows full well that what he says is false.”
He did not cite any evidence other than his own investigations into corruption in Russia. But he argued the loan could be dangerous for France if Le Pen wins.
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