The campaign for the European elections has entered its home stretch. While the vote will take place this Sunday, a final debate brought together the main leaders on Tuesday, June 5. A final meeting with the French which seemed like a last chance and a hope for the candidates that the debate would play a dynamic role in the polls.
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Only three days left to campaign and the heads of the list are multiplying on the ground and in the media, hoping to make the difference before the European elections Sunday. The last grand oral took place this Tuesday evening on France 2 and France Inter, for Jordan Bardella (RN), Valérie Hayer (Renaissance), Raphaël Glucksmann (PS-PP), François-Xavier Bellamy (LR), Manon Aubry (LFI ), Marie Toussaint (Les Écologues), Marion Maréchal (Reconquête!) and Léon Deffontaines (PC) to hope to convey some final messages and influence in the home stretch.
The candidates debated at length migration policies within the European Union, Jordan Bardella was logically offensive on the subject, describing several other front-runners as “ immigrationists » and being taxed in return for “ fascist » by ecologist Marie Toussaint.
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Unsurprisingly on this issue, the left-right divide operates, with a left uniting. Raphaël Glucksmann deplored the absence of a European migration policy and supported his desire to “ develop legal migration routes to have a supervised, controlled arrival of workers who can then leave “. The PS Place publique candidate hopes to maintain until the end the favorable dynamic in which he finds himself in the polls.
As for François-Xavier Bellamy, he tried to stand out by reaffirming his desire to build walls at certain European borders. “ What causes people to die in the Mediterranean is not that Europe has borders, it is that Europe no longer has them. », he insisted, highlighting in passing his work on the migration issue in the European Parliament.
Ukraine also took an important place
Ukraine was also at the center of discussions, giving rise to a heated exchange of arms between Jordan Bardella and Raphaël Glucksmann. The second notably criticizing the first for having on its list “ the little Kremlin telegraph operator », MEP Thierry Mariani, known for his pro-Russian positions and accusing the RN of having “applauded” during the annexation of Crimea by Russia. “ I am not in favor of France becoming a co-belligerent […] War is serious ! », replied the head of the RN list.
For her part, the objective of the evening for the Renaissance candidate was to make her voice heard. Relegated to the background by the omnipresence of the Prime Minister and the President in her campaign, Valérie Hayer immediately attacked her invisibility. “ I don’t need commentators or opponents to speak for me “, she said, before continuing: “ Punchlines are not my thing “.
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A response in operation-sincerity mode where she praised her seriousness as a French MEP “ the most influential » in Strasbourg, according to a European barometer. Far ahead of all his opponents in voting intentions, Jordan Bardella was the target of all his competitors. Objective for him: to try to get out of it without damaging his status as favorite, or taking any risks.
The campaign will end this Friday, June 7 at 11:59 p.m. to give way to electoral silence until June 9, voting day.