Emmanuel Macron said he was “ready to debate now” with Marine Le Pen, before the European elections on June 9 where “part of the destiny of France is at stake”, in an interview at Parisian published Saturday May 25, the leader of the RN still calling on him to risk his resignation or dissolution. “If we think that this is an election where part of the destiny of France is at stake, which I believe, we must debate. I am at his disposal. The ball is in his court,” launched the head of the ‘State.
The possibility of a debate between the president of the National Rally group in the Assembly and the President of the Republic had been mentioned in recent days in the press, while the Macronist list led by Valérie Hayer is largely behind in the polls by that of the RN led by Jordan Bardella.
“If the President of the Republic, who is the head of state and not the leader of the majority, enters the electoral arena, then he must commit to drawing the consequences,” Marine Le Pen reacted on Saturday . Last week, she assured that she would respond to the president “with pleasure”, provided that he “puts his resignation or the dissolution of the Assembly on the table” after the European elections. A demand repeated on Saturday.
Previously, she said she was open to a face-to-face meeting – a repeat of those which took place between the two rounds of the presidential elections of 2017 and 2022 – but only after the European elections, “in September”.
“Cowardly ambiguity of the RN”
For Mr. Macron, who has never spoken publicly on the subject, the offer only runs until the vote. “After the election, this debate will no longer be of interest: I am President of the Republic,” he argues, interviewed on the plane returning from New Caledonia.
The head of state also singled out “the cowardly ambiguity of the RN” on the European question, deploring that the “debate” of ideas in the run-up to the elections was “in the wadding”. “That’s the worst: habituated minds. People think that the RN is not serious,” he squeaked.
According to various opinion surveys two weeks before the election, the National Rally received 30% to 33% of voting intentions, ahead of the Macronist majority at around 16% and the PS-Place Publique list of Raphaël Glucksmann, given between 14 and 15%. But, “I never believed in the polls. We will see on June 9”, assured the Head of State, however urging the French to be wary of Lepenist candidates: “wake up and look at them closely! “