“The response of the extreme right” in terms of insecurity: “because it refers people to a religion or an origin, that is why it divides and pushes to civil war “, he said. And opposite, LFI offers “a form of communitarianism”, “but that is also the civil war behind it”.
In the final sprint of Sunday’s first round campaign, the verbal battle between the three main blocs reaches a new level, as they prepare to scrap Tuesday evening on the TF1 set during a debate between the Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard and Jordan Bardella.
The latter held a long press conference on Monday morning to try to dot the “i”s about his program after a week of hesitation during which the Lepenist camp had seemed to backtrack on several of its flagship measures, in firstly the repeal of the pension reform.
Emmanuel Macron promises to “act until May 2027”, even in the event of defeat in the legislative elections
– “Big bang” at school –
On this subject, Jordan Bardella reiterated his desire to give priority to long careers from the fall: “French people who started working before the age of 20 and who have completed 40 years of service will be able to retire at the age of 60”.
But it is in the field of education that he announced new measures, promising “a big bang of authority” from the start of the school year in September with the ban on mobile phones in middle and high schools, the ” obligatory “vouvoiement” of teachers or the continuation of the experimentation of the uniform “in primary school, but also in middle school”.
“The most strategic positions in the State will be reserved for French citizens” who have only one nationality, therefore excluding dual nationals, he also assured. Impossible without a revision of the Constitution, warn law professors who note that “binationality” does not exist in French law.
Credited with 36% of voting intentions in the first round according to an Ifop survey on Monday, the RN is more than ever the target of its adversaries, the New Popular Front (29.5% of voting intentions) like the presidential camp ( 20.5%).
Leader of the Macronist campaign traveling to Dijon, Gabriel Attal tried to position himself as the main bulwark of the flame party, to the detriment of the left.
“A Nupes candidate in the second round against a National Rally candidate, in most cases, he loses. When you have a +Together for the Republic+ candidate in the second round against the National Rally, he wins much more,” he assured.
The Prime Minister relies on polls to justify his refusal to clarify at this stage the position of the presidential camp in the event of an RN-left duel or third place for the Macronists in certain constituencies.
Marine Le Pen: “All that will remain for Macron is resignation”
– Debate without Mélenchon –
On the left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon saw the pressure build around him by the almost simultaneous call from his three allies on the left – PCF, Ecologists, Socialist Party – to favor “consensus” to nominate the candidate of the New Popular Front for Matignon in the event of victory.
The founder of La France insoumise “is not the leader of the New Popular Front and he will not be Prime Minister”, declared the boss of the Ecologists Marine Tondelier to AFP.
Mr. Mélenchon, considered an electoral foil by part of the left, fueled internal discord on Sunday by affirming his “intention to govern the country”, while claiming not to “impose himself”.
MM. Attal and Bardella then called him to come and debate on television in front of them, in place of the rebellious coordinator Manuel Bompard.
Another candidate cited – by Raphaël Glucksmann – for Matignon, the former secretary general of the CFDT Laurent Berger broke his silence in Le Monde on Monday to explain that “the first emergency is to avoid the RN”.
– “Everyone has their own DNA” –
“Afterwards, the name of the personality who will go to Matignon is the least of my worries today,” he slipped. “In any case, it’s not my desire,” he added on France 2.
Struggling in the polls, the majority continues to emancipate itself from Emmanuel Macron, a little more each day.
“Everyone has their own identity, everyone has their own DNA, everyone has their own method,” said Gabriel Attal, insisting that Sunday’s vote “was not a referendum for or against the President of the Republic.” Edouard Philippe for his part accused him of having “killed” the presidential majority.
The head of state indirectly responded to them on Monday by assuring that he was “aware” that “many” in the majority “resent” him.
“It will be no one’s fault on the evening of the second round. It will be the responsibility of the French. And for me, it’s not a bet (that I’m making), it’s a confidence (that I have)” in the voters , he added.
