French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen face off in a final televised debate on Wednesday which is expected to be bitter, personal and potentially decisive ahead of the run-off vote this weekend. The stakes are high ahead of the contest between the pro-European Macron, a 39-year-old former investment banker, and far-right leader Le Pen, the 48-year-old scion of the National Front party. Polls show Macron holding a hefty but narrowing lead in the polls of 59% versus 41%, but previous debates during the roller-coaster French campaign have quickly shifted public opinion. Sparks flew when they faced each other in the presidential debates before the first round of voting, when Le Pen memorably accused Macron of waffling for seven minutes and saying nothing. In the end, both candidates, Macron because of his youth and the fact he has never held elected office, and Le Pen as an underdog formerly seen as a fringe extremist, “will need to come across as presidential”, said Delporte, who specialises in political communication.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 03, 2017 13:52 UTC