Fierce debate and far-right anti-immigrant proposals ahead of first round of French legislative elections

Just a few days before the first round of the legislative elections, the first television debate in the brief electoral campaign in which France is immersed. On Tuesday night, still the French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, the MEP and president of the National Rally party (AN), Jordan Bardella, and the coordinator of Insoumise France, Manuel Bompard – who represented the New Popular Front – had the opportunity to defend their programs on the TF1 set. A debate of almost two hours, in which the most tense moments arose due to the anti-immigration measures proposed by Marine Le Pen’s party and in which international news was absent.

An increase in purchasing power was recorded throughout most of the night. For the opening statement, three participants were asked to show a representative image of their parties’ project for France. Gabriel Attal chose a picture of a school classroom, Manuel Bompard chose a picture of an employment office, while Jordan Bardella chose an image of an electricity bill. “Today, opening an invoice or mail is a source of suffering for millions of French people who can no longer earn a living from their work,” he said.

When asked about the cost of reducing VAT on fuel and energy, one of AN’s main measures in this regard, despite the fact that European law does not allow VAT on fuel to be reduced below 15%, Jordan Bardella estimated the cost to be 12,000 million euros for a full year, 7,000 million by the end of 2024. “A budgetary option that we consider,” he argued, Bardella specified that he planned to finance the costs by raising certain taxes on ship owners and reducing France’s contribution to the European Union. Bardella cited Spain as an example as a country that had reduced VAT (on essential products).

“You tell us about the cuts (in VAT) on essential products in Spain, when it has been proven that it has had no impact on purchasing power,” Gabriel Attal responded. The prime minister defended the balance of Emmanuel Macron’s governments in terms of reducing unemployment, as the first element in protecting France’s purchasing power. “We are part of a generation that grew up hearing that mass unemployment is inevitable, that we will never get out of 10% unemployment; we are already halfway to full employment with 7.5% unemployment,” he assured.

Manuel Bompard, for his part, defended the increase in the minimum wage to 1,600 euros proposed by the New Popular Front (a coalition of left-wing parties). “The French have suffered the biggest drop in purchasing power in 40 years,” said the deputy, also reminding that the coalition proposes repealing the latest pension reform and progressing towards a return to retirement at age 60 after 40 years of contributions.

On this point, Bardella – who has changed his position several times – now proposes a new reform, although he rules out a complete repeal. He said he wants to give priority to long-term workers, “who started working before the age of 60” and were approaching retirement “around the age of 62”. In tax matters, Bardella also announced his intention to give tax breaks for people under 30, a phrase that provoked an immediate reaction from Gabriel Attal. “In your model, if taxes are not paid until the age of 30 and we stop working at the age of 60, who pays?”

Bardella also attacked the New Popular Front’s economic program, saying that it is a “threat at the gates of power: if tomorrow the (left-wing) coalition wins the legislative election, it will be the working French people who will find themselves in a delicate situation.” The strategy of trying to gain credibility in its economic proposals – unanimously criticized by economic analysts – is trying to influence the left coalition’s social measures that could worry financial circles, such as a rent freeze that, according to Bardella, would cause “a shortage of real estate supply.” Bompard replied, “There are many economists who have supported the NFP program this week, but I haven’t heard a single one who supports my party’s program.”

I veto people with dual nationality

On the other hand, the disciple of Marine Le Pen defended the proposals of the extreme right on immigration, such as eliminating the right to land (by which a person acquires nationality if he is born in a country), arguing that “they do not make sense in a world of 8 billion inhabitants” and referring to the African continent as a “demographic bomb”. He also expressed the wish that “illegal immigrants no longer have the right to free healthcare.”

Words that provoked a reaction from Manuel Bompard. “Look, there are 19 million French people whose ancestors are foreigners. That’s one in four French people,” he said. Similarly, Bompard told Bardella that part of his family is originally from Italy. “When your ancestors came to France, I think your political predecessors said exactly the same thing that you say today,” Bompard said, “that Italians or Spaniards cannot integrate into France.”

Another proposal by the extreme right also caused controversy: a proposal to veto people with dual nationality from certain positions in the administration. “Do you want us to have a Franco-Russian in charge of a nuclear power plant?” Bardella questioned Attal. The prime minister responded by appointing Tamara Volokhova, an adviser to Le Pen’s party in Europe, who is in fact Franco-Russian and who has access to sensitive information on international affairs, pointing out the far-right party’s inconsistency. “Their proposal stigmatizes 3.5 million French people,” Attal said.

The shadow of Jean-Luc Mélenchon

Before Tuesday’s meeting, Bardella and Attal had demanded the presence of Jean-Luc Mélenchon instead of Bompard, arguing that Mélenchon is the real candidate to occupy the prime minister’s post in case the New Popular Front (a coalition of left-wing parties) wins the election. A way to put pressure on a possible split in the progressive structures. In recent days, Mélenchon had proposed himself as a possible candidate for head of government in the event of a progressive majority in the Assembly, statements that aroused the rejection of the rest of the parties and even some party colleagues in France Insoumise.

On Monday, Mélenchon himself came out against these criticisms, telling Aix that the potential prime minister of the left “will be proposed by the largest parliamentary group in consultations after the elections.” For the time being, in the second televised debate, to be held on Thursday night, there will be Olivier Faure, first secretary of the Socialist Party, who agrees with Attal and Bardella. As for the Gaullist right of Los Républicains, they issued a protest before the Council of State when they were excluded from the meeting.