Fillon criticises Merkel refugee policies in French TV debate

He was presidential and grave, but at times he appeared nearly detached from the debate.

“The real serial killer for French spending power is Mrs Le Pen with her plans to exit the euro and restore the franc: that would spark runwaway inflation”, Fillon said in the debate. Snapping at Le Pen at one point, after she said he was in favour of the burkini, he said he didn’t need a “ventriloquist”.

The poll was conducted on March 21-22 among 6,383 voters.

Fillon only said that he wanted France to “stay under the protection” of the European Central Bank, thanks to which it benefits from low interest rates.

But on Tuesday, the premium investors demand for holding French 10-year government bonds over German ones narrowed to around 63 basis points from Monday’s 68 bps, a near-two-week high.

In a similar vein, Le Pen, who is running for the presidency in France’s 23 April election, has said she wants to see an end to dual citizenship for French citizens from nations outside of Europe. The euro was also 0.7 percent higher against the yen. After accusing Ms Le Pen of defamation, he said justice would prevail as it would in the case of “certain presidential candidates”.

“We have of course discussed the cooperation between France and Chad in the fight against terrorism”, the National Front party candidate said after the meeting with Deby in Am-Djarass, near the borders with Libya and Sudan. “But I have experience”, Mr Fillon told viewers. He formed En Marche! last year after stepping down as the economy minister in the cabinet of President François Hollande, a position he’d held for two years. I have defects. Who doesn’t? According to the poll, Madame Le Pen will receive only 37 percent of the second round voting, while Macron will receive the rest.

“This is called “project fear“. His campaign has been hurt by accusations that his wife and children were paid with public money for jobs they allegedly did not do. Macron would defeat Le Pen in the second round, the poll showed. Macron stressed the need for a “more coordinated Europe” that would protect its borders and organise returns of migrants – more or less the current European Union policies.

Mr Hamon, who does not support a quota system, said the proportion of foreigners in France had been stable since the 1930s and suggested those on the right of French politics were stirring the debate to try and win votes.

The debate and the campaign have been closely followed in France.

“We should keep the political costs in mind”.

Most people considered Macron had the most to lose from the live debate given his rise in the polls and volatility of his voters. He has come out of nowhere and taken the lead in some polls.

Emmanuel Macron really went into this debate very much untested.

Markets, surprised by Britain’s Brexit vote last June, are nervous about the possibility of a victory by National Front leader Le Pen, who pledges to take France out of the euro and hold a referendum on European Union membership.

The trained lawyer has worked hard to purge the National Front of the anti-Semitism and overt racism bequeathed by her father.