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France election: Leading candidates spar in TV debate France election: Leading candidates clash over burkini in TV debate
(about 1 hour later)
The five leading candidates in the French election are appearing in the first TV debate of its kind. The two leading candidates in the French election have traded barbs in an occasionally fiery TV debate.
They have been clashing over policing, the age of criminal responsibility and immigration. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist Emanuel Macron clashed over the full-body "burkini" swimsuit worn by some Muslim women.
Recent polls show Marine Le Pen of the far-right Front National getting most votes in the first round of voting. Ms Le Pen said France should oppose multiculturalism, but was accused by Mr Macron of making enemies of Muslims in the country.
But they also show centrist Emmanuel Macron or scandal-hit centre-right candidate Francois Fillon defeating her in a second round run off. Recent polls suggest Ms Le Pen will get the most votes in the first round.
Voters go to the polls on 23 April. A second round will be held on 7 May if necessary. But they also indicate that Mr Macron or scandal-hit centre-right candidate Francois Fillon would defeat her in a second round run off.
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In his opening remarks, Mr Fillon said that if elected, he would be the president of what he called the "national recovery". In their opening remarks in the debate, Mr Macron said he would change the country's traditional political divisiveness, while Ms Le Pen said she wanted a France that was not a "vague region" of the EU or subservient to Chancellor Angela Merkel's Germany and later vowed to stop all immigration.
Mr Macron said he would change the country's traditional political divisiveness, while Ms Le Pen said she wanted a France that was not a "vague region" of the EU or subservient to Chancellor Angela Merkel's Germany. Mr Fillon said that if elected, he would be the president of what he called the "national recovery".
The BBC's Paris Correspondent Lucy Williamson says Mr Macron - who has never fought an election before - has the most to lose in the debate and will probably be attacked by his rivals. Also appearing in the debate - the first of its kind featuring the five leading candidates - are left-wingers Benoit Hamon and Jean-Luc Melenchon.
He will be hoping to show he can do the job. The BBC's Paris Correspondent Lucy Williamson says Mr Macron - who is 39 and has never fought an election before - has the most to lose in the debate.
Ms Le Pen, meanwhile, needs to boost her chances of winning an eventual second round while on the left, Mr Hamon is hoping to differentiate himself from Mr Melenchon, who is hoping to attract undecided voters, Le Parisien newspaper said. He was keen to take on Ms Le Pen, arguing that the burkini was a "public order matter" and not a challenge to France's tradition of secularism as Ms Le Pen suggested.
Mr Fillon is looking to shake off the controversy surrounding payments to his wife for work she is alleged not to have carried out, and which are the subject of an investigation. Several southern French resorts banned the swimsuit last summer before France's highest administrative court found the ban breached fundamental freedoms.
Mr Macron also appeared to take a swipe at Mr Fillon. After accusing Ms Le Pen of defamation, he said justice would prevail as it would in the case of "certain presidential candidates".
That was an apparent reference to judicial investigation into allegations that Mr Fillon paid his wife hundreds of thousands of euros for parliamentary work she did not do.
Mr Fillon has denied the allegations and refused to quit the race, complaining he is the victim of a "political assassination".
Ms Le Pen, meanwhile, is hoping her debate performance will boost her chances of winning an eventual second round.
On the left, Mr Hamon is hoping to differentiate himself from Mr Melenchon, who wants to attract undecided voters, Le Parisien newspaper said.
Mr Hamon called for the introduction of a universal basic income, which he called the only innovative idea in the election campaign.
Voters go to the polls on 23 April. If none of the candidates wins more than 50% of the votes, the two with the highest will go into a second round to be held on 7 May.