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| Marine Le Pen Sharpens Attack on Emmanuel Macron in French Debate | Marine Le Pen Sharpens Attack on Emmanuel Macron in French Debate |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| PARIS — The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen clashed sharply with her probable presidential opponent, the centrist Emmanuel Macron, over immigration, integration and France’s role in the world, during a marathon televised debate Monday night, a vivid prelude to the election battle to come. | PARIS — The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen clashed sharply with her probable presidential opponent, the centrist Emmanuel Macron, over immigration, integration and France’s role in the world, during a marathon televised debate Monday night, a vivid prelude to the election battle to come. |
| Facing off for the first time in a five-candidate debate that stretched for three and a half hours, Ms. Le Pen and Mr. Macron offered the starkest of contrasts, with the National Front leader providing a dark picture of a France besieged by immigrants and Islam, and her rival preaching conciliation. | Facing off for the first time in a five-candidate debate that stretched for three and a half hours, Ms. Le Pen and Mr. Macron offered the starkest of contrasts, with the National Front leader providing a dark picture of a France besieged by immigrants and Islam, and her rival preaching conciliation. |
| The debate also included the three other main contenders — the Socialist Benoît Hamon, the Republicans’ François Fillon, and the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon — but it was the fight between Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen that riveted attention. | The debate also included the three other main contenders — the Socialist Benoît Hamon, the Republicans’ François Fillon, and the far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon — but it was the fight between Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen that riveted attention. |
| Mr. Macron, a former economy minister who founded a political movement centered on jump-starting France’s stagnant economy, but who has never held an elected office, appeared flustered at times as Ms. Le Pen displayed a mocking smile. | Mr. Macron, a former economy minister who founded a political movement centered on jump-starting France’s stagnant economy, but who has never held an elected office, appeared flustered at times as Ms. Le Pen displayed a mocking smile. |
| The first round of voting in the presidential election will be on April 23, and the top two candidates will advance to the second round on May 7. Opinion polls show that Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen are the most likely to make it to that runoff — a result that would be a stunning rebuke for France’s two main political parties, the Socialists and the Republicans. | The first round of voting in the presidential election will be on April 23, and the top two candidates will advance to the second round on May 7. Opinion polls show that Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen are the most likely to make it to that runoff — a result that would be a stunning rebuke for France’s two main political parties, the Socialists and the Republicans. |
| Ms. Le Pen, inheritor of the anti-immigrant, populist National Front party from her father, concentrated her fire Monday night on her younger opponent. | Ms. Le Pen, inheritor of the anti-immigrant, populist National Front party from her father, concentrated her fire Monday night on her younger opponent. |
| Mr. Macron, 39, has advanced more by offering a fresh face than by political savvy, and Ms. Le Pen, 48, sought to exploit his vulnerability, forcing him to define himself in opposition to her strident positions. | Mr. Macron, 39, has advanced more by offering a fresh face than by political savvy, and Ms. Le Pen, 48, sought to exploit his vulnerability, forcing him to define himself in opposition to her strident positions. |
| She accused Mr. Macron of supporting the “burkini,” the full-body swimsuit at the center of a rancorous debate last summer over displays of the Muslim faith. | |
| “We’ve got Islamists in our country,” Ms. Le Pen said. “The demands are incessant,” she said, citing food and clothing. | “We’ve got Islamists in our country,” Ms. Le Pen said. “The demands are incessant,” she said, citing food and clothing. |
| An unsettled Mr. Macron shot back: “I’m not putting words in your mouth. I don’t need a ventriloquist.” | An unsettled Mr. Macron shot back: “I’m not putting words in your mouth. I don’t need a ventriloquist.” |
| “The trap you are falling into, Madame Le Pen, with your provocations, is to divide society,” he said, adding that she was making “enemies out of more than four million French men and women whose religion happens to be Islam.” | “The trap you are falling into, Madame Le Pen, with your provocations, is to divide society,” he said, adding that she was making “enemies out of more than four million French men and women whose religion happens to be Islam.” |
| The other three candidates present Monday night tried to get shots in at the two front-runners. | |
| Mr. Fillon was once favored to win the election, but he has been wounded by a series of scandals, most notably charges of embezzlement over allegations that he put family members on the government payroll for nonexistent jobs. | Mr. Fillon was once favored to win the election, but he has been wounded by a series of scandals, most notably charges of embezzlement over allegations that he put family members on the government payroll for nonexistent jobs. |
| He sought during the debate to project a reassuring image of gravity, but he was forced to acknowledge that he “might have made some mistakes.” Most recently, he was accused of accepting two suits worth 13,000 euros, or about $14,000, from a political fixer. | He sought during the debate to project a reassuring image of gravity, but he was forced to acknowledge that he “might have made some mistakes.” Most recently, he was accused of accepting two suits worth 13,000 euros, or about $14,000, from a political fixer. |
| That has left Mr. Fillon vulnerable to sly insinuations about his ethics. Mr. Hamon, for instance, pointedly described himself as someone who would be “an honest and fair president,” free from the influence of “money and lobbies.” | That has left Mr. Fillon vulnerable to sly insinuations about his ethics. Mr. Hamon, for instance, pointedly described himself as someone who would be “an honest and fair president,” free from the influence of “money and lobbies.” |
| Mr. Hamon, the Socialist candidate, has promised a guaranteed “universal income” and has spoken of cutting the already reduced French workweek, but his chances are thought to be lowered by the presence of Mr. Mélenchon, whose positions are largely similar. | Mr. Hamon, the Socialist candidate, has promised a guaranteed “universal income” and has spoken of cutting the already reduced French workweek, but his chances are thought to be lowered by the presence of Mr. Mélenchon, whose positions are largely similar. |
| Ms. Le Pen, who also faces accusations related to fictional jobs, accused Mr. Mélenchon of being a “Robespierre” when he called on voters to “reward the virtuous and punish those who don’t seem so.” | Ms. Le Pen, who also faces accusations related to fictional jobs, accused Mr. Mélenchon of being a “Robespierre” when he called on voters to “reward the virtuous and punish those who don’t seem so.” |
| Mr. Macron, for his part, projected an image of innocence and virtue, and Ms. Le Pen aimed directly for it, with the most savage blast of the evening aimed at his reputation for speaking at length but saying little. | Mr. Macron, for his part, projected an image of innocence and virtue, and Ms. Le Pen aimed directly for it, with the most savage blast of the evening aimed at his reputation for speaking at length but saying little. |
| After a windy declaration by Mr. Macron on protecting France’s “independence,” Ms. Le Pen, whose campaign is centered on a withdrawal from the European Union, mockingly repeated the word before firing back. | After a windy declaration by Mr. Macron on protecting France’s “independence,” Ms. Le Pen, whose campaign is centered on a withdrawal from the European Union, mockingly repeated the word before firing back. |
| “You’ve spoken for seven minutes, and I have no idea what you said,” she said. “You haven’t said anything. Every time you talk, you take a little of this, and a little of that, and you never settle on anything.” | “You’ve spoken for seven minutes, and I have no idea what you said,” she said. “You haven’t said anything. Every time you talk, you take a little of this, and a little of that, and you never settle on anything.” |