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FRENCH LEADER EMMANUEL Macron and the far-right’s Marine Le Pen go head-to-head in a crunch TV debate today, seeking to sway undecided voters with four days left until the presidential election’s decisive second round.
Macron holds a solid poll lead, but his political allies have warned against any complacency in the prime-time duel – their only direct clash – which will be watched by millions.
Some polls are predicting a lead of around 10 points for Macron over Le Pen in the run-off, a repeat of the 2017 election. But undecided voters and abstentions could yet swing the figures.
Le Pen has cleared her diary to concentrate on preparing for the debate, hoping to avoid any repeat of the fiasco five years ago, when her ill-prepared performance contributed to her defeat at the hands of the centrist Macron.
France, OpinionWay-Kéa Partners poll:
— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) April 19, 2022
Presidential run-off
Macron (EC-RE): 56% (+2)
Le Pen (RN-ID): 44% (-2)
+/- vs. 12 - 15 April 2022
Fieldwork: 16 - 19 April 2022
Sample size: 1.673
➤ https://t.co/TKq3Z8QNcb pic.twitter.com/ejArvUjnrZ
This year’s vote will mark the closest the far right has come to taking the Élysée presidential palace. Marine Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie was crushed by Jacques Chirac in the 2002 run-off election, and she was easily defeated by Macron in 2017.
The live televised debate – scheduled from 8pm Irish time – has been a political tradition in France since 1974, when Socialist Francois Mitterrand took on centrist Valery Giscard d’Estaing.
But it did not take place in 2002, when Chirac said debate was impossible with “intolerance and hatred” after Jean-Marie Le Pen stunned France by making the run-off.
‘Kick in the backside’
The stakes are high in this election, and Europe is watching.
Macron is expected to continue to champion the EU if he wins another five years in office. Le Pen has vowed to reform it under a far-right presidency.
Opinion polls currently put Macron at 53 to 56% in the run-off against 44 to 47% for Le Pen – a much tighter finish than five years ago, when Macron carried the vote with 66%.
For Le Pen, the debate represents a final chance to win back ground in the polls and convince France she has moderated her anti-immigration party into a mainstream force.
Macron will likely seek to portray her as a dangerous extremist who cannot be trusted on foreign policy – especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, given her past comments in support of President Vladimir Putin.
Both candidates are particularly keen to woo the electorate of hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who finished a strong third in the first round.
Le Pen was reportedly spending yesterday with her closest aides to rehearse the debate, having admitted previously that her performance against Macron in 2017 was not up to scratch.
“For me, failure is sometimes a kick in the backside,” she told TF1 television.
Le Monde newspaper said Le Pen would seek to present herself as a credible French leader and portray the election as an anti-Macron “referendum”.
She has “spent five years trying to bury that disastrous (2017) televised duel, by sprucing up her image, party and ideological tenets,” the paper said.
- ‘Either could win’ -
Macron has insisted the election is not yet in the bag, reminding voters of the political upsets of 2016 when Britons voted to leave the EU and Americans put Donald Trump in the White House.
Key allies have made clear nothing should be taken for granted, telling voters tempted to stay at home that they must cast their ballots.
“The game isn’t over yet and we certainly can’t draw conclusions… that this election, this match, is already decided,” Prime Minister Jean Castex told France Inter radio.
“We have to convince the French that Emmanuel Macron’s programmes are the best for France and for them,” he said.
He added that if Macron won, his government would resign to give the ruling party new impetus ahead of legislative elections in June.
Castex’s predecessor as prime minister, Edouard Philippe, mayor of the northern city of Le Havre and a heavyweight centre-right backer of Macron, said nothing could be taken for granted due to the numerous “unknowns” hanging over the election — abstentions above all.
He told Le Figaro newspaper on Monday that the so-called Republican front – which in past elections had seen French voters of all political stripes line up against the far right – “was no longer a natural reflex”.
“Right now, either candidate could win,” added another ally, Francois Bayrou, the leader of the pro-Macron Modem party.
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Not sure I’m comfortable with a self aware bacon butty.
Unfortunately pigs are already very intelligent and suffer incredible anxiety before death. Can’t say I’m comfortable with this form of study either. I don’t think it meets the criteria to be considered ethical.
Fairly sure animals are self aware already. Unless you mean growing a bacon butty with a brain
If there is even a remote chance this research could cure, ease or reduce alzeimhers / parkinsons then it should get the go ahead.
They sold their souls for Penney rolls and a slice of hairy bacon
what about if it cures the common cold cholly?
Totally agree with your comment, James. I’m actually horrified to think that this would be allowed to happen.
This is going to get David Cameron very excited..
Chlorines aren’t you the Trump supporter? You’re no stranger to the pig with a human brain so.
Absolute insanity. Man should not interfere with the natural order.
Yup.. ban blood transfusions, organ donation, artificial life support and any further medical research of any kind….
Randy you messer
@Paddy, you’re not going far enough, let’s go back and just ‘cure’ people with bloodletting to get their ‘juices’ into balance again, or so.
Some people on here I think have the brains of pigs can we reverse that instead
This research has been ongoing for several years. The human DNA used is being obtained mainly from aborted foetuses.
Last year the US abortion giant ‘Planned Parenthood’ were exposed as harvesting huge amounts of foetal organs such as lungs, liver & brain tissue, and selling it on to research facilities. Foetal organs can fetch prices of up to $500 dollars each.
The mainstream media has done its utmost, to deny & cover up this major story, but the public in the US are becoming slowly aware of this.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/us-government-made-humanized-mice-tissue-babies-17-22-weeks
https://www.youtube.com/user/centerformedprogress
cmon now Zoe everyone knows that was a fit-up you’re fooling no one!
investigations are still ongoing but, don’t worry, as the media will keep any developments well covered up.
Zoe
Measles – Rubella- Rabies- Chicken pox, Shingles and Hepatitis A – they all have cell lines that were taken from an aborted foetus and used in vaccinations ..
Eye tissue from fetuses has played a crucial role in studies aimed at finding treatments for degenerative diseases of the retina that are a major cause of vision loss in people as they age -Planned Parenthood were providing University with foetal tissue .
Another company who bought the tissue LEGALLY off Planed Parenthood said that foetal tissue has been used in studies of leukaemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Parkinson’s disease.
You can refuse any of the breakthroughs in all of the diseases that have been mentioned ..
P.S. – Judge Orrick found no wrongdoing by Planned Parenthood ..So what makes you believe that you know more than him?
@West Cork Lad, don’t you know, Zoe knows everything, because they’re wearing a tinfoil hat, and that helps them channel everything straight down from their sky fairy, or so
West Cork Lad,
If foetal organ research is so beneficial for humanity, how come we know so little about it? Those videos expose babies lungs, livers, heads, even ” fully intact cadavers’ being harvested and sold to the highest bidder.
How come the media never report on this lucrative industry?
Surely if it so beneficial for humanity, then why the secrecy?
gway back to the stone age Zoe
Zoe,
Planned Parenthood were cleared by a Judge in Texas (of all places) of doing anything that you accuse them of doing .
I agree with Larissa as you’ve repeated yourself again.Even after a judge cleared them of any wrongdoing .
Hope that helps.
Yes, Planned Parenthood (& their allies in politics & media) have kept the lid on things – for now.
But meanwhile the videos are still on youtube, and have been viewed by millions.
Try as they might, the abortion industry, and their media allies, will never quite fully sweep this under the rug.
“Yes, Planned Parenthood (& their allies in politics & media) have kept the lid on things – for now.”
Indiana – In July 2015, Republican Gov. MIKE ‘PERIOD’ PENCE (have you ever heard of him,Zoe? ) asked the state Department of Health to investigate the state’s Planned Parenthood clinics, to see whether they were engaging in any sale of foetal tissue…And guess what Zoe ? Zilch! The Department said that there was no activity at the THREE Planned Parenthood facilities in the state,
Other witch hunts by Republican run states have turned up ZILCH….
yes, of course. keep saying its all ‘lies’ and it will all go away.
The youtube clip below (at 13.22 minutes in) exposes what is going on. One of the viewers has left a comment that ”the pyrex dish filled with human anatomical parts doesn’t lie”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJPLzMIC7CI
@Zoe, you are aware that this youtube video has been exposed as a forgery, aren’t you? But keep on believing everything on youtube, rather then facts
Have a look at the video at around 13.22 minutes. Don’t know how they could edit in or ‘forge’ a baby’s arm.
Zoe youre a pure messer you scallywag
Great trolling Zoe!
she’s a very naughty girl!
Perhaps the greatest danger to man is his own mind if left unchecked?! Because you can do something does that mean you should do it?!
Strange choice of picture for this article .. Since when did pigs come from eggs
Will that mean if we eat that pork we’ll become even more smarterer
@ Bobby..Naw,just fatter.
thats unpossible
I know plenty humans with pigs brains
That is vile, mixing genes like that can cause diseases to jump species and the main reason it is wrong is that it could implant human consciousness into pigs. Could you imagine waking up yourself and your in the body of a pig, it would be the exact same.
sounds class
Jester, I doubt that? Pigs don’t live that long?
This is inhumane, transferring ‘human intelligence’ into such a noble creature as the Pig who is as intelligent as Chimps and the other higher apes which humans have driven to the edge of extinction.
FFS it’s a pig created to be consumed jaysus I’d love a salty Crubeen right now
If it was eagle eyes, tiger claws, gills, wings or gorilla muscles it would make sense.
Nobody needs a part pig brain.
I guess nobody needs pig parts transplanted at all… oh like maybe heart valves…
In ancient Greece they were many half animal, half human creatures, I think scientists want to see if they can recreate them now in reality? Blade Runner?
i think you might mean mythical Greece?
Jester I should have wrote that but then at that time they believe these things existed, belief versus myth hay ;)
At least it made me sound like an Ancient Alien freak, thanks ;)
Pigs with human brains.. It’s been done before, has nobody showed them Brian Cowan?
Maybe the first two will be called Napoleon and Snowball!
Very hard to make meaningful progress in those difficult to research areas without taking some risks. A cure for schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s would be worth it.
Yes but sometimes you think these scientists just want to play Frankenstein to see if they can? This could then cause pig diseases to jump from pigs to humans like HIV which jumped from Chimps to humans.
Are the risks worth it if it opens a pandora’s box of new diseases and blind morals as in human consciousness in pigs?
AKA politicians
Oryx and Crake is a novel by the Canadian author Margaret Atwood which came out in 2003 and she dealt with this with her Pigoon animals.No spoilers but it doesn’t end well ! Great book.
I wish they would leave the poor animals alone and start experimenting on the likes of trump and put in.
Already happening for years and legally, cloning animals and humans together is not covered by human rights or animal rights laws as the end product is not designated an animal or human #alexjones that man is on fire lately
Isn’t there one of those running for president?
2 of them are
Don’t we have them already……well pigs with half a brain but we call them the political class, im sure we can send a few dozen current or retired ones over to the states for testing……be a win win
How do they sleep at night!
https://www.pinterest.com/ambuster/pot-belly-pigs/
They are called men ,she says
..eh, the way we handle things, shouldn’t we be trying to install pigs brains in humans? I’d sign up for that, just as long as it was a PRACTICAL one without any frontal lobe, bi-polar, schizophrenic, split-hemisphere and no developing tumours thank you very much. Now for the body I want to look like Atlas (in full body armour) with all the harpies I can handle and a Hydra which gives head(s.) Yours etc. Frank N. Stein.
That’s all we need pigs behaving like humans……oh wait…We already have them in Dail Eireann.
Only in America. All the mad Professors live in the U S. Thank the stars.
It’s been done already ,a female friend of mine said
I can’t see the problem .. Already many humans with pigs brains
Why show a photo of how to grow a virus using an egg to make the vaccines normally?
Parma Man
“I wish there were pig-men. You get a few of those pig-men walking around, suddenly I’m looking a lot better. That way if someone wanted to fix me up they could say, ‘Hey, at least he’s no pig-man.’” – George Costanza
Insert Donald Trump joke here.
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