Paris –
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and the leader of the main far-right party Jordan Bardella clashed on Tuesday in an ill-tempered debate that exposed intense tensions, less than a week ahead of the most polarizing election in decades.
Attal, Bardella and far-left MP Manuel Bompard, representing the left-wing coalition, traded accusations during a sometimes nail-biting live TV meeting, where discussion of issues was often drowned out by a cacophony of voices.
Bardella’s National Rally (RN) still holds a clear lead in opinion polls ahead of Sunday’s first round of voting in parliamentary elections, followed by the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition, with President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance in third place.
