Highlights of the Attal, Bardella and Faure debate on France 2

With three days to go to the first round of the legislative elections, the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, the President of Rassemblement National, Jordan Bardella, and the First Secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, debated on France 2. Here are the key points discussed:

Vision and exercise of power

Gabriel Attal promised annual referendums on important issues and acknowledged that the use of the 49.3 may have seemed brutal.
Jordan Bardella envisaged a government of national unity with the likes of Éric Ciotti in key positions.
Olivier Faure assured us that the Prime Minister from the New Popular Front would bring together all the components of the left and the ecologists.
Head of the armed forces
A statement by Marine Le Pen describing the title of “head of the armed forces” as honorary was strongly criticised. Attal insisted on respect for the Constitution, while Bardella defended the importance of the Prime Minister in the budgetary management of the armed forces.

Nationals

The RN proposed banning people with dual nationality from certain sensitive posts, a measure deemed discriminatory by Attal and Faure. Bardella retorted by accusing his opponents of slander.

Purchasing power

Faure defended raising the minimum wage to 1600 euros net per month, inspired by the Spanish example. Attal criticised this proposal as unrealistic and advocated measures that could be financed, such as increasing retirement pensions.
Social issues
Attal spoke of his personal experience of homophobia and reaffirmed his commitment to an inclusive society. Faure regretted Macron’s comments on transgender people, calling for total acceptance of differences. Bardella linked the problems of acceptance to immigration issues, to which Attal responded by asking people to stop constantly talking about immigration.