Politico Eu

Politico Eu

Macron considers debating Le Pen to avoid European elections fiasco

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen

French President Emmanuel Macron is considering debating far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the run-up to next year's European Parliament elections, in an attempt to avoid a repeat of the 2019 electoral contest when Le Pen's party came top in France.

Macron has previously refused to debate Le Pen, saying that it would give her a platform to spread her "hate speech". However, with polls showing Le Pen's party leading in the race for the European Parliament elections, Macron is under pressure to change his strategy.

A debate between Macron and Le Pen would be a major event in French politics. It would be the first time that the two leaders have faced off in a debate since the 2017 presidential election, which Macron won.