Paris: French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and the leader of the main right-wing party, Jordan Bardella, clashed on Tuesday in a bitter row that exposed tensions a week before the first general election in decades.
Attal, Bardella, from the leftist coalition, and Manuel Bompard, member of the leftist parliament, traded accusations at times in the live broadcast, where the discussion of the issue was often drowned out by the cacophony of voices.
Bardella’s National Rally (RN) leads the polls ahead of Sunday’s first round of parliamentary elections, followed by the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) coalition and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance in third place.
Bardella, just 28, could become the first right-wing prime minister in modern French history after the July 7 runoff, but he has said he will take the job if the RN wins a majority in parliament.
Bardella promised that “if the French believe in me, I will be prime minister of purchasing power”, promising to cut VAT and tax breaks for up to 30 years.
“I am the prime minister. The difference with me is that I don’t want to lie to France,” Attal said.
“Jordania Bardella says every time that he will magically lower the VAT, but does not say how he will finance it,” he said.
At the same time, Bompard called the prime minister “given your record, you are not fit to teach economics.”
French PM, far-right chief cross swords in raucous election debate
