The only televised debate between French President Emmanuel Macron and his Putin friendly, neo-fascist opponent Marine Le Pen happened last night, and it illustrated what's at stake in Sunday's elections. Literally facing off within feet of each other, Macron underscored Le Pen's ties with the Kremlin, not the least of which is an outstanding loan from a Russian bank controlled by the Putin regime. Le Pen tried to mask her position on withdrawing from both NATO and the European Union, which she and her ultra right-wing party have proposed, by calling for "reform" of both. Cultural issues familiar to the U.S. public were also trotted out by Le Pen, including the banning of the Muslim hijab in public spaces.
Le Pen has made no secret of her admiration for Russian thug and war criminal Vladimir Putin, despite her questionable claims of support for Ukraine in the debate. Her ethno-nationalist / white supremacist and anti-Semitic past make her a natural Putin ally, despite her recent, convenient conversion on Ukraine. The outcome of the elections, if they're close, may depend on how many left wing supporters of Jean-Luc Mélenchon and of left/center parties can be motivated to vote for Macron, in the face of an existential threat to free Europe represented by Le Pen.
