Europeans 2024 debate: immigration, Ukraine, agriculture… Bardella and Hayer debated for more than two hours

For nearly 2 hours and 20 minutes, the head of the Renaissance list, Valerie Hayer, and that of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, debated, one month of the European elections.

The essentials

• Val&rie Hayer, head of the majority list, and Jordan Bardella, from the Rassemblement Nation, debated for more than 2 hours on BFMTV. < /li>
• The two candidates were questioned on several subjects: agriculture, ecology, immigration, purchasing power, the defense of Europe and support for Ukraine.
• Valérie Hayer criticizedé the "duplicityé" by Jordan Bardella, who, according to her, “tells so many lies with so much nerve”.
• Jordan Bardella estimatedé that Valérie Hayer éwas "courageous". She "will represent the results of Emmanuel Macron", while "no one wanted to wear the colors", he said.
• According to the latest polls, the president of the RN would represent 31% of voting intentions, against 16% for Valérie Hayer.

Live

23:56 – End of the debate

The debate continues is completed between Jordan Bardella and Val&eac;rie Hayer. It will have lasted almost 2h20. On May 27, the eight candidates for the European elections will face off in a new debate on BFMTV. 

23:24 – Jordan Bardella "is à politics what Didier Raoult is à medicine,” says Valérie Hayer

Jordan Bardella "is à politics what Didier Raoult is à medicine,” concludes Valérie Hayer. "You have no credit for talking to the French about Europe", she said.

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23:06 – Immigration: Bardella wants to restrict free movement to "nationals only" of the European Union

"Our country must no longer be a social window, where “all migrants who set foot in Europe are tempted to come,” believes Jordan Bardella. According to Valérie Hayer, free movement is "the common good of Europe. I support this Schengen area,” she defends.

22:44 – Agriculture: Bardella asks for a " French agricultural exceptionçaise"

"Why do you allow it for artists, you prevent it for farmers ?", asks Jordan Bardella à Valérie Hayer, evoking the French cultural exception. He asks for a "French agricultural exceptionçaise".

22:30 – Jordan Bardella is an "imposter", according to Valérie Hayer

"You have a thousand facets Mr. Bardella, but à At the end a single face, that of an impostor, launched into action. Valérie Hayer.

22:04 – Sending troops to Ukraine: Macron “plays into the hands of the division of the Western camp", according to Bardella

According to Jordan Bardella, Emmanuel Macron "plays into the hands of the division of the Western camp”, while the president has to do so. mentioned again the possibility sending French troops to Ukraine. The head of the European list calls for the "escalation".

21:34 – Universities blocked es: Hayer says she is “shocked”, Bardella sees it as “anti-Semitism”

"I'm shocked by what's happening", says Valérie Hayer, who is in favor of police intervention to "block the situation". According to Jordan Bardella, "we are not in the defense of Palestine" but "in the crassest anti-mitism".

21:21 – Death of Matisse: "a drama" for Hayer, "a fact of societyé" for Bardella

Concerning the death of Matisse, 15 years old, you&eac; by an Afghan miner à Châteauroux, "I have heard speeches, from you, from Marine Le Pen on this drama. And I didn't see any dignity,” she said. Val&eac;rie Hayer à Jordan Bardella. The head of the RN list qualified; this "social event". “Immigration has become the worst fuel for street violence and insecurity” in our country,” he defended.

21:03 – The debate begins on BFMTV

The d&amp ;eacute;bat begins on BFMTV. Viewers will be able to ask questions of both candidates. 

20:39 – " The position of leader is never easy in an éelection", believes Jordan Bardella

Jordan Bardella arrived in the BFMTV premises. "We have been in the campaign since September, I am givené in the lead so my position is less simple but it is an important democratic moment (…) the position of leader is never simple in an election, but nothing is done, nothing is gained,” explains Jordan Bardella, who says he is “serene.”

20:34 – "We are going to talk about all the subjects that make Europeans", explains Benjamin Duhamel

"This evening we are going to talk about all the subjects that make Europeans, of course the hyper-violence among minors, what is happening in universities ;s, then we will get into the hard part, the war in Ukraine (…) and European questions…", lists journalist Benjamin Duhamel who will host the discussion ;bat.

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20:24 – "It's an important moment, finally Jordan Bardella accepts the confrontation", says Val& ;eacute;rie Hayer

Valérie Hayer arrived at the BFMTV premises. "It's an important moment, finally Jordan Bardella accepts the confrontation (…) it will be project against project", she defended as she passed through the doors of ;entries from BFMTV.

20:05 – What will the debate be about ?

Valérie Hayer would like to focus on Europe and not France. But 58% of voters say they are voting on national and non-European proposals, according to an Ipsos survey for Le Monde. Immigration, agriculture, and even the war in Ukraine should also be addressed. 

19:25 – Several working sessions for Valérie Hayer to prepare for the debate

Val&rie Hayer had several working sessions to prepare for the debate, according to France Info. "When he spouts off éelements of language, Bardella is very strong",  according to an advisor to Emmanuel Macron, "but he doesn' “is not impregnable if we shift it to European subjects”. According to those around Valérie Hayer, she "has mastered the subject". "She wants to get to the bottom of it , says a relative,  to make it a moment of truthé on the five years of Bardella à Brussels", again according to his entourage when questioned; by France Info.

18:48 – Gabriel Attal also says he is ready à debate face to face Jordan Bardella

The Prime Minister could soon debate with Jordan Bardella. "Nothing is completely set" but he said he agreed. Now that the President’s speech has been confirmed. the Sorbonne has passed, he wants to enter the game, according to a minister interviewed by Libération. 

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This is the opportunity or never to reinstate the duel between the majority. and the Lep&eac;ist party à just over a month from the European elections. Jordan Bardella who sulked almost all the debates, or almost, since the start of the campaign have not resisted à a face-to-face with the Macronist candidate. The head of the National Rally also wishes to take advantage of the debate planned for this Thursday, May 2, at 9 p.m. on BFMTV, to confirm its favorite status while it is given at the top of the polls, 15 points ahead of her competitor.

For its part, the majority is also banking heavily on this debate to reverse the trend and relaunch the campaign of its head candidate, Valerie Hayer. The Euro MP is still struggling to cope. print from the French çais à the opposite of the very media-friendly Jordan Bardella. But if on the form the Macronist candidate is &agrav; basically, she hopes to kill her competitor. "We have to go find him […], flush him out" on the measures of his program estimates a strategist of the majority à Politico. The objective is clear: to demonstrate "the incompetence and superficiality" of the RN according to another in Parisien.

Hayer arrives loaded face to face. Bardella

The majority indicates not to lack arguments to put à hurts the seriousness of the frontist. Some have been mentioned since the start of the campaign: absenteeism and weak involvement of the elected official in the European Parliament With only 21 amendments tabled in five years or plasticity positions of the RN on Europe. The party which campaigned for an exit from the European Union has revised its copy and calmed down. his speech since 2019. The logic of the positions and the project of the National Rally will also be attacked by the head of the Macronist list, in particular on the favorite subjects of the RN ;: "How can you be credible when you say you are against immigration but you vote against the migration pact ?" or "when you do not vote for the recovery plan ?" questioned an advisor in the Parisien.

The few wolves of the party's campaign the flame or the accusations targeting some of its candidates completed the debate. the list of weak or at least attackable points of the RN: the complaint for complicity; crimes against humanity and torture filed against number 3 on the list, Fabrice Leggeri; the blame pronounced against the commissioner and number 7 on the list, Matthieu Valet, by his hierarchy; or the forced exclusion of the candidate Saidali Boina Hamissi accused of of having made racist and conspiratorial remarks.

"It is not used à nothing to get into him"

Knowing he was expected at the turning point, Jordan Bardella warned the rival camp ahead of time. the day before the debate, on the sidelines of a meeting at Perpignan on May 1: "We are ready   debate from the bottom […] without ready-&-thinking [and] without attack below the belt". And for good reason, Marine Le Pen's foal brought together the party's leaders and several experts to prepare his debate according to the indiscretions of the Parisian. "We want to refute his arguments about the fact that Jordan is not working, to show that he is solid on the merits of his cases" underlined one of the participants &agrav; the meeting. However, it will be more difficult to defend your running mates.

Jordan Bardella will have to be convincing to respond to the attacks, but the candidate seems to want to prefer a courteous debate to a civil debate. an offensive against her rival: "She is not irritating, not arrogant. So, çit is not useful à nothing to get into him. You have to go slowly, staying on the bottom,” he advised. an expert. Does the president of the RN want to reserve his games for his possible debate with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal?? What is sure? ;nbsp;it is that in the ranks of the majority, it is estimated that Valerie Hayer has nothing to do with it. lose and everything &agrav; win in the debate given their score in the poll results. A few weeks before the election, Macronie wants to believe that “everything is still possible” and that 'all it takes is one uppercut to make Bardella stagger" to get closer to a victory.