Saudi Arabia welcomes trilateral border treaty between Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan    Trump prepares to unveil sweeping new US tariffs on 'Liberation Day'    At least 22 civilians killed in Israeli strike on UNRWA clinic in Gaza    UK says it won't jump into US trade war as Starmer urges calm response to tariffs    Russia, Ukraine trade fresh accusations of violating US-brokered energy ceasefire deal    Swedish table tennis legend Jörgen Persson appointed head coach of Saudi national team    Danilo Pereira fires Al Ittihad into King's Cup final with dramatic stoppage-time double    Over 1 million pilgrims benefit from golf cart service at Grand Mosque during Ramadan    Visitors welcomed with Eid initiative at Thee Ain Heritage Village in Al-Baha    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Messi's bodyguard banned from touchline at Inter Miami games    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Haramain High-Speed Railway transports over 1.2 million passengers during Ramadan    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Macron rips Le Pen in first French presidential debate
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 22 - 03 - 2017

Marine Le Pen's proposal to pull France out of the euro and her hardline stance on Islam came under attack from her fellow presidential hopefuls on Monday, in a combative TV debate a month before the country goes to the polls.
France's election is shaping up as the most unpredictable in decades, with far-right National Front (FN) leader Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron tied in polls for the April 23 first round, while the mainstream left and right languish in third and fourth place.
With polls showing Macron, 39, would easily beat the anti-immigration Le Pen, 48, in a decisive run-off vote on May 7, he had been expected to take the most heat in Monday's TV battle. But it was Le Pen who was repeatedly thrust onto the defensive as Macron, conservative nominee Francois Fillon, the Socialist Party's Benoit Hamon and fifth-placed leftist radical Jean-Luc Melenchon all tore into her program.
Former frontrunner Fillon, 63, who has been ensnared in a raft of scandals, said Le Pen's proposal to ditch the euro and bring back the French franc would cause "economic and social chaos."
"You don't leave the euro and the protection afforded by the European Central Bank...for an adventure... that would ruin borrowers and savers alike," Fillon, who presented himself as the most experienced pair of hands, scolded.
Le Pen, who has been buoyed by Donald Trump's election in the US and Britain's decision to leave the EU, accused Fillon of scaremongering.
"That's called Project Fear, Mr. Fillon. It was used before Brexit," said Le Pen, who has pledged a similar referendum on France's EU membership, said.
Setting out her vision of a France which defends its interests "without being lectured by a supranational body," Le Pen, who has accused Germany of dictating to the rest of Europe, said: "I have no desire to be Mrs. Merkel's deputy."
Former economy minister Macron, the most europhile of the candidates, noted that "all those who said Brexit will be wonderful...ran away and hid."
Le Pen cast the former Rothschild banker Macron — who has campaigned as "neither of the left or the right" — as trying to be all things to all voters. "You never come down on one side or the other," she accused.
Macron also traded barbs with Le Pen on the Islamic full-body swimsuit. The so-called burkini was at the center of a furor in France last summer after several coastal towns banned the garment.
Le Pen said the burkini was a sign of the "rise of radical Islam in our country" and accused Macron of supporting it.
"The burkini is a public order problem. Do not use it to divide the French," former Economy Minister Macron retorted, accused her of transforming "the over four million French people, whose religion is Islam...into enemies of the Republic."


Clic here to read the story from its source.