France: between Mélenchon and Zemmour, a debate to mobilize for the presidential election
The leader of France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon (left) and the far-right polemicist Éric Zemmour (right) debated on the BFM TV channel, Thursday, September 23, 2021. © BERTRAND GUAY / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Jean-Luc Mélenchon was facing Éric Zemmour.
The leader of rebellious France debated this Thursday evening with the far-right polemicist on the BFMTV news channel.
One is a presidential candidate, the other has a false suspense.
The debate first served to mobilize their camp.
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"
I believe that like me, tonight, you will not want it to be a match, nor a roosters war, nor a worldly perfidy
" begins Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
However, the good intentions did not last more than 5 minutes.
“
You are a danger to this country.
You are stunted, you are a racist.
You were condemned for that,
”then launches the deputy France Insoumise.
To which answers "
in your camp for two centuries, one does not debate, one guillotines.
We do not invective, we ostracize and we put in re-education camps.
"
Two visions
Unsurprisingly, they hardly agree on anything.
When Jean-Luc Mélenchon defends a mixed France.
Eric Zemmour keeps coming back to the danger, in his eyes, of a migratory invasion of the country.
These are two irreconcilable visions.
“
That's the definition of a narrow-minded guy.
He who does not examine reality, that does not interest him,
“criticizes Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
While Eric Zemmour retorts: "
It's the opposite, when reality proves right, forgive me for being narrow-minded."
"
They weren't there to convince, nor to seek voices on the other side.
The goal was first to address their electorate to
relaunch a campaign
that does not take off on the side of Jean-Luc Mélenchon and to work on his presidential costume at Éric Zemmour.
A role-playing game in which the two men had a lot to gain, and not much to lose.
►Also listen: Debate of the day - Do the primaries help to clarify the debate?
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Presidential France 2022
France
French politics
Jean-Luc Mélenchon