Candidates will not debate together, despite the title of the event "The Debate of the Century", but will be interviewed in turn.

The program should start around 4:00 p.m. with the environmental candidate Yannick Jadot, followed by the LR candidate Valérie Pécresse at 4:50 p.m., Philippe Poutou (NPA) at 5:25 p.m., Anne Hidalgo (PS) at 6:00 p.m., Fabien Roussel (PCF) at 6:35 p.m., and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) at 7:10 p.m., told AFP a representative of Oxfam, one of the four associations that support the organization of the event, with the Foundation for Nature and Man, Notre business to all and Greenpeace France.

The organizers were also hoping for a response from Emmanuel Macron's staff, to whom the 7:45 p.m. slot is reserved "if he confirms" his participation, they told AFP.

Candidates' performances will be visible at .

Largely absent from the campaign so far, the theme of the climate emergency was carried on Saturday by several tens of thousands of demonstrators in many cities in France, demanding that it be better taken into account by the pretenders to the Elysium.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has only added urgency to the climate and energy debate, as Europe is highly dependent on Russian gas and oil.

"The criminal regime of Vladimir Putin is also financed by this dependence on fossil fuels. Getting out of fossil fuels is necessary for the climate and for a more stable world", underlined Saturday Lorette Philippot, Friends of the Earth France.

One month before the first round, while the price of gasoline is soaring at the pump, this debate is also part of that of protecting the purchasing power of the French.

Last measure to date, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Saturday a discount at the pump of 15 centimes per liter of fuel, from April 1, and for four months.

On Friday, the environmental candidate Yannick Jadot for his part asked for the withdrawal of TotalEnergies from Russia, which he considers "accomplice" of "war crimes" since the invasion of Ukraine.

On France 2, he asked on Saturday "that we stop importing Russian gas and oil".

Proposals to which the LFI candidate Jean Luc Mélenchon radically opposes: "That Total withdraws from Russia, I do not agree", he declared Sunday in an interview with the Journal du Dimanche.

"Boycotting gas and oil is absurd," he said.

© 2022 AFP