Macron maintains lead after televised debate watched by smallest audience

French President Emmanuel Macron has maintained lead over his opponent Marine Le Pen in a new poll after a head-to-head televised debate.

According to a survey by OpinionWay/Kea Partners published on Thursday, Macron won the lead again with 56 percent of the vote.

However, only 72 percent of the participants showed willingness to participate in Sunday’s election - a figure which would mark the lowest turnout since 1969.

The development came after the two contenders battled in a much-anticipated televised debate, in which far-right candidate Marine Le Pen hit hard against Macron’s record in office.

Le Pen said the French people suffered from government policies during the past five years, while Macron accused Le Pen of being dependent on Russia, citing her past admiration of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“When you speak to Russia, you speak to your banker,” Macron said, suggesting that Le Pen would be incapable of defending French interests because she “depends on Russian power.”

The French president was referring to the 9-million-euro loan that Le Pen’s party received in 2014 from the First Czech-Russian Bank for the presidential election campaign. The loan is still not repaid, and after the collapse of the bank in 2016, it is now owed to a company with ties to the Russian military.

The three-hour televised debate on Wednesday was followed by only 15.5 million, the smallest audience ever recorded for such an event.

Macron, Le Pen clash on Russia, Muslim headscarf ban pledge in TV presidential debate

French President Emmanuel Macron and far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen have gone head-to-head in their only televised debate over Muslim women scarves, ties with Russia, and economic policy.

A separate Elabe poll for BFM TV showed that the debate viewers deemed Macron prone to bouts of arrogance but found him more fit for the presidency.

On the other side, Le Pen’s far-right views were still considered much more worrying by the respondents, the poll showed.

“Did she give the impression she is ready to govern?” French Newspaper Le Parisien said in an editorial on Thursday. “Judging by the debate, she did not dispel that doubt.”

While incumbent Macron’s policies are directed towards cooperating with EU and other international organizations, Le Pen’s policies include limiting Europe's rules on cross-border travel, imposing a ban on Muslim headscarves in public, and giving French nationals priority on jobs and benefits.

Both candidates need to broaden support before Sunday’s vote, as many French people, especially on the left, say they still don't know whether they will even go to the polls.

In comparison to the last elections, the gap between the two contenders this year is much closer. In 2017, Macron won with over 66 percent of the votes.

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