In France, the first debate between candidates for the European Parliament elections lights up the campaign

Brussels – From European defense to green transition via immigration and the economic trade war against China. Two hours of debate on the hottest issues of the election campaign, with all the players battling it out on programs and viewpoints. Ahead of the upcoming European elections (June 6-9) in France, the main parties faced off live on television.  Participating were the leaders of the seven major parties: Jordan Bardella (Rassemblement national), Valérie Hayer (Renaissance), Raphaël Glucksmann (Parti socialiste), Manon Aubry (La France insoumise), Marie Toussaint (Les Ecologistes), François-Xavier Bellamy (Les Républicains), and Marion Maréchal (Reconquête!).

The debate on the European army

Lighting up the confrontation was the question about the possible creation of a European army, given the challenges France and the European Union are facing after Russia invaded Ukraine. The two radical right-wing parties – Marion Maréchal of Reconquête (Éric Zemmour’s party) and Jordan Bardella of Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National — are against this hypothesis for different reasons. The possibility of future disengagement in defense matters by the United States, in light of a possible election of Donald Trump, united all the other would-be MEPs in supporting the need for a European army. Marie Toussaint, an MEP in this legislature for the Greens/ALE, told Bardella, “You want a stronger France and a weaker Europe, but this way you will get a weak France without allies.”

From the European military, the discussion turned to the two ongoing wars: Ukraine and Gaza. In this regard, Bardella had to defend himself against attacks from other exponents for his positions deemed unclear, if not openly pro-Russian. Also inflaming tempers was the confirmation in the Rassemblement National’s electoral lists of Thierry Mariani, former MEP for ID (Identity and Democracy), accused of being a staunch pro-Russian and having supported various authoritarian regimes, including that of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Different views for a greener Europe

The most hotly debated issue has been the EU-imposed ban on selling cars with combustion engines starting in 2035. For radical right-wing parties, this choice is suicidal and will affect both French families and the automobile industry in the country. Even for Republican François-Xavier Bellamy, an MEP in the European People’s Party, the stop is not functional in achieving the goal of reducing emissions: “If anything, the question is to figure out how to get other countries in the world out of carbonization.” In favor, in various forms, the other parties, with Marie Toussaint calling for the introduction of a reduced VAT for goods that are good for health and the environment.

Another sticking point between the candidates was agriculture. Bardella accused the EU of introducing increasingly stringent regulations for farmers, making their work too complicated. Also under indictment was the EU’s ‘Farm to the Fork’ program for a more environmentally friendly agriculture, which, according to some, brought to an agricultural decline. In contrast, Valérie Hayer, MEP for Renew, stressed that the new regulations help protect the ecosystem and, in the end, farmers as they are the most affected by climate change.

The clash on migration

Marion Maréchal began the debate by calling for a halt to immigration, recalling that in France, “we have already had a Bataclan, and now the Dgse (French intelligence services ed.) has warned about possible terrorist infiltration among refugees.” In addition, the two radical right parties highlighted the need to find agreements with departure states for the return of those who migrate illegally.

On the opposite side of the spectrum was the criticism of the migration system by Manon Aubry, an MEP in the Left Group, according to whom it is “inhumane and ineffective because it has turned our Mediterranean Sea into an open-air graveyard” while also accusing Frontex of being “an agency of death at the Union’s borders.” Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP for the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) accused Bardella of talking about migration issues ideologically, decontextualizing reality, as in a TikTok video: “You are like your friend Meloni, who campaigned by advocating a zero immigration program and a naval blockade, but once she came to power what did she do?”

China’s economic challenge

The need to return to manufacturing in Europe united all those present at the debate, but the recipes are very different. Having industries capable of supporting the effort of green and digital transitions is crucial, which is why the development of some key sectors such as solar panel production or microchips cannot be left to China. Speaking of China, the issue on civil rights did not go unmentioned either. The representative of the Socialist Party, Raphaël Glucksmann, recalled the state of slavery of the Uyghurs claiming that the Macron government forgot them during the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.