A picture shows TV screens displaying French President Emmanuel Macron, candidate for his re-election, during a French presidential election debate with French far-right Rassemblement National party presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, France April 20, 2022. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS
PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron cleared a major hurdle on the path to re-election with a combative TV debate performance against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen that convinced most viewers, a poll said, even if he was still deemed arrogant.
Although Le Pen came across as more polished and composed than in a TV duel for the presidency in 2017, Macron went on the offensive over her ties to Russian leadership, her plans for the economy and her policy for the European Union.
