High-stakes rematch: Can Le Pen turn the tide against Macron in TV debate?

We review what went wrong for the far-right standardbearer on the night in 2017, whether she has softened her stances as she claims and whether the sitting French president can overcome incumbent fatigue or avoid coming across as a know-it-all.

More broadly, what has changed in five years? Back then, the theme music of the campaign was anxiety over globalisation and de-industrialisation. Now, that has been compounded by Covid, a cost of living spike and the added uncertainty of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With the left split over whether to vote and for whom, how different is 2022 from 2017?

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Juliette Laurain and Lépolodine Iribarren.

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