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Alexandra Topping and Marianna Spring

French election 2017: all candidates take part in live TV debate - as it happened

Candidates in French presidential election TV debate
Ten of the eleven candidates: Jean-Luc Mélenchon, François Fillon, Jean Lassalle, Nathalie Arthaud, Marine Le Pen, Benoît Hamon, Jacques Cheminade, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Emmanuel Macron and François Asselineau. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images

The debate concludes

Although it did seem at one point that it might never end, after almost four hours the marathon second debate of the French presidential election 2017 has come to a close.

There were some pretty intense clashes – Philippe Poutou certainly made François Fillon and Marine Le Pen feel his presence – but it was, in the main, civilised and orderly, despite the number of candidates and variety of arguments.

Thanks for joining us this evening. Et bon nuit!

Updated

Candidates summarise their position

• Fillon says France is in a serious situation in a dangerous world and in order to rediscover the “taste of happiness” a profound change is needed. He says he is the only candidate who can do it – bringing together the right and the centre. He tells voters if they don’t want the chaos of extremists or a continuation of François Hollande they should choose him. He ends with a bold demand: “I ask [the French] to trust me.”

• Macron says he is asking voters to turn the page, not just on the last five years but on the last 20. He is calling for a new, efficient, can-do France where all sections of society are liberated. He says the most vulnerable will be protected, and others will be liberated by education and culture. “I have confidence in you,” he says. “I have confidence in our country.”

• Le Pen calls on French who think they are part of a people and a culture in danger. She tells them they are the owners of the country, and they have rights. There is no reason to despair, she tells them. It is possible to come through this and regain our sovereignty. I want to put France in order, in your name, she says.

• Mélenchon concludes by explaining that France must end the reign of the ultra-rich and emphasising that they must move towards environmentally friendly methods of production and consumption. He says that the republic is about a life of community and that this election is of course about changing the president, but first and foremost about rediscovering happiness.

• Hamon calls for voters to choose the future of collective intelligence and ecological transition that he proposes. He says that the people “embody the most beautiful face of the republic” and seeks to unite them regardless of religion, which has always been the project of the left.

• Poutou concludes by encouraging the social movement in Guyana, where he says their wealth is monopolised by the French state, and by reaching out to all those who are exploited globally, not just in France. He wants the French to regain their confidence in social movements and to make the rich pay.

• Arthaud concludes by addressing the workers and calling on them to remember the struggle of the collective. She refers to pensions in particular and her concern that the next president could cut pensions.

• Cheminade says France can only be happy if it overcomes the oppression of capitalism and insists a vote for him is a vote for the future.

• Dupont-Aignan concludes by citing Einstein: it is not those who have created the problems that can solve them. He says he believes in a humanistic patriotism and he can not stand to see it submissive and divided. He wants to gather the French together for the longevity of the Republic.

• Asselineau says to finish that he is the only candidate who would ensure an immediate “Frexit”. He tells voters not to be afraid and to have confidence that France will renew its great history as the British people have just done.

• And finally, the jolly giant Lassalle says he wants a France that invests in its youth – and says that as president he would invest in the learning of languages and military service.


Updated

Candidates asked: What is your social model?

• Le Pen says that public services come in for a lot of criticism. She says public service must not be for profit. She wants to improve public services – so they benefit the French, bien sur.

• Fillon agrees with Cheminade that France is headed for a financial crisis. He therefore wants to rebalance public finances and says this would require exceptional measures, namely eliminating 8% of jobs in the public sector at the rate of 1.5% per year.

• Macron says it is time to stop lying to the French people. Public services are “the foundation of our equality”, but they need reform, otherwise it is future generations who will have to pay. To save as much as €60bn, he suggests that local and regional authorities should not replace retiring civil servants. He also wants to abolish the housing tax for 80% of French people.

• Mélenchon calls for recruitment of more civil servants in the health and education sectors respectively.

• Poutou wants to declare a “state of social emergency” as a result of unemployment, bad pensions and difficulties in accessing housing. He takes another swipe at Fillon, who he says is preoccupied with debt “except when he draws in the cash for his family”. He wants to cancel France’s debt and to tax the ultra-rich.

• Lassalle agrees with Arthaud and denounces those with large fortunes. His big plan is to put an end to petrol and says there are plenty of jobs to be had in solar power.

• Asselineau argues that the EU is responsible for the dismantling of public services. He proposes the renationalisation of French public services. He wants social security to be included in the Constitution and to introduce “pay-as-you-go” retirement.

• Dupont-Aignan says there must be an end to the privatisation of public services, calling for motorways to be renationalised. But the answer is not more public servants.

• Hamon vigorously attacks Fillon on his proposal to reduce the number of civil servants. He says during the financial crisis, it was the civil servants who held the country together. He says that Fillon must respect those who will implement policies for the civil service, especially seeing as he wants to be head of state. Hamon touches again on the issue of burnout when referring to those civil servants working in hospitals, schools and police stations. He says France should recruit more civil servants.

Updated

A short pause to consider the importance of haircuts in this debate:

In many ways, the range of candidates in this election, and the concerns and priorities they expressed during the debate, reflect the great fractures in French society. Arthaud and Poutou represent workers’ rights as one might expect from leaders of the Workers’ Struggle party and the New Anticapitalist party; the poor, the badly paid, those at the bottom of the social pile, the “dictatorship” of the rich and of capitalism.

At the other end of the scale, are former ministers Fillon and Macron, in their well-cut bespoke suits and ties who talk of finance, business, investment, efficiency, responsibility …

In the middle are leftwingers Mélenchon in his Mao jacket and Hamon, in off-the-peg suit and tie, who focus on workers but also ecological issues, democracy, working hours, social services …

There are traditionalists Dupont-Aignan, Asselineau, Cheminade, Lassalle: Eurosceptics, nationalists who have their pet subjects.

Then there’s Le Pen, who takes a bit from each – nationalist, protectionist, anti-Europe, anti-globalist, defence of workers (as long as they are French) – and adds her trademark dose of anti-Islam, anti-immigration, and economic and social patriotism.

Updated

Macron and Fillon trade blows on reform of the political system.

Macron says reform is crucial, that he will reduce the number of parliamentarians and the number of laws they make.

Fillon hits back, saying that even if there are corrections to make, they are not a priority. They would be a diversion from economic and social policies which – at this moment – are more important.

Updated

It’s now Macron’s past career at Rothschild bank thrust into the spotlight by Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, who asks him: “Should we not stop with these banks that dethrone our industry?”

Macron defends his previous banking job, explaining that he had a job and practiced a profession, “I had a job, I practiced a profession” and that he sees nothing wrong with that. In response to Dupont-Aignan’s interrogation, Macron recognises that although there is a need for transparency and accountability, there cannot be too much suspicion. He says that there will always be banks and that he would guarantee their total independence.

Meanwhile Hamon calls for an end to the “unbearable privileges” of politicians who can get away with things that ordinary French citizens cannot. He says there should be complete transparency when it comes to donations to electoral campaigns.

Arthaud also attacks Le Pen and Fillon, saying that workers have to take accountability while they do not. Workers are encouraged to stand up and take responsibility for their actions and therefore so should politicians.

Macron is all for the transparency in the public lives of politicians. He would prohibit family members being hired by politicians, an obvious dig at Fillon.

Updated

Under attack Fillon hits back. He says he has not been found guilty of any crime, despite admitting to “mistakes”. He says an exemplary president is one that tells the truth to France about itself and the world. He says he has been judged without a trial by journalists, but he is “not intimidated”. The French will make their own judgement, he says.

Updated

Indeed …

Phillipe Poutou, of the New Anticapitalist party, has used the moment to land a few blows. It’s worth noting that Poutou means “kiss” in French, and the politician is sometimes mocked for this. But as Kim puts it, “he’s the outsider’s outsider”.

On Fillon, he says the more you look, the more stories there are and accuses Fillon of telling the public they must tighten their belts while stealing from public funds. Oof.

Then he accuses Le Pen of stealing from the European public funds.

The background is that Le Pen refused to turn up to a summons to answer questions about European parliament funds being used to pay for FN party staff, including, it’s reported, her personal bodyguard.

Fillon is formally under investigation for paying his wife and two children hundreds of thousands of euros for jobs they allegedly did not do.

Hamon says it’s rich to see Le Pen presenting herself as a victim, when she victimises Muslims, immigrants etc.

Updated

How to protect the French?

We are now on the second theme of the debate: how to protect the French people.

• Macron says that to protect the French people some military intervention will be necessary, adding that we all face the threat of terrorism and that one cannot deny that “Islamist terrorism” exists. He argues that France’s military intervention in Syria is vital, but that there needs to be a change in how security is organised on French soil. He suggests a reconstruction of territorial intelligence, as well as stressing the importance of cyber-defence. Macron refers to the recent attacks in Westminster and St Petersburg before insisting that we target the source of the problem.

• Le Pen argues that terrorism cannot be prevented unless France’s borders are made secure. She accuses Fillon of cutting police and army numbers as prime minister (which he later denies, saying army numbers are the same today as in 2012). Le Pen says that France has become a “jihadi university”, causing an exasperated interruption from Hamon who says that she would say that as it suits her and helps her cause.

• Fillon says France must fight totalitarianism but it will be “a long fight” that requires the strongest and largest global alliance possible. He says he will stop jihadis coming back to France and deport those who pose a risk.

• Hamon says there is no miracle solution or “quick fix” to terrorism and that in Russia, where there is less public freedom, attacks are still not prevented. He says the French must fight terrorism united and suggests a small increase in spending on armed forces and security services.

• Melénchon says that France must leave its state of emergency and echoes Hamon’s argument that the country should remain united in the face of terrorism. He also insists France must “punish the accomplices” of the terrorists.

• Poutou wants to end the state of emergency and to disarm police, saying that police kill youths rather than fighting terrorism. In order to put an end to terrorism, he says, France should stop its military interventions “in the Middle East and Iraq” and to end the sale of weapons “in Qatar and Saudi Arabi, which finance terrorism”.

• Asselineau says he wants France to quit Nato and the EU. He also wants to put an end to “complacency” towards the Emirates, “which serve as a financial base for the Islamists”, in order to fight effectively against terrorism.

• Lassalle, who has previously met Bashar al-Assad in Syria, encourages talks with the Syrian president and an immediate withdrawal of French forces from the Middle East. He also says he will create a fourth army to fight cybercrime, because they are young people who “want to destroy our civilisation”.

• Cheminade argues there should be more emphasis on the fight against arms, drugs and oil traffic in order to neutralise Islamic State “once and for all”. France must treat terrorism “at its source”, intervening in Chad and Mali. He calls for a coordinated international policy, even if this means working closely with Trump and Putin.

Updated

Got to say I agree with Kim here:

Europe debate has now ended. We had a lot of sound and fury, but no clear winner.

Fillon seems to be trying to appear statesmanlike, lots of sardonic smiles, but keeping out of arguments.

Hamon struggling, lacking the passion he shows at rallies. Mélenchon continues to combine being combative with humorous asides and interjections, and coming out of the debate well.

Macron earnest, but not really hitting the mark. Le Pen … is just being Le Pen and sticking to her line.

Updated

Strong ending to this section, which was supposed to be about how to create jobs in France, but ended up focusing mainly on Europe.

Macron, with his eyes on the prize of a second round victory against Marine Le Pen, directs his final comments directly at the Front National leader. He cites Mitterrand’s “nationalism equals war” . He adds that France is not Switzerland, or North Korea. He puts the point to her, while she rolls her eyes.

Fillon, ever determined to bring the debate back to the economy, says that Le Pen has no economic plan. The only plan she has is to leave Europe, which will melt away when the French public vote to stay in any referendum she would hold.

Among the others: Cheminade accuses Le Pen and Macron of playing the financial markets, claiming that the Europe of today is destroying itself and that they must return to the Europe of their founding fathers. Cheminade says that a “financial tsunami” is coming.

In response to Cheminade’s desire to implement article 50 immediately, citing the daily suicides of farmers as a reason enough “to act”, Le Pen affirms that the difference between the two is that she wants a referendum and he doesn’t.

Jean Lassalle reiterates that France needs room to make changes, but without a “Frexit”. He takes aim at Macron, arguing that there is now “no government or European authority”.

Arguing that he has not spoken enough in this first part of the debate, Mélenchon says that “no one” in the previous two governments had opposed the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and claimed that it was now necessary to adopt “a reasonable attitude with an alternative proposal”. He says renegotiate European treaties and then ask the French if they agree.

Updated

This is interesting from Le Figaro:

In the last 30 minutes the most used words in relation to this debate are “give the money back”, while “I’m voting Fillon”, Macron, Pen and Mélenchon also feature.

Updated

More on Europe, which keeps sneaking into the section of the debate about how to create employment:

One of the moderators has said there are a “majority of Eurosceptics” among the candidates. Among the top five, however, three are pro-Europe (with or without reforms) Macron, Fillon, Hamon; and two are Eurosceptic, Le Pen who wants out totally, and Mélenchon who wants to “renegotiate” the European treaties.

Asselineau mentions the B-word: Brexit. Says he is the only candidate for Frexit. Wants France to invoke article 50.

In contrast to the Eurosceptics, Hamon says he wants to continue with the challenge of building Europe. However, he opposes Germany’s austerity policy, proposing instead a democratisation of the countries in the eurozone. He believes Germany would work with France to improve democracy in Europe.

Fillon also argues that France needs Europe, when up against the US and China. He insists that a European currency that can compete with the supremacy of the dollar and the future of the Chinese currency must be worked on. He also says that the prohibition of free movement of workers is “absurd”, although he emphasises a need for the sovereignty of Europe, which in turn will ensure the sovereignty of France.

There has been an ill-tempered exchange between Dupont-Aignan and Fillon. Fillon says Dupont-Aignan isn’t going to get the power to do anything, but Dupont-Aignan says that’s up to the voters.

Updated

As you might expect with 11 candidates all vying for air time, tonight’s hosts are sometimes struggling to keep the speakers on the designated subject:

They are also unable to stop the various candidates interrupting each other – but they are cracking down on the most egregious examples.

Updated

Angelique Chrisafis has noted the same thing – many of the candidates keep coming back to the damage that “big finance” has done to France, with a significant number calling for more protectionism – a huge issue in this election.

The loudest proponent of that strategy is arguably Le Pen:

Defending her “intelligent protectionism”, Le Pen argues that “almost all countries in the world protect their own production” citing Swiss and South Korean agricultural tariffs. She takes a swipe at Macron, telling him, “We have to talk to farmers from time to time”. She claims that Ceta, and Tafta agreements will “kill us”.

Updated

Some analysis from Kim Willsher who is watching the debate live:

There’s a protectionist, nationalist, anti-Europe thread emerging in this debate. Marine Le Pen wants to “tax” companies who take on foreign workers and “economic patriotism” for public contracts, and calls for “intelligent protectionism”.

Meanwhile, Macron is valiantly arguing Europe’s case, and France’s role in Europe. The Trotskyist Nathalie Arthaud says this anti-Europe argument is a “distraction” and it’s the employers fault because it’s in their DNA to put shareholders before workers.

Updated

A little bit of atmosphere from how things are going so far:

Also, if you are needing a little help separating your communists from your centrists:

Updated

How to create employment

The candidates are asked about their policies on employment.

Candidates now talking about how they will reduce unemployment, which is more than 10% in France and higher among the young.

Here are some of the main points:

• Fillon says he is offering “freedom” and points out that the unemployment rate is 10% in France, but only 3.9% in Germany – the numbers are cruel, he says. Says he will liberate working regulations and reduce the €40bn charges imposed on business. He says he will invest in new technologies and get rid of constraints on agriculture.

• Mélenchon – who is chasing Fillon in the polls – went in fighting, attacking Fillon from the off. He calls Fillon’s proposals “absurd”.

• Poutou argues that we must share work and redistribute money, while also reducing working time and lowering the retirement age to 60 years. Poutou wants a redistribution of wealth, a ban on all redundancies and a limit to the working week.

• Macron insists that it is companies and entrepreneurs who create jobs and so wants to simplify the life of the traders by removing the RSI, France’s social security scheme. He argues that it is vital to invest in training jobseekers and in industry. He is later told he didn’t manage to get unemployment down when he was economy minister.

• Cheminade – who has previously said he wants to colonise Mars and industrialise the moon – talks about a “politics of space”. He wants to invest €100bn each year for five years in order to create 5m jobs.

• Le Pen suggests taxing companies for hiring foreign workers.

• Hamon says Macron’s plans have been shown not to work. Says he will create a million new jobs, unlike Fillon who he says destroyed 500,000 jobs.

• Arthaud says she wants to hire in sectors that are useful to the population and lays into the finance industry.

Updated

Here is a quick summary of main points made by each candidate by the Guardian’s indomitable Kim Willsher:

The debate has started with presentations from each candidate.

Here is a primer from the BBC on the minor candidates:

  • Nathalie Arthaud, Lutte Ouvriere (Workers’ Struggle), 47, Trotskyist: seeks to prohibit redundancies and job cuts, increase salaries and pensions to €1,800, impose worker control on enterprises and ownership of means of production.
  • François Asselineau, Union Populaire Républicaine (Popular Republican Union), 59, nationalist and anti-US: seeks withdrawal of France from the EU, euro and Nato, to renationalise big industries and private corporations.
  • Jacques Cheminade, 75, ex-civil servant in economy ministry: seeks to leave the EU and abandon the euro. A follower of US conspiracy theorist Lyndon LaRouche.
  • Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, Debout La France (Stand Up France), 55, Gaullist: wants to scrap the euro and leave the EU, impose higher ethical standards for elected officials, put the fight against jihadi terrorism at the centre of foreign policy.
  • Jean Lassalle, 61, centrist, independent MP: wants to renegotiate European treaties. Staged a 39-day hunger strike in 2006 in an attempt to save 140 jobs at a factory and walked 5,000km across France in 2013.
  • Philippe Poutou, Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste (New Anticapitalist party), 50, former Ford car worker: wants to lower retirement age to 60, reduce the working week to 32 hours and make abortion and contraception free and accessible.

Updated

The fun and games have kicked off already with Philippe Poutou refusing to be included in the “family photo” of all the candidates. When Macron went to get him he could be heard saying “no”.

Poutou leads the New Anticapitalist party. He is a former Ford car worker who wants to lower the retirement age to 60, reduce the working week to 32 hours and make abortion and contraception free and accessible.

Updated

Unlike the previous debate in which only the five frontrunners took part, this debate features all 11 presidential candidates. All will be given equal time, regardless of their standing in the polls, so we’ll be seeing much of candidates many won’t have even heard of outside France.

The top two in the opinion polls – the far-right Front National candidate, Marine Le Pen, and the independent Emmanuel Macron – will be looking to consolidate their lead. The third man, conservative rightwing candidate François Fillon - who won’t be able to consult his mobile phone as he reportedly did in the last debate - will no doubt attempt to appear statesmanlike and “presidential” and catch up.

On his heels, the hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has everything to gain from a strong performance tonight as he chases Fillon. Benoît Hamon will be struggling to make his mark, having been pushed into fifth place. The other six are wild cards and we have no real idea what they will say.

The candidates are positioned at lecterns placed exactly 85cm apart. Candidates will have a total of 17 minutes – one minute opening, one minute closing and 15 minutes to speak.

Updated

As you’d expect we have some excellent background reading ahead of tonight’s presidential debate.

Angelique Chrisafis has a detailed look at how the major candidates compare on the policies that count.

Kim Willsher has taken a look at the minor candidates, who include “a Trotskyist and a politician who once accused the Queen of being an international drug dealer.”

For anything else, Jon Henley has this essential read: French elections: all you need to know.

Updated

Good evening et bon soir! Welcome to the Guardian’s live blog of tonight’s French presidential debate.

The debate will see all 11 candidates in the election wrestling for air time, but it will also give the main contenders the chance to shore up their support and give more clarity on their policy positions.

This is the second of two debates - both are unprecedented. Previously, the two candidates who make it through to the second round have faced each other in a TV debate, but in these two shows all candidates have been given the chance to set out their stall.

The first on 20 March saw the “main candidates” go into detail on their political stances, while tonight will see the “little candidates” get their say alongside the five major contenders.

The first round of the election is due this year on 23 April; if no candidate gains more than 50% of the vote, the second round follows a fortnight later on 7 May.

Over the next two and a half hours, Marine Le Pen of the far-right Front National, the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron, François Fillon of the centre-right Les Républicains, the Socialist party’s Benoît Hamon and hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon will outline their platforms on key themes.

They will be joined by six other candidates – who you can read about here - who gathered the 500 signatures of elected officials that are required to stand.

The debate will be moderated by two journalists, who will face a semi-circle of candidates – nine men and two women – and is due to last over three and a half hours on prime-time television.

The debate will be limited to three themes: how to create jobs, how to protect the French, and what social model the candidates seek.

I’ll be covering the event as it happens. Please feel free to contact me via Twitter @lexytopping or by email: alexandra.topping@theguardian.com – I can’t promise to reply immediately but I will try.

Updated

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