Macron retains his lead after Le Pen debate performance

French President Emmanuel Macron appears to have cleared a major hurdle on the path to re-election following a televised debate against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen that reportedly convinced most viewers – despite the incumbent being regarded as arrogant.

Marine Le Pen (r) listens attentively as the incumbent Emmanuel Macron lays out his thoughts during Wednesday evening's live debate. AFP - LUDOVIC MARIN

Although Marine Le Pen came across as more polished and composed than in her televised duel for the presidency in 2017, the incumbent Emmanuel Macron went on the offensive over her ties to the Russian leadership, her plans for the economy and her policy for the European Union.

With the deciding vote just days away, some 59 percent of viewers found Macron to have been the most convincing in the debate, according to a snap poll hosted by BFMTV that suggested the almost three-hour showdown would not alter the course of the election, with Macron ahead in all previous polls.

Voter surveys have shown a widening of Macron's lead over Le Pen to as much as 56 percent-44 percent since the first round on 10 April, with analysts saying the debate was unlikely to swing voting intentions in Le Pen's favour.

On the offensive for most of the debate, Macron's most piercing line of attack was on a loan to Le Pen's party for her 2017 campaign, underwritten by a Russian bank.

"You talk about your banker when you talk about Russia, that's the problem," Macron told his opponent.

"You depend on Russian power, you depend on Mr. Putin."

On the cost of living, rated the most important issue for the French in this election, Macron also appeared to put Le Pen on the defensive, asking her why she had voted against his plans to cap electricity prices if she wanted to help hard-up workers.

Macron / Le Pen: les moments forts du débat de l’entre-deux-tours en 4 minutespic.twitter.com/nhKJgWABM7

— BFMTV (@BFMTV) April 21, 2022

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Arrogance Vs Fear

During the debate Macron had difficulty in dispelling his image of arrogance that has been a moot point during his presidency.

He interrupted his rival repeatedly with lines like "Ms Le Pen is much more disciplined than five years ago."

Le Pen retorted: "Mr Macron, stop lecturing me."

In contrast with her more pugilistic approach in 2017, Le Pen adopted a more courteous tone than in 2017, even going so far as to applaud Macron's diplomatic efforts to prevent war in Ukraine.

Débat Macron - Le Pen : qui joue le plus gros ?

🎙"Ce soir, les deux ont beaucoup à jouer : Macron doit accentuer son avance et Marine Le Pen lâche l'une de ses dernières cartes pour essayer d'inverser la tendance" pense @bernard_sananes dans #EstelleMidi 🕛 pic.twitter.com/yFwPi5Iape

— RMC Story (@RMCStory) April 20, 2022

An Elabe snap opinion poll on each candidate's personal characteristics showed 50 percent of the French thought Macron had come across as arrogant during the debate, while only 16% thought Le Pen had.

But Macron's insight into policy details made him look more "presidential", the same Elabe poll showed, while Le Pen failed to convince a majority of viewers she was fit to govern.

"Each of them has a huge weakness," Bernard Sananes of pollster Elabe said. "Emmanuel Macron is considered arrogant by more than one in two viewers. And Marine Le Pen remains scary for half of them."