| It’s a face-off that could shake up the French political landscape. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal will take on the up-and-coming president of the Rassemblement National (RN), Jordan Bardella in a televised debate on the national TV channel France 2, on Thursday (23 May). The French love televised duels. They love a good put-down. Some have even made history: During the second round of the 1988 presidential debate, the Socialist President Francois Mitterrand constantly referred to his Prime Minister Jacques Chirac as a subordinate, when the latter wanted to confront him as an equal – a rhetorical humiliation that cost Chirac the election. TV debates in France are a ritual that helps voters gauge the strengths and weaknesses of individual candidates, particularly important as the leader’s political character is at the heart of the country’s presidential system. The French know that one word, or a single facial expression, can turn an election upside down. But while debates make sense between, say, presidential hopefuls, the announcement two weeks ago that Attal would face off against far-right EU lead candidate Bardella just doesn’t sit right. Sure, Attal has always been seen – or, at least, portrayed – as an excellent debater. His rhetorical skills are badly needed as President Emmanuel Macron is desperately seeking to turn around the campaign of Valérie Hayer’s Renaissance list, which has dropped to 15% of voting intentions from 19% in January, trailing Bardella’s RN. As usual, the president wants to organise a duel between the nationalists and those he calls the progressives, i.e. himself and his party. | 