Mélenchon defends "ecological planning" and Le Pen wants "to stop this regulatory madness": see how the first French presidential debate went
CNN Portugal27 August 2026 at 16:42
Seven candidates for the French presidential election participated on Thursday in the first debate, where they defended divergent positions on the environment and regulation. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, from the left-wing party France Insoumise, defended "ecological planning" as a solution to environmental issues, while Marine Le Pen, from the National Rally, criticized what she called "this regulatory madness" and promised to block measures she considers harmful to the French economy and sovereignty. The debate allowed the French to learn about the candidates' main proposals for the future of the country.
Paulo Raimundo accused the Government of "throwing mud at the wall" regarding the promise not to touch Social Security during this legislation, considering that promise "is worth nothing".
Chega challenged the PS to make the party's proposals to lower VAT on fuels and the food basket viable, in a dynamic of political opposition regarding fiscal measures.
José Luís Carneiro again demanded a clear position from the prime minister guaranteeing that Social Security will not be privatized, reinforcing his opposition to any possibility of opening the Social Security system to the private sector.
The president of Chega, Ventura, today criticized the Government's inaction regarding the problems caused by storm Kristin, pointing particularly to the roads that remain closed without viable alternatives having been created for the affected population.
