PARIS: In their sole broadcast debate, incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right opponent Marine Le Pen argued on a number of themes, including the cost of living, the current Ukraine-Russia war, immigration, and climate change, just four days before the run-off polls.

According to the BBC, the two-hour and 45-minute discussion on Wednesday night was the first time the same candidates faced off in two successive elections, the first being in 2017.

Le Pen, who was defeated by Macron in 2017, declared the issue of rising living costs to be her top concern, promising to "permanently lower VAT on energy" and "cut taxes, with no income tax for under-30s."

"Giving French people their money back is my greatest priority for the next five years," she was reported as saying. Le Pen also accused Macron of allowing real-terms pension payments to decrease. The President, on the other hand, called his opponent's policies "unworkable" and suggested that imposing a price restriction would be "twice as successful" as eliminating the sales tax.

Concerning the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, Macron claimed Moscow was "on a deadly path," while Le Pen cautioned that arming Ukraine could make France a "co-belligerent." As per BBC report, the two contenders promised to support Ukraine and accept refugees.

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