France’s seven-way debate tests EU vision and debt paths, but no clear winner emerges

Seven candidates debated at Roland-Garros with no clear winner, but four key takeaways stood out: there is no shared European vision among the contenders, as they clash over EU policy and strategic autonomy; Marine Le Pen pressed a business-friendly platform with about €125 billion in savings, a return to a 62 retirement age, and new rules to curb deficits; debt and spending remain a fault line, with centrists touting restraint while Mélenchon favored reforming or disobeying EU rules; overall, the field remains wide open as voters wait for a unifying stance on Europe and the economy.