The first election debates took place on Monday evening on the French TV channel TF1: for three and a half hours politicians talked about the social model of modern France, the economic situation and the country's place in the world, RIA Novosti reported.

There are 11 to face off in French presidential election. Meanwhile, only five of them, leaders of election polls took part in the debates: French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, Independent centrist Emmanuel Macron, French conservative Francois Fillon, winner of the primaries of the Socialist Party, Benoit Hamon, Far-left French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon.

According to a survey conducted by the research company Elabe, together with TV channel BFMTV, Macron (29%) proved to be the most convincing. Melenchon got 20%, Le Pen – 19%, Fillon -19% and Hamon - 11%.