Five candidates for the French Socialist Party's primary faced off in their first televised debate on Wednesday evening, addressing a range of issues including potential alliances with La France insoumise (LFI), the situation in Gaza, and measures to address the cost of living crisis. The candidates showed both convergences and deep fractures on key topics. The debate offered a glimpse into the internal dynamics of the Socialist Party as it seeks to define its platform ahead of the presidential election. On the issue of potential alliances with LFI, a clear divide emerged. Jérôme Guedj criticized the idea of an alliance with LFI, calling it a form of "submission" to Jean-Luc Mélenchon's movement, while Raphaël Glucksmann explicitly ruled out any agreement with LFI for both the presidential and legislative elections. Olivier Faure, the first secretary of the Socialist Party, argued for maintaining parliamentary cooperation with LFI, noting that socialists currently vote with LFI 80% of the time. Emmanuel Maurel and Ségolène Royal also rejected centering their strategy around Mélenchon, though Maurel acknowledged problems with LFI and rejected the idea of aligning with the right. On the issue of fuel prices and the cost of living crisis, the candidates largely agreed on the need for urgent measures, including targeted support for households and the electrification of transport. However, Ségolène Royal proposed a price cap on gasoline at 1.70 euros per liter for all French citizens, inspired by the Spanish model, while Glucksmann and Faure advocated for a "tripled" energy check for lower-income households. All candidates criticized Total for its profits, with Faure calling for a tax on the company and Glucksmann emphasizing the need to challenge major fossil fuel interests for the sake of the ecological transition. The debate on Ukraine highlighted differing approaches. Glucksmann took the most confrontational stance, advocating for increased military support and the protection of Ukrainian airspace. He compared the situation to the conflict with Iran and suggested a similar approach to protect European interests. Ségolène Royal, in contrast, emphasized diplomacy and negotiation, arguing for a balance between military strength and diplomatic efforts. This led to a heated exchange between Royal and Glucksmann, with Royal accusing Glucksmann of wanting to go to Moscow, to which Glucksmann responded with a sarcastic remark about being confused with Napoleon. On the situation in Gaza, the candidates had a semantic debate over the term "genocide." Olivier Faure and Ségolène Royal both used the term to describe the situation in Gaza, arguing that naming the issue is the first step to addressing it. Jérôme Guedj and Raphaël Glucksmann rejected the term, accusing Royal of "essentializing" the Jewish community and making an "injunction" against them. Glucksmann emphasized that the focus should be on actions rather than words, while Royal insisted that recognizing the genocide was crucial if words were important. On the issue of wages and the purchasing power of workers, the candidates agreed that work no longer pays sufficiently for many French people. However, they differed on solutions. Emmanuel Maurel focused on increasing wages and redistribution, including raising the minimum wage and indexing salaries to inflation. Ségolène Royal and Olivier Faure proposed a "salary conference" after the presidential election to revise corporate aid and link it to wage policies. Glucksmann proposed taxing large inheritances to raise 15 billion euros annually, which would be used to reduce the CSG and increase monthly wages by 200 euros. Jérôme Guedj argued for limiting corporate aid when employees remain on the minimum wage for too long. On the issue of public debt, all candidates rejected the idea of canceling the debt, even partially. Ségolène Royal emphasized the need to avoid default, which would further weaken France, and called for reducing unjustified corporate subsidies and reforming the state's operations. Glucksmann argued that the debt was primarily a result of the deindustrialization of France and called for increased domestic production to reduce financial dependence. Olivier Faure preferred more concrete and achievable measures over the radical approach of canceling the debt, emphasizing tax revenues as the key to balancing public finances. Emmanuel Maurel also opposed debt cancellation, criticizing the European Central Bank's policies and calling for increased tax revenues and economic relaunch. The primary campaign will continue with a second debate scheduled for October 1, followed by the first round of voting on October 9 and 10, with a potential second round on October 16 and 17.