On Monday, the incumbent president complained that his rival's "questioning of European law is an old French disease". The first round of the 2022 French presidential election will be held on 10 April 2022. The incumbent president Macron won the 2017 election and his current term lasts until 13 May 2022.

       The election will be held just before the 2022 legislative election and Mr Macron has pitted himself against opponents such as Valerie Pecresse and Michel Barnier.

       In a televised debate at Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, on the outskirts of Poitiers Mr Macron said: "I am astonished, to say the least, to see that as soon as there is a problem we return to this old French disease which consists in saying, it is Europe, signed, then ratified sovereignly."

       "What is this? We have to defend them.

       "Our justice system has long been built on the dialogue between judges at the European level.

       "This dialogue has accompanied the political construction of the EU.

       It actually preceded it."

       Mr Macron then referred to the European Convention on Human Rights and said that it was a "fundamental tool for defending human rights".

       The president said that European humanism "must be defended".

       READ MORE: Beaune breaks away from EU talks to threaten UK

       He insisted: "A democracy where mistrust is allowed to take hold, where justice is attacked, is a democracy that undermines its own foundations."

       The French president warned the other candidates to think again before questioning the primacy of European law.

       The warning comes against a backdrop of tensions between the European Commission and Poland.

       Recently the Polish Constitutional Tribunal challenged the principle of EU legal supremacy.

       DON'T MISS

       Macron fumes over Boris Johnson's Brexit stance [INSIGHT]

       Jersey mocks France power cut claim in tense fishing battle [REVEAL]

       Macron 'blinded by his Eurofanaticism' – Paris must break away from EU [COMMENT]

       The tribunal has ruled that some EU laws are in conflict with the country’s constitution.

       The Polish court ruled that EU institutions had acted "beyond the scope of their competencies”.

       The European Commission, EC, reacted saying that it had raised “serious concerns”.

       The EC then reaffirmed that “EU law has primacy over national law, including constitutional provisions”.

       Additional reporting from Maria Ortega.