Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

French election: A really simple guide

French election: A really simple guide

Voters in France go to the polls in April to elect a president for the next five years.

The election is likely to go to two rounds.

Emmanuel Macron, the current president, is aiming to win a second term.

The candidates


There are 12 candidates, eight men and four women.

Of the six main contenders, three are from right of French politics and two are from the left.


Emmanuel Macron is seen as a centrist. He represents the Republic on the Move party and attracts voters from the right and left.

Marine Le Pen and Eric Zemmour are both from the far right, with Mr Zemmour seen as the most hardline.

Valérie Pécresse is standing for the more moderate, right-wing Republicans.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon is from the far-left party France Unbowed, and Yannick Jadot is standing for the Greens.

After a succession of major setbacks, France's traditional left has all but vanished from contention.

Support for the Socialist Party has collapsed since its candidate François Hollande held the presidency between 2012 and 2017.

Observers say Emmanuel Macron is likely to benefit from divisions on the left, while the right accuse him of copying their policies.

The election campaign has also been overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, and the president has played an important diplomatic role as a statesman.

How does the election system work?


The two rounds of the election will be held 14 days apart.


If, as expected, no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes in the first round on 10 April, the two candidates with the most votes will go forward to a second round, to be held on 24 April.

Whoever wins the second round will take office on 13 May.

What do the polls say?


Emmanuel Macron has had a clear and significant lead in the polls for at least six months.

That lead has grown since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Marine Le Pen is well ahead of the other candidates, while support for her far-right rival Eric Zemmour, who once said that he "admired" Vladimir Putin, has declined.


What are the big issues?


Apart from Ukraine, opinion polls suggest the biggest issues of the campaign have been the economy, immigration and security.

In January, France posted its strongest annual economic growth for half a century, bouncing back from the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic.


The overall strength of the French economy is likely to favour the Macron campaign.

France has seen unemployment fall to 7.4%, just above the average for the eurozone but close to the target set by the president when he came to power.

On immigration, official statistics suggest that in 2020 there were about 6.8 million immigrants living in France.

About a third were European, from both European Union and non-EU countries.

Overall, Algerians are the largest foreign community, followed by Moroccans and Portuguese.


Immigration has featured prominently in the campaigns of the right-wing candidates.

Mr Zemmour has pledged to implement a "zero immigration" policy if he is elected and send back 100,000 immigrants a year to Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Ms Le Pen has condemned his approach but proposed a referendum on major reductions in immigration if she becomes president.

On security, Emanuel Macron has pledged to put thousands more police on the streets, after sharp criticism from Ms Pécresse, Mr Zemmour and Ms le Pen.

Mr Macron says that crime has fallen under his presidency.

France has suffered a string of terror attacks in recent years which have strengthened the importance of security for many French voters.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
×