Illustration copyright AFP Image caption According to the first forecasts, Emmanuel Macron gains 65.5% of the votes
According to the first forecasts, Emmanuel Macron is gaining 65.5% of the votes in the presidential elections in France. Marine Le Pen has 34.5%.
Polling stations have closed in France.
The country's Ministry of Internal Affairs said it was 65.3%, up from 71.9% by this time in 2012, and up from 75.1% in 2007.
The candidates - former investment banker Emmanuel Macron and far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen - offered voters radically different programs.
Polling stations opened in France at 8:00 local time (6:00 GMT).
More than 50 thousand police officers provide security during elections.
Illustration copyright AFP Image caption Voter turnout in the second round fell sharply compared to previous electionsNational Front leader Marine Le Pen voted at a polling station in the small town of Henin-Beaumont near Lille in the north-west of the country.
Illustration copyright Getty Images Illustration copyright EPAThe liberal centrist Macron advocates further deregulation of the economy and supports the European Union. At the same time, Le Pen offers the French a nationalist, anti-immigration program. She wants to abandon the euro and hold a referendum on the country's membership in the EU.
Polls and observers had previously predicted Macron would win, but analysts said low turnout could significantly damage his chances.
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Despite fundamental political and ideological differences, both chose for this purpose historical places in Paris associated with the monarchical past of France. True, according to representatives of their election headquarters, there is no need to look for any subtext behind this.
Macron's rally will take place in the square in front of the Louvre, the residence of French kings until the second half of the 17th century, when Louis XIV built Versailles.
The candidate chose this location after city authorities refused to allow him to hold a rally on the Champ de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower for fear that protesters would damage the lawns.
The sight of trampled grass in the heart of the city could leave an unpleasant impression on members of the International Olympic Committee, who in just a week will come to inspect the French capital as part of its review of its bid to host the 2024 Summer Games.
The square in front of the Louvre, where the stage from which Macron will speak has already been installed, is exactly halfway between the Place de la Concorde, where Nicolas Sarkozy celebrated his victory in 2007, and the Place de la Bastille, the site of Francois Hollande's celebration in 2012.
Marine Le Pen will address supporters at the hunting pavilion of Emperor Napoleon III in the Bois de Vincennes, southeast of Paris.
The pavilion's administration disavowed any association with the ideas of the National Front, posting a statement on its website saying that Le Pen's supporters "could just as easily rent dozens of other places in France."
Of the two presidential candidates the French are voting for on Sunday, May 7, centrist Emmanuel Macron is in the lead, according to opinion polls. About 60 percent of voters are ready to vote for him. However, political scientists are not so clear in their assessments.
“Everything will depend on the turnout at the elections,” says Vivien Pertuseau, an expert at the French Institute of International Relations in Paris. If turnout is low, it could benefit right-wing populist Marine Le Pen. Unlike its competitor, it has support in the form of a well-organized political party, the National Front, which has regular voters. Macron, in turn, can only count on the votes of supporters of conservatives, social democrats and left-wing radicals, who two weeks ago, in the first round of elections, voted for other candidates.
French voters undecided
The presidential candidates who did not make it to the second round, with the exception of third-place Communist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, called on their voters to support Macron in the election. As Mélenchon explained his position, he is against Le Pen, but not for a centrist candidate. This could lead to many voters not voting for either of the two candidates in the second round, either not filling out a ballot or not going to the polls at all.
According to Vivienne Pertuseau, the party system in France has actually been turned upside down. None of the traditional political parties managed to get their candidate into the second round of the presidential election. French voters are indecisive, says Pertuso: "We are in a state of chaos. It is difficult to know which direction to go in. This reflects a completely polarized society, in which there have long been winners and losers. The latter have long been overlooked by politicians, and now they trying to change the situation."
Recently, a lot of criticism has been voiced against the French Catholic Church, which supposedly did not unconditionally support the candidacy of Emmanuel Macron. When, during the presidential elections in 2002, the father of the current contender for the post of head of state, Jean-Marie Le Pen, unexpectedly entered the second round, Catholic priests unanimously spoke out against his National Front party. Now the French Catholic newspaper La Croix is criticizing them for their weak position. Meanwhile, representatives of the Evangelical Church, Judaism and Islam distanced themselves from Marine Le Pen, who, if she wins the elections, is going to close the borders and expel Muslims from the country.
'Danger of social explosion' if Le Pen wins
During the last televised debate before voting day on Wednesday, May 3, Macron, who has liberal positions and supports the European Union, accused his rival of inciting hatred against Muslims. “The fight against terrorism should not lead us to fall into their trap. This trap is called civil war and division, which you are bringing to the country,” the centrist candidate said, addressing Le Pen.
The former leader of the National Front, who temporarily resigned after the first round to run as an independent candidate, advocates closing French borders and expelling suspected Muslims from the country. In addition, she is a supporter of France's exit from the euro zone and believes that Europe is to blame for the problems in the French economy. “We have experienced large-scale deindustrialization. We have seen a reduction in our workforce and a massive transfer of production. And today, Mr. Macron, the French are suffering because of Europe,” Le Pen countered her opponent’s accusations.
The head of the German-French Institute in Ludwigsburg, Frank Baasner, believes that if Marine Le Pen wins the election, France will face serious problems. “If, as president, she fulfills even half of her election promises, the country will instantly find itself isolated,” he noted in an interview with DW. “Take France’s exit from the EU, for example.” The expert fears that if Le Pen wins, serious unrest may begin in France: “Many are not yet ready to choose between Macron and Le Pen. And here lies a great danger of a social explosion, great discontent among the population. If Le Pen wins, this explosive will definitely go off quickly ".
West and East of France disagree
If Le Pen becomes the new president of France, Germany, as in the case of Donald Trump’s victory in the United States, will most likely take a wait-and-see approach, the expert suggests. If Macron wins the elections, Basner continues, this will mean a new round of development in German-French relations: “This will give a new impetus to the whole of Europe.”
Context
The role of France in Europe and the stalled economic reforms of recent years may serve as a decisive factor for the outcome of the presidential elections, says Vivienne Pertuseau. “There is a growing fear of globalization that defines our daily lives and which cannot be controlled,” she argues. “Commitment to the ideas of Europe plays a rather negative role, since they mean open borders, free movement of goods and freedom of choice of place of residence. This creates the impression that France is no longer the master of her destiny."
It is this supposedly lost control that Marine Le Pen promises to return to the French. According to statistics, right-wing radicals are especially strong in the north and southeast of France. These are regions with particularly high unemployment and the lowest levels of education of the population. Most of Macron's supporters, on the contrary, live in big cities, as well as in the rich western regions of the country with a highly educated population.
Without a majority in parliament
Polling stations in France will close on May 7 at 20:00 local time. Almost immediately after this, the first forecasts on the election results will appear. But whoever wins Sunday's vote, neither Macron nor Le Pen is likely to win a majority in parliament, which will hold elections in June.
After all, neither the Forward movement founded by Macron nor Le Pen’s National Front are represented in its lower house, the National Assembly. Therefore, the country's new president will have to find compromises and hope to create coalitions - and this could seriously hinder the ambitions of the new resident of the Elysee Palace.
See also:
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The French make a choice
The 2017 French presidential elections are considered decisive for the future of the entire united Europe. The first round took place on April 23. Despite concerns about possible terrorist attacks, voting day passed peacefully. Security at polling stations was provided by about 50 thousand police officers and 7000 military personnel. The country remains in a state of emergency, introduced to combat the terrorist threat.
How the French chose the president: first round
Eleven candidates
Eleven candidates took part in the elections. Of these, only four had a real chance of reaching the second round - the leader of the independent movement “Forward!” Emmanuel Macron, head of the right-wing populist National Front Marine Le Pen, Republican candidate Francois Fillon and Jean-Luc Mélenchon from Unconquered France.
How the French chose the president: first round
High voter turnout
Concerns about a possible low turnout also turned out to be unfounded. About 80 percent of France's 47 million voters took part in the vote. Long queues formed outside many polling stations, particularly in Paris but also abroad. At the French embassy in Berlin, voting participants had to wait up to two hours for their turn.
How the French chose the president: first round
Femen promotion
In the town of Henin-Beaumont, Marine Le Pen's home polling station, a protest rally by the Femen movement took place. Near the polling station where the leader of right-wing populists was voting, several half-naked girls with masks depicting Le Pen, as well as US and Russian Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, appeared. The activists had “Team Marin” written on their chests. They were detained by the police.
How the French chose the president: first round
Anti-fascist protests
In the east of Paris, a group of young anti-fascists took to the Place de la Bastille to express their dissatisfaction against the entry of French right-wing populist leader Marine Le Pen into the second round of the presidential race. The police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.
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With this, Gazeta.Ru completes the online broadcast of the second round of the presidential elections in France. Thank you for being with us. Finally, there are shots of Emmanuel Macron coming to the podium to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” to the words of Schiller. It is considered the anthem of a united Europe.
Russia has repeatedly expressed support for Macron's rival, Marine Le Pen. However, the current situation does not harm Moscow. In Europe, where Germany led by Merkel plays a decisive role (and under Macron, France will most likely only move closer to Berlin), we know what to expect. She is unlikely to advocate for a quick lifting of anti-Russian sanctions, but she will not abandon the Minsk process to overcome the conflict in Donbass.
Simultaneously with the elections in France, the next stage of regional elections in Germany also took place. At them, the Christian Democratic Union of Chancellor Angela Merkel strengthened its position and squeezed out its main competitors - the Social Democrats. This also plays into the hands of supporters of the status quo in the region.
We can say for sure that Macron’s victory will stabilize the situation in the European Union at least for a while. This is important in anticipation of new turbulent changes: after the June elections, the UK is likely to intensify its exit from the EU.
However, the head of the State Duma Commission on International Affairs commented on the results of the elections in France. He told RIA Novosti that Macron’s victory was predictable, since “to achieve such a result, all propaganda resources were deployed not only in France, but throughout Europe.” “This was a vote not for Macron, but against a possible repetition of the Brexit scenario in the Fifth Republic,” he added. The last message on his Twitter was dated March 24, with photographs of Marine Le Pen’s Moscow visit.
The Russian leadership has not yet officially commented on Emmanuel Macron’s victory in the French elections. There are no statements on this matter on the official website of the Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council of Europe President Donald Tusk also congratulated Macron. Juncker praised the “strong and progressive Europe” that the new French president pledged to defend. Tusk, in turn, called Macron’s victory a victory over “fake news.”
Carl Bildt, the former Prime Minister of Sweden and former Foreign Minister of this country, wrote on Twitter: “With only 35% of the vote, Marine Le Pen turned out to be much weaker than expected. I suspect that the Kremlin is not happy now. But what’s in the White House?”
Despite the image of one of the “prominent European Russophobes,” Bildt maintains ties with the Russian leadership. “Gazeta.Ru” in March last year that during his Moscow visit Bildt discussed the Donbass problem in the Russian presidential administration.
With only 35% Marine Le Pen is significantly weaker than expected. Somber mood in the Kremlin, I guess. And White House?
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) May 7, 2017
According to France24, among rural residents of France, 57% voted for Macron and 23% for Le Pen. Among the urban population, 72% preferred Macron and 28% preferred Le Pen.
Steffen Seibert, a German government spokesman, said Macron's victory "is a triumph for all of Europe and for the French-German alliance."
Donald Trump has finally spoken out. On Twitter, the US president congratulated Macron on his “great victory” and said he couldn’t wait to work with the leader of the Forward movement.
Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on his big win today as the next President of France. I look very much forward to working with him!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2017
Emmanuel Macron paid attention to the National Front in his acceptance speech. “I salute my rival Marine Le Pen, I understand why people came out to vote for the far-right party,” he said. “I understand the mistrust and fear they express. “I consider it my responsibility to respond to these concerns and ensure our unity and responsibility to the country.” All this will happen through improved democracy and pluralism. Le Pen's followers are unlikely to be satisfied with these promises.
Marine Le Pen has promised to change the name of the National Front and carry out a “deep restructuring” of her movement after her election defeat. This is necessary for the NF to meet the needs of the country, explained the leader of the nationalists.
Meanwhile, skeptics are already calling on fellow citizens to prepare for the complete servility of the new French president to the main force of the European Union - Germany.
The Elysee Palace published a photo report of how French President Francois Hollande and his team greeted the news of Macron's victory. Representatives of Hollande's administration watched the television together, applauded, and later Hollande went into his office, from where he called the new French leader, raised his thumb up and congratulated him on his victory.
However, if Macron really represents the interests of the European establishment, he is unlikely to understand Kyiv’s calls to include the United States in this format. The logic of the current policy of the European Union is to preserve the Minsk negotiation process in its original form, European diplomatic sources previously told Gazeta.Ru.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tweeted four messages welcoming Macron's victory. Two of them are in Ukrainian, two are in French. The couples duplicated each other. One congratulated Macron on his victory and noted the “solid credibility of the United Europe.” In the second message, Poroshenko expressed hope for the activation of the “Normandy format”.
Against this background, some Twitter users have new hopes: “to give Theresa May a ride on June 8 and make the world a better place.” The British Prime Minister decided to hold early parliamentary elections in order to gain additional support from the population and, without a twinge of conscience, withdraw the country from the EU. Donald Trump is also in the photo. But, by this logic, there seems to be little that can be done about it, at least within the framework of the US legal and political system.
An interesting detail. At the ceremony in support of Macron, journalists noticed representatives of the Syrian opposition. If so, I wonder how radical they are considered in Russia?
Marine Le Pen admitted defeat. She told her associates that she called Emmanuel Macron and congratulated him on his victory.
Marine Le Pen issued a statement in which she called the result historic for France and called on all patriots of her homeland to join her in the decisive battle, part of which everyone could see today. It is obvious that the NF has big plans for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Also noteworthy is the record low turnout for the second round of elections and the huge number of empty or spoiled ballots - about 12%.
Le Pen's result, however, is significant for France. More than a third of the population preferred a candidate with a strong nationalist position. It is obvious that the issues of assimilation of the ethnically non-French population and relations with the European Union require urgent decisions from the winner.
France-Presse reports that Macron and Le Pen spoke briefly but cordially by phone. Clearly, Le Pen has admitted defeat.
Emmanuel Macron is elected President of France. According to Ipsos, 65.1% of voters voted for him.
Bloomberg also announced that he would not come to the headquarters of the National Front. Marine Le Pen is now in a serious row with journalists.
The atmosphere at the Louvre, where Emmanuel Macron will speak, through the eyes of a Le Monde correspondent. There are 10 minutes left before the first exit poll results can be announced.
Thus, 25.3%, according to the research agency Ipsos, did not come to the polling stations. This is the worst result for the second round since 1969, when Georges Pompidou won the election after the resignation of Charles De Gaulle. Due to the inertia of the events of 1968, the protest electorate then chose to ignore the political system.
There is data on turnout for 7 p.m. It is 74.7%.
Meanwhile, most polling stations in France are already closed. Sites in big cities are still operating.
Among those who were denied registration at Le Pen’s headquarters are Donald Trump’s “favorite” publication Buzzfeed, as well as the influential Politico. Le Monde and La Liberation refused to participate in the coverage of the evening's NF event.
At the same time, another scandal is gaining momentum. Le Pen's headquarters refused accreditation to several small, mostly left-wing publications for the evening meeting. Now, as a sign of protest (and anticipating the defeat of the NF), major publications refuse to send their correspondents to the event.
Meanwhile, supporters of Emmanuel Macron are moving towards the Louvre, where he will celebrate a victory that, it seems, no one doubts. A Le Monde correspondent mingled among the crowd:
“Macron’s good result is explained by three factors,” added Gazeta.Ru’s interlocutor. — First, Marine Le Pen made two mistakes: she was not conservative enough in the economy and talked about leaving the eurozone. This scared off older voters. Besides, she wasn't religious enough." “The second factor is that Fillon made two mistakes: he was not scrupulous enough in matters of personal finance, and he also criticized the National Front unnecessarily,” says Ivan Blo. — Third factor: Macron is the leader of the new social democratic line, which is built according to the new French sociology. The old Socialist Party was not guided by these principles, but more or less adhered to Marxist ideology."
“Macron was an adviser and then finance minister to President Francois Hollande. Macron's policy will be the same. However, he will not have such obstacles in economic policy, since the old Socialist Party is almost dead (Socialist candidate Benoit Hamon received only 6% in the first round),” Ivan Blo, personal adviser to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, told Gazeta.Ru. , Professor of Economics at the University of Nice - Sophia Antipolis and member of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
Meanwhile, AFP reports, citing its sources, that the Paris prosecutor on Friday evening ordered the opening of an investigation into the hacking of emails of Macron's headquarters employees. The investigation will be carried out by a special unit for combating crimes in the IT sector.
A member of one of the commissions wears an Underwood 2016 T-shirt. These were worn by supporters of the hero Kevin Spacey from the TV series House of cards. The official account of the series even retweeted this photo. Frank for President!
According to the same data, at French polling stations in the USA and Canada this is the distribution of votes:
New York: Macron - 94.7%, Le Pen - 5.3% Chicago and Midwest: Macron - 92%, Le Pen - 8% Boston: Macron 95.7%, Le Pen - 4.3% Ottawa and Montreal: Macron - 90%, Le Pen - 10%
The German magazine Bild reports on the voting results in the French overseas territories. Among them:
Guadeloupe: Macron - 75.1%, Le Pen - 24.9% Martinique: Macron - 77.5%, Le Pen - 22.5% Guiana: Macron - 65%, Le Pen - 35%
BFMTV reports that the final turnout in the second round of the presidential election could be about 74%.
This is what the square in front of the Louvre looks like, where Macron will give a speech following the election results. After reports of a suspicious package in one of the tents at the headquarters of the Forward! movement, sappers checked the area and announced that it was safe to hold the event.
There are about two hours left before the polls close. Some French people are worried. Journalists at Gazeta.Ru understand them. They remembered well how the results of the American presidential election were calculated. At first, everything developed according to the expected scenario: Hillary Clinton led, although not with a very large margin over Donald Trump. But after a couple of hours the situation began to change, and dramatically.
New turnout data has arrived. This is 65.3% - lower than during the first round.
Infographic on how the National Front has gained more electoral support since 2002. The peak of popularity was in 2015. Now, however, Le Pen and her party also feel quite confident.
Two Belgian media outlets at once - the Le Soir newspaper and the RTBF television channel - reported that Macron is confidently leading in the presidential race. According to sources in French sociological services, at the moment between 60 and 64% of voters supported him.
Nice French tradition. In some voting halls there is a special ballot box into which voters can throw a crumpled (or torn, or in any other form) ballot of the candidate for whom they did not vote. Apparently, for psychological relief.
One of the main points of conflict between Le Pen and Macron is France’s status as a member of the single European Union. The nationalist leader promises to withdraw France from the EU. Macron believes that it is necessary to remain, but certain changes need to be made in the system of relations between Paris and Brussels. France's exit from the EU guarantees a grave crisis in Europe's political system. However, some believe that this will ultimately help Europe itself. In the meantime, opponents of this scenario present a variety of arguments, including rather clumsy ones. Below is an infographic that shows that after France joined the EU, the country has never participated in wars. This is a rather controversial statement, given that French aircraft also carry out strikes on Syrian territory.
According to the Belgian publication Le Soir, the majority of voters in French overseas departments and territories voted for Macron. In France itself, it is prohibited to publish data from exit polls (preliminary unofficial results based on a survey of people leaving polling stations) or other polls on election day and before the official results are announced.
An even more touching call to vote appeared on the Instagram of Carla Bruni, the wife of Nicolas Sarkozy. She posted a video of a girl (presumably Julia, Bruni's six-year-old daughter with the former French president) drawing a French flag. Bruni herself, who is filming the video, quietly and tenderly sings along to “La Marseillaise.” It’s immediately clear that Bruni is no stranger to politics and show business.
French cosmonaut Thomas Pesquet calls on all citizens to go to the polling stations and vote. He himself issued a power of attorney for absentee voting.
OK faisons une petite pause dans les photos: n"oubliez pas d"aller voter auj - moi j"ai fait ma procuration, alors pas d"excuse! ;) #Avote
— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) May 7, 2017
The evacuation of Macron’s headquarters has been stopped, everyone is returning to their places - a Le Monde correspondent reports this.
All the most prominent politicians have voted, the majority of citizens are just deciding. Now is just the right moment to remember all the vicissitudes of the campaign, reflected in We were especially successful with Marianne in a construction helmet and with a tattoo of a hammer and sickle - this is how the artists saw Mélenchon’s victory.
According to European media, in one of the tents of Macron’s headquarters, a police dog discovered a suspicious object that looked like a battery from a video camera. The Louvre and its surrounding areas have been under intense police surveillance in recent weeks. In February, a man with a machete attacked a military patrol here.
What does the low turnout mean about Le Pen's increasing chances, since her electorate is always more mobilized and disciplined. The publication also emphasizes that even if he loses, the relatively high result of the nationalist leader will mean a growing public demand for tightening migration policy and weakening ties with the European Union. A request that Macron will have a hard time ignoring.
A little scary in appearance, but a clear infographic on how votes for Macron (yellow) and Le Pen (gray) are distributed across the regions of France. The point is that the candidate from the Forward! they vote in large cities, and for the leader of the National Front in the periphery.
Politico draws attention to the fact that Macron’s predicted victory will not be the end of the campaign for him, but only the beginning of a new battle. In six weeks, France will hold parliamentary elections, and if the new president fails to win the support of a majority of deputies, he will not be able to appoint a prime minister and will spend his entire presidential term with predominantly formal powers. Macron still does not have his own party - “Forward!” is still positioned as a social movement. In addition, everyone who supported him in one way or another in the second round - the socialists, the republicans and Mélenchon's far left - will try to win back points from him. The same, of course, applies to Le Pen’s National Front.
Macron also gets his due from National Front supporters. Macron is considered too young (only 39 years old), too unprincipled (his “Forward!” movement positions itself as neither left nor right, but does not provide a sane alternative) and too dependent on the protege of the European establishment.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front and father of Marine Le Pen, meanwhile gave an interview to The Sunday Times the day before. It added some melodramatic notes to the National Front campaign. Jean-Marie, who was expelled from the party for making too racist statements (not without the approval of Marine Le Pen, who had already headed the FN), now claims that his daughter does not have presidential qualities. But her grandfather praised his granddaughter, 22-year-old Marion, and said that she was just a future president - all she had to do was grow up a little.
Unlike his party colleague, Francois Fillon is likely to leave politics. He decided not to go to the polling station and voted by mail.
Nicolas Sarkozy, the former President of France and one of the leaders of the Republicans party, also voted in the elections. He lost to Francois Fillon in the primaries and is apparently keen to continue his political career. Unlike Fillon's wife Penelope, who is accused of financial fraud, Sarkozy's wife is loved by many French people. This is Carla Bruni - singer, actress and simply beautiful.
At 12 o'clock (French time), the turnout was 28.23%, reports the Republic's Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 2012 at the same time it was at the level of 30.66%, and in 2007 - 34.11%.
The fact that Macron is a populist has become commonplace in the French expert community. However, now, during the second round of elections, it is especially felt that the leader of the “Forward!” uses political technologies that led to the success of Barack Obama nine years ago. He became the President of the United States because he was able to rally around himself the youth and non-white population of the United States, who were sharply opposed to the Republicans with their conservative rhetoric and the image of xenophobes.
As a result, the authorities have to resort to various tricks to lure people to vote. In Paris, for example, upon presentation of a voter card with a vote stamp, you can visit the Pantheon for free and look at the graves of the great people of France.
The French make a strange choice. Macron's contradictions as a politician and the fact that he is supported by such different forces make him viewed with great mistrust. Le Pen and her aggressive rhetoric also, in turn, alienate voters. As a result, according to experts, record low turnout is expected in the 2017 elections.
Le Pen is hot on the heels of her rival, at least in terms of voting time. She threw her ballot into the box within minutes of Ambassador Macron - in the Henin-Beaumont district.
Pascal Rossignol/REUTERS
French media report that Emmanuel Macron and his wife arrived at the polling station and voted. According to recent opinion polls, the leader of the “Forward!” movement ahead of Le Pen.
French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron votes at a polling station in Le Touquet in the second round of the presidential election, May 7, 2017.
French presidential elections take place every 5 years. The new order has been in force since 1962, when the constitution of the Fifth Republic was adopted. This document established direct voting. The president can be re-elected. To win in the first round, you must receive an absolute majority of votes. Otherwise, the two leaders advance to the second round of voting.
How are elections held in France?
French presidential elections are held for all citizens over 18 years of age. The only condition is that they must not be limited in their civil or political rights.
A French citizen who is 23 years old has the right to apply for the position of head of state. In order to register, he needs to collect 500 electoral signatures. These include members of parliament, general councils, and territorial assemblies. Moreover, the electors must represent at least 30 departments or overseas territories of France.
If it was not possible to choose a president in the first round, a second one is appointed. In it, the winner is determined by a simple majority of votes.
Announcement of elections
Parliament has the power to call elections for the President of France. This is done after the expiration of the 5-year term of office of the current head of state.
In addition, there are cases in which early elections may be announced. This is the death of the president, the voluntary resignation of the head of state, the removal of the president from office as a result of impeachment. In all these cases, until a new senior official is elected, the duties of the President will be temporarily served by the Speaker of the Senate. However, he has a limited list of presidential powers. For example, it does not have the right to dissolve parliament, propose constitutional changes, or hold referendums.
Powers of the President
The key powers possessed by the President of France are determined by the relevant article of the Constitution. The president is obliged to monitor compliance with the constitution and ensure the normal functioning of public authorities. He is the guarantor of the independence and integrity of the country’s territory and monitors the implementation of international treaties.
Interesting fact: the President of France is also one of the princes of Andorra. This is a dwarf state located on the border of France and Spain. The second monarch of this principality is the Spanish Bishop of Urgell.
The powers of the head of state in France can be divided into two categories. The first is personal powers. These include those that do not require parliamentary approval.
This is the appointment of a referendum, members of the constitutional council, speeches to parliament, the use of emergency powers to overcome the crisis.
The second group is powers that require parliamentary approval. Firstly, there are personnel changes, including the appointment of a prime minister and the formation of a cabinet of ministers. Secondly, the signing of decrees adopted by the Council of Ministers, the convening of extraordinary sessions of parliament, resolving issues of defense and international relations, the right to pardon.
President-centric model
The president-centric model of governing France, as it is often called by analysts, was created by Charles Do Gaulle and his close associate Michel Debreu.
With this model, the relationship between the president and the speaker of parliament is built strictly according to the formula formulated by de Gaulle himself, who did not go into details of government work, but only determined the main directions of development.
Over time, this model evolved, including under the influence of constitutional reforms. Today, powers are distributed more flexibly, and the political responsibility of the highest bodies of state power is as high as possible.
2017 elections
The next French presidential elections will take place in 2017. Voting will take place on April 23. The French will elect the President of the Fifth Republic for the 11th time. The previous head of state, Francois Hollande, who has led the country since 2012, decided not to run for a second term. After his term of office expires, he will end his political career.
The date of the French presidential election was determined by parliament. If it is not possible to identify a winner in the first round, the second round will take place on May 7.
Start of the election campaign
In fact, the election campaign started three years before the vote. Already at that time, the three main political parties nominated candidates who should lead the fight. True, a lot has changed since then.
The Socialist Party nominated the current President, François Hollande. He announced the withdrawal of his candidacy in 2016.
From the Republicans, Nikolai Sarkozy, who had already led France from 2007 to 2012, was vying for the role of the main candidate. However, in the primaries he lost to his party comrade François Fillon.
Marine Le Pen expressed her decision to run for president from the National Front party. She continues to fight today. On her initiative, thematic platforms were held in which politicians sought to find out what problems needed to be solved first. Issues related to industry, social sphere, youth policy and ecology were discussed.
Presidential campaign leaders
At the moment, a list of participants who will run in the French presidential elections has already been formed. Candidates each actively conduct their campaigns, trying to gain the support of as many supporters as possible.
Currently, 11 candidates have collected the required 500 electoral signatures. However, most experts agree that the main struggle will take place between five politicians.
Traditionally, it is expected that many French people will come to the French presidential elections. Many analysts are now trying to make a forecast. Many of them give the palm to Republican Francois Fillon. In the early 2000s, he was Minister of Labor and served as Prime Minister under Nicolas Sarkozy. After Georges Pompidou, he is the second longest-serving speaker of parliament.
He had a good chance of success, but lately his presidential campaign has been plagued by scandals. Recently, journalists found out that his wife was fictitiously employed and received wages.
Another candidate is the leader of the Forward! Emmanuel Macron. A former investment banker, he has served as Minister of Economy in the French government since 2014. He resigned shortly before the official start of the election campaign. Macron published the program "Revolution", which became a bestseller for ordinary voters.
Marine Le Pen will lead the National Front party in the French presidential elections. This politician's rating has traditionally been low. However, her chances of success have increased significantly in recent years, as she and her supporters propose strong and drastic measures that could help solve the problem of illegal migrants. Le Pen is the daughter of the famous French nationalist politician Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is known, for example, for his friendship with the leader of the Russian National Bolsheviks Eduard Limonov.
In 2012, Marine Le Pen already participated in the presidential elections. Then she received just under 18% of the vote, finishing third, behind Hollande and Sarkozy.
Another strong candidate is represented by the Socialist Party. This is Benoit Hamon. In the internal party primaries, he defeated Manuel Valls, who was considered the leader of the French socialists. Amon's program is built on the interests of the working class, civil liberties and environmental protection.
The Rebellious France party is represented by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. He is a journalist, in the early 2000s he headed the Ministry of Specialized Education. In 2012, he already ran for the post of head of state. Received a little more than 11% of the votes, finishing in 4th place.
Outsider candidates
On the day when the French presidential elections take place, which will be April 23, about 80% of the French are waiting at the polling stations. This is exactly what the turnout was like in the previous presidential elections.
The remaining candidates in the campaign can hardly count on success, but each of them can bring a surprise.
The French presidential election system is such that 6 more candidates for the highest government post will also take part in the first round. This is Nathalie Artaud from the Workers' Party, Philippe Poutou from the Anti-Capitalists Party, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan from the Raise France Party, Jacques Cheminade from Solidarity and Progress, the representative of the National Republican Union François Asselineau and Jean Lassalle - candidate from the Democratic Movement.
Hard fight
When the presidential elections take place, France will have a day off - this is Sunday. So the maximum number of citizens have the opportunity to take part in voting.
Judging by the pre-election fight and past voting, the fight is expected to be tough. In 2012, the French were unable to elect a president in the first round. Then the current president at that time, Nicolas Sarkozy, received 27% of the votes in the first round, and Francois Hollande received a little more than 28.5%.
In the second round, the minimal advantage between the candidates remained. Hollande won with less than 52% of the vote. Sarkozy scored almost 48.5%.
Today, perhaps a historic vote awaits - the first round of elections in France will take place on Sunday, April 23. According to analysts, Emmanuel Macron, the leader of the independent movement “On the March” and “Forward”, as well as the head of the National Front, Marine Le Pen, will enter the second round.
Note that the latter is often compared to Trump; both of them are known for their populist statements and promises. The Russian authorities are very interested in Le Pen and she does not hide it. The head of the National Front has begged Russian banks for money for her election campaign in the past, and French journalists suggest she may receive it in the future.
The Russian media only hears about Marine Le Pen, since the Kremlin put its money on this candidate. However, when the elections began to approach, statements in the Kremlin media became more cautious, because the victory of the radical was no longer obvious, but even vice versa.
This is the most unpredictable French presidential election in recent years. 11 candidates are taking part in the elections. Only six out of ten French people have decided who to vote for. European capitals are keeping a close eye on France as the future of the EU is at stake.
FrekZit could prove fatal for the EU. The head of the National Front movement believes that after the victory of Trump and Brexit, its victory will be inevitable. Analysts say that if this happens the EU will be destroyed within a year. In Italy, the right is already expecting success from Marine le Pen; they expect that this will boost their ratings in the country.
Macron's campaign complains that thousands of cyberattacks are aimed at their party's servers, and by incredible coincidence, they all lead to Russia. Vladimir Putin is counting on Le Pen to win as it would deal a fatal blow to the European Union.
However, the Linkfluence company found out that not only from Russia are they trying to influence the outcome of the elections in France, but also from English-speaking users. More than 20% of messages on the Internet relate in one way or another to Marine Le Pen. But other candidates have only 5% at most. The majority of support for the right-wing radical comes from Trump supporters.
Second round of French presidential elections on May 7. There may still be quite a few surprises and unexpected turns in the end. Perhaps this was the dirtiest presidential campaign in France; of course, it could not have happened without the Russians.
Preliminary results of the first round of the French presidential election are expected at 21:00 Paris time. Expected turnout is 80%.
According to the latest poll results, Macron comes first with 24.5% of the vote, Marine Le Pen is second, with 23% ready to vote for her, Francois Fillon and Jean-Luc Mélenchon are third, with 19% each.
