Thirty-five people want to be the next president of France. What could possibly go wrong?
Unless the mainstream gets its act together, next year’s election looks likely to hand the keys of the Élysée to the far right
TL;DR
- France has 35 candidates vying for the presidency, with Emmanuel Macron constitutionally barred from a third term.
- The large number of candidates from the moderate left, center, and center-right increases the risk of a far-right candidate winning, as they currently lead in polls.
- A far-right leader in Paris could paralyze EU decision-making and challenge the bloc's core principles.
- Centrist parties are divided, with multiple former prime ministers and ministers considering runs or supporting others, lacking a clear consensus candidate.
- The left is even more fragmented, with numerous potential candidates and disagreements on forming joint platforms or aligning with radical leftist figures.
- The far right faces potential challenges, such as Marine Le Pen's legal issues, but remains comfortably ahead in first-round polls.
- If mainstream parties fail to unite, the election could lead to a run-off between a far-right candidate and a radical leftist, with polling suggesting the far-right would win.
- A significant majority of French voters desire radical transformation or deep changes, but a dominant feeling is that politicians are self-interested.