Incumbent President Emmanuel Macron will be fighting for a second mandate this April. French voters are going back to the polls on April 10 and 24 for the first time in five years.
Five years ago, centrist Emmanuel Macron beat far right Marine Le Pen to secure his first mandate. Now, in the middle of a global pandemic, a war in Ukraine, he must fight to keep his seat in the Elysée Palace for another five years.
But who are the candidates that he has to face? 11 candidates from far left to the far right have thrown their hats into the ring, vying for that seat.
Here are the 12 candidates heading into round one and here is what they offer their voters.
Nathalie Arthaud – Lutte Ouvrière
Far leftist Nathalie Arthaud is throwing her hat in the presidential race ring for the third time. She identifies as a communist revolutionary and fights to overthrown capitalism. She wants to “ensure that the communist revolutionary current” has a place on the ballot this year.
To find out more about what Arthaud and the Lutte Ouvriere are vying for this year, this is their website.
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan – Debout la France
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan is running for the third time in the presidential race. In 2012 he won 1.79 percent of the vote and in 2017 4.7 percent. This rightwing politician allied with Marine Le Pen after the first round in 2017. One of Dupont-Aignan’s main political ideas is a return to a seven year mandate, instead of the current five.
Interested in reading more? Here is his website.
Anne Hidalgo – Parti Socialiste
This left wing socialist has had a little trouble starting her campaign as she was overshadowed by Jean Luc Mélanchon and Christiane Taubira, both far left contenders. In the end Taubira did not succeed in the getting the 500 signatures needed to enter the ballot.
Hidalgo has sworn that she will see the presidential race until the end. She wants a France for everyone (une France pour tous) united around the values of the Republic.
If you would like to find out more about her manifesto, here is her website.
Yannick Jadot – Europe Ecologie, Les Verts
This Green Party candidate joined the party in 1999 and worked his first presidential campaign in 2002. He won a successful bid in the European Parliament representing the west of France for Europe Ecologie in 2009. He won the party’s primary in 2017 hoping to make the presidential ballot but bowed out in favour of another.
This Green Party candidate will focus on the climate crisis, discrimination and democracy among others. He intends to make changes in the country’s climate policies.
Curious about what else he has to offer? This is his website.
Jean Lassalle – Résistons
Jean Lassalle from the Résistons party is a centrist candidate who was mayor of a small village for 40 years. He is throwing his hat in the presidential race for the second time. In 2017 he won 1.21 percent of the vote and ended up backing Emmanuel Macron.
He’s said that he wants to ‘reconstruct the State in the service of our compatriots and to bring financial power back to the public forum.’
Are you interested in finding out more? Here is his website.
Marine Le Pen – Rassemblement National
It is not the first time that Marine Le Pen is in the running for the presidency. Indeed in 2017, this right wing politician went all the way to the second round, losing with 33.9 percent of the vote. But this year Le Pen is facing off with another right wing politician Eric Zemmour. It is sure to be a fight to the finish.
Marine Le Pen is throwing her hat in the presidential race with some big measures against immigration. But not only, she wants to give France back to its people.
If you would like to read more about her manifesto.
Emmanuel Macron – La République en Marche
Incumbent Emmanuel Macron is vying to keep his seat in the Elysée Palace. In a presidency rocked with global pandemic and a war in Ukraine, this centrist president will be doing everything he can to unite France in these hard times.
He will be hoping to win back centrist voters, as well as some leftist voters. This will be a difficult feat as he has admitted he will not be able to campaign adequately as he is at the head of the European effort to find resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.
There is no doubt his campaign will be focused on foreign policy. Will he be the first president to win a second term in 20 years? We will find out soon enough. His website.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon – La France Insoumine
Mélenchon is experienced when it comes to running for the presidency. Indeed the 2022 elections are his third bid for the presidency. This far left contestant has just won fresh support from the failed campaign of Christiane Taubira. His main aim is to ‘abolish the monarchical presidency.’
Will the third time be the charm?
If you are would like to know more about his proposals for France, here is his website.
Valérie Pécresse – Les Républicains
This moderate conservative is arguably on of Macron’s biggest rivals. She is the first woman to stand for president under the Republican Party banner. This gaulliste has said that she wants to bring pride to France by restoring their military power and bringing order in the country.
Website: https://www.valeriepecresse.fr/
Philippe Poutou – Nouveau Parti Anti Capitaliste (NPA)
This left wing, blue collar worker is putting himself out for a third run at the presidency. Whilst he was the last candidate to achieve the 500 required signatures he ended up with 596 of the coveted signatures. For him the capitalist system doesn’t work. In this presidential campaign he pledges to re work the health care system as for him the two years of the global pandemic have broken down the system.
How will he fare against the other far left candidates?
Interested in learning more? Here’s his website.
Fabien Roussel – Parti Communiste Français (PCF)
In the last two elections the PCF had not entered a candidate, instead supporting the other far left candidate Jean-Luc Mélanchon. However the party is back on the ballot for the 2022 elections. He has split away from the other left candidates by focusing mainly on defence, security and immigration.
Here is his website if you would like to find out more.
Éric Zémmour – Reconquête
The final candidate to enter the race for the presidency is right wing politician Éric Zémmour. After uncertainty of whether or not he would declare himself as a candidate he finally announced his bid for the presidency in December 2021. This right wing politician is Marine Le Pen and Valérie Pecresse’s main rivals.
His manifesto focuses on giving back a voice to the people (‘Pour que les Français reprennent en main leur destin’). His other focus is on how to regulate immigration. Last, but not least, here’s his website.
Here you have it, The 12 candidates at the French presidential elections. Reminder: voters go to the polls on April 10 and 24.
The result of the election could certainly impact the European Union and us in the UK. France and the UK are close allies and neighbours. Who will be victorious?
