Elections: Study: France in crisis before presidential election

Elections: Study: France in crisis before presidential election

Before the presidential election, a study in France indicates great electoral fatigue and disenchantment with politics. The willingness to vote for radical applicants is great.

Shortly before the presidential elections in France, a study sees the country in a political crisis.

Four-fifths of voters no longer have any confidence in the political parties and around 40 percent no longer feel connected to any movement, according to the study by the Fondapol think tank published on Friday.

35 percent may want to cast a blank ballot and 26 percent may not vote at all. Reasons for abstaining are because the candidates are considered unsuitable, because they expect the same policies regardless of the outcome of the election, or because they want to protest against the current system.

According to the study, the willingness to vote for a radical candidate has reached its highest level since the first direct presidential election in 1965. 46 percent want to choose an applicant from the extreme right or extreme left camp. This trend is even more pronounced among young voters: 54 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds want to vote for a radical. At the same time, according to the study, there is above-average support among young voters for protest movements such as the “yellow vests” or opponents of vaccination.

Noticeable jerk to the right

At the same time, a shift to the right in the electorate is observed. 46 percent want to choose an extreme right or a conservative-right candidate. In the event of a runoff election between President Emmanuel Macron, who is running for a second term, and his main right-wing challenger, Marine Le Pen, 31 percent of respondents are certain or very certain that they will vote for Le Pen.

Irrespective of this, President Macron’s work after the Corona crisis and since the outbreak of the Ukraine war has been viewed increasingly positively. From January 2020 to March 2022, the percentage of people giving it good grades has increased from 29 percent to 45 percent. In the face of the two crises, the French’s confidence in the European institutions has also increased.

According to 45 percent of those surveyed, the Ukraine war has an influence on their voting decision, 58 percent fear Russian attempts at manipulation, and 70 percent fear that the conflict will lead to a third world war.

With the economic consequences of the war becoming noticeable, purchasing power has become the absolute number one topic in the election campaign. For 59 percent, the topic is in first place, followed by migration and social inequalities, each with 24 percent.

The first ballot of the presidential election is on April 10th, the runoff on April 24th. So far, President Macron is clearly ahead, followed by Le Pen on the right and Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the left.

Source: Stern

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