The French Election in 30 Seconds
Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you’ve probably heard that Emmanuel Macron will become the twenty fifth French President on the May 14. We’ve compiled a quick, easy walkthrough of what you need to know to trick your friends into thinking you're politically informed.
What is the role of the French President?
The French President is the Head of the State. Unlike New Zealand, France is a Republic. The
President has significant say over national security and foreign policy. The President heads the
Executive branch, which controls organisations such as the police. The most important role of the President is appointing the French Prime Minister.
Who were the contenders?
For the first time since the 1950s, the representatives from the two major parties in French politics were not the dominant contenders. This is similar to the idea of National or Labour not winning enough votes to form a government in New Zealand.
One contender and the eventual winner, Emmanuel Macron, had never run for public office before. Macron ran on a centrist platform, advocating for cutting public spending and deeper European integration. He is considered economically conservative and relatively socially liberal.
In contrast, Marine Le Pen used to head the far right National Front party. She advocated for leaving the EU and strongly opposed immigration. She also took a hard line on national security issues.
Why does the world care about France’s Election?
Firstly, this election was highly unusual in that both contenders were from minor political parties. However, the predominate interest in the French election rests on the precedents set by Brexit and the election of President Trump. Recently, many Western Countries have swung right and adopted populist ‘alt-right’ policy, like that of Marine Le Pen. Many people watched the election with baited breath with fears that if Le Pen won, France could leave the EU, or take a harder stance on the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Macron’s decisive win indicates that French voters want a moderate leader, and also wish to stay a part of the European Union.
