Although President Emanuel Macron continues to lead the polls, his main rival, Marin Le Pen, has risen in numbers and is now a real challenge to his hopes of a second term in the Elysium. If Mrs Le Pen were elected, her far-right policies would mean huge changes for France and the rest of Europe. Sky News examines how the French president is elected and how this year’s vote is shaped. How does it work; France has a semi-presidential system, which means it has both a president and a prime minister. But compared to others like him around the world, the French president has considerably more powers. They are directly elected, which means that people vote for the candidate himself – not their party. In contrast to the United Kingdom, where the party leader with the most votes becomes prime minister. The presidential vote is divided into two rounds – it will take place on April 10 and 24 this year. Any candidate with the support of 500 sponsors can participate in the first round. If a person receives more than 50% of the vote, he or she wins, but that has not happened since Charles de Gaulle was re-elected in 1965. Otherwise, only the first two candidates advance to the second round. Picture: There are 577 deputies in the French National Assembly. Photo file Whoever wins this round will become president – this year on May 13 – for a five-year term. A similar vote in two rounds will then be held for the deputies – or deputies – in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament. Because the two votes are held in the same five-year term, the president’s party almost always wins a majority of 577 seats in the National Assembly as well. But by 2002 the circles were slightly different, which meant that the president’s party sometimes failed to secure a majority, significantly reducing its power. The new president also has a duty to elect a prime minister, who will head the government, while they preside over the executive branch. Who is running? There are 12 candidates in the first round of this year’s elections, from the far right to the far left. Although Mr Macron has dominated opinion polls in the years since his election in 2017, in recent weeks, his main rival, Mr Lepen, has closed the gap. Emmanuel Macron Elected at the age of 39, Emanuel Macron is the youngest French president in history. Former member of the Socialist Party, the former investment banker created in 2016 his own center-right party La Republique En Marche (France on the move). With En Marche’s majority in the National Assembly, Mr Macron’s pro-business policies have seen a revision of France’s strictly protected labor code, nationalized railways and pension system. This brought him face to face with strong opposition from the Yellow Vests – or Gilets Jaunes – who have staged regular demonstrations throughout his presidency. He also had to deal with the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and, more recently, the war in Ukraine. Although he played a negotiating role between the two sides, some criticized him for maintaining an open dialogue with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Marin Lepen Marin Lepen, 53, was the runner-up in the 2017 elections. This will be her third attempt at the presidency. A key figure on the far right is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the French National Front and is notorious for his racist, anti-immigrant views. She took over as leader from her father in 2011 and, in an attempt to distance herself from his reputation, ousted him from the party in 2015. After losing to Macron in 2017, he renamed the National Front a National Rally. Although anti-immigrant by nature and a former supporter of Putin, Ms. Lepen was quick to announce her support for Ukrainian refugees. It has also largely focused on the cost-of-living crisis, which many believe is due to its recent rise in opinion polls. Jean-Luc Melanson The leader of the far-left party La France Insoumise – France Unbowed – Jean-Luc Melenchon is the best hope of a left-wing candidate who will reach the second round, currently third. Although it is unlikely that he will beat Ms. Le Pen, the 70-year-old is a veteran of French politics and is known for his divisive rhetoric. His policies include weaning France from nuclear power, raising the minimum wage and reducing presidential powers. Eric Zemour Eric Zemour is another far-right candidate running this year. A former columnist and television expert with convictions for inciting racial hatred, she is the most radical choice for Ms. Lepen. Strongly opposed to immigration and anti-Islam, the 63-year-old’s pro-Russian views were also a burden for him after the outbreak of war in Ukraine, with Ms. Lepen quickly disengaging from the Kremlin. Valerie Pecresse The candidate of the right, Valerie Pecresse, already holds a high political position as president of the Ile de France district of Paris. The 54-year-old is a Republican candidate – France’s main Conservative party. Many of its policies are similar to those of Mr Macron, which means that it has struggled to differentiate itself and make very large polls. Yannick Jadot Among the left-wing candidates is Yannick Jadot, a former Greenpeace activist. The 54-year-old has been a Green Member of the European Parliament, representing the constituency of Western France, since 2009. Mr Jadot had hoped to take advantage of the French Greens’ success in the local elections two years ago, but seems unlikely to vote anywhere near the second round. Anne Hidalgo The mayor of Paris, Ann Indalgo, is claiming the French socialists. Although popular in its current constituency, with the French left enjoying little success after the epic drop in François Hollande’s popularity, the 62-year-old is currently in single digits. Fabien Roussell The current leader of the French Communist Party, Fabien Roussell, has been a member of the National Assembly since 2017. The 52-year-old’s policies include raising taxes on large companies and nationalizing large banks and energy companies. Filippos Poutou A far-left candidate for the New Anti-Capitalist Party, Philippe Poutou is a former frontrunner at the Ford plant who insulted his fellow candidates in the first round of 2017 and refused to take part in a joint photo. This is the 55-year-old’s third attempt at the presidency. Nathalie Arthaud Secondary school teacher Nathalie Arthaud, 60, has also been chairing three times since 2001. A spokesman for France’s Labor Party has called for large increases in the minimum wage and a ban on job cuts. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan The only incumbent member of the far-right Debout la France – Rise Up, France, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan has previously served as mayor of the Paris suburb of Yerres. The 61-year-old’s extreme immigration policies have been largely stifled by the most popular Marin Le Pen and Eric Zemour. John Lassall The founder of his own Resistons party! focusing on agriculture, former shepherd Jean Lassalle has been an MP in the Pyrenees since 2002. Passionate about agricultural issues, he is well known and liked by many, but his political career is almost certain to remain limited to his seat in the National Assembly.
