French presidential election, 2022

[Frodo]

Pecresse elected with 61 % (and 69K votes). No surprise. Good result for Ciotti.

I see that French conservatives have chosen to go the Anti-Federalist route with regard to the European Union:

Macron's presidential challenger Pecresse would say 'non' to federal EU

I wonder if they are keen readers of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers that debated back and forth over our Constitution.  

[Frodo]

Trickle-down in drips and drops: The French economy after five years under Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron finally hit the campaign trail in March, vying for re-election after a crisis-laden five years for France, Europe and the world beyond. After poring over Macron's record on foreign affairs last week, FRANCE 24 now takes a look at how the centrist has measured up on economics over the course of his tenure.

To listen to Macron's supporters, the economy is where the incumbent's record shines brightest. The French economy's attractiveness to business, its competitiveness, its performances on growth, employment and purchasing power – it's all coming up roses, Macron told French voters in an open letter on March 3 declaring his bid to seek a second term in April.

How close to reality does that campaign pitch run? As is often the case in economics, it all depends on one's perspective. Macron won office in 2017 with an overarching economic objective: to "liberate work and the spirit of enterprise", as his platform pledged, in order to encourage growth, reduce unemployment and boost French consumers' purchasing power.

To get there, Macron – a former investment banker who had served as economy minister under Socialist president François Hollande – promised deep economic reforms, to effect concrete change within France and to transform foreign investors' perceptions of the country's economy.

[Frodo]

French far-right leader Le Pen softens image for election
French nationalist Marine Le Pen has softened her rhetoric and her image as she tries to unseat centrist President Emmanuel Macron in the upcoming election, taking place in two rounds on April 10 and 24

[Frodo]

Let's keep in mind that in still (IMHO) unlikely event that Lepen were to win the run-off, its very questionable whether she would get the usual win for her party in the legislative elections. In fact we could have a situation where she could be president and her party might still have very little representation in the assembly meaning there would have to be "co-habitation" with a PM and government entirely made up of people from other parties...

So we shouldn't worry about France leaving the European Union and/or NATO, or about Marine Le Pen undercutting European efforts to contain Vladimir Putin?  

Marine Le Pen could bring ‘more chaos than Trump’, warns Andrew Neil - ‘Destabilising’

[Frodo]

Jacobin (of course) has its take on the recent election:

France’s Election Shows How the Neoliberalized Left Has Collapsed

[Frodo]

Marine Le Pen kindly shows us how horrible her foreign policy is going to be if she ever becomes President of France:

France's Le Pen outlines foreign policy vision, leaving Russia door ajar

[Frodo]

EU seeks recovery of funds from French candidate Le Pen: Report
A European Union anti-fraud agency report alleges that Marine Le Pen misappropriated public money while she was a member of the European Parliament (MEP).

[Frodo]

Assuming that this is Marine Le Pen's last roll of the dice, I suppose that by the 2027 election, her niece Marion Maréchal will be the new standard bearer of the National Rally. 

[Frodo]

Assuming that this is Marine Le Pen's last roll of the dice, I suppose that by the 2027 election, her niece Marion Maréchal will be the new standard bearer of the National Rally. 

She’s no longer in the party, she joined Zemmour at the start of the year.

Things change, she could always rejoin them once her aunt is no longer in the picture. 

[Frodo]

Assuming that this is Marine Le Pen's last roll of the dice, I suppose that by the 2027 election, her niece Marion Maréchal will be the new standard bearer of the National Rally.  

She’s no longer in the party, she joined Zemmour at the start of the year.

Things change, she could always rejoin them once her aunt is no longer in the picture.  

Maybe, but it seems unlikely Marine Le Pen (who shafted her own father) would stand down if she thought there was the slightest chance that her treacherous niece would take over - and either get the glory of being president or ruin all of Marine’s hard work of detoxifying the party.

Unless her party pushes her out as a three-time (or six, if you want to separate the election rounds) loser.