Everyday from the world: President Emmanuel Macron’s opponents are content to argue with each other, as the president has no time or need to campaign, writes ‘s journalist Annastiina Heikkilä
PARIS An older woman distributes election advertisements in a square in Paris, but no one stops. People rush to get a busy and indifferent look somewhere on their faces.
The Environmental Party activist finally sighs submissively. The green presidential candidate Yannick Jadot’n election advertisements or the presidential election in general do not seem to be of interest to just now anyone.
The streets of Paris have been filled with election posters, as there are only a couple of weeks left until the first round of elections. However, there is no proper political debate.
The debate on combating climate change, public health services, unemployment and equality was buried first in the corona pandemic and then in the war in Ukraine. The end result is apathy, which is atypical in French.
It does not help that the electoral situation is not very exciting. President Emmanuel Macron is aiming for a second term and no other candidates seem to have any decent opposition to him. The incumbent president has always been a pre-election favorite, but the war in Ukraine has further strengthened his position.
According to opinion polls, about 30 percent of French people plan to vote in Macronia in the first round of the election. The others are far behind.
The second and third places in the Gallup polls are held by the far right Marine Le Pen and the radical left Jean Luc Mélenchon have, moreover, had to explain their previous sympathies with Russia. At least it hasn’t improved their positions.
President Macron doesn’t even campaign, as he has no time or need for such. Macron’s weeks have been spent negotiating the war in Ukraine and the future of Europe with other world leaders.
Macron even announced that he does not intend to take part in any election debate before the first round on April 10th. Candidates will therefore be content to argue with each other about Ukraine, Europe’s defense and curbing the rise in the cost of living.
Turnout in this election threatens to remain at a historically low level. According to recent polls, as many as one in three French people consider staying home on election day.
When you look at the Parisian square and its discouraged atmosphere, it doesn’t seem very surprising. However, I hope that the electoral fever is still raging. The President of France, when he has exceptionally strong powers and his policies, is of great importance to the whole of Europe – especially in these exceptional circumstances.