The French presidential elections are sizing up to be an unpredictable but consequential battle in which a far-right populist win could herald the collapse of the E.U. The four main candidates are now finalized ahead of a first round of voting on April 23, followed by a May 7 runoff. Here’s who’s in the running.
FRANÇOIS FILLONT
He center-right candidate for Les Républicains is a free-market evangelist who wants Russian sanctions lifted and takes a hard-line stance on immigration and Islamic terrorism. He was leading inpolls until becoming engulfed in a scandal over claims he paid public funds to his wife. He denies the allegations, but the party is said to be eyeing replacements.
MARINE LE PEN
The far right National Front leader is staunchly anti-immigration, vowing to cut admissions by 95%. She promises to dismantle France’s relationship with the E.U. and seek closer ties with Russia, and sees her selfand U.S. President Donald Trump as part of a global anti establishment movement. A Feb. 1 poll by Elabehas her leading the first round.
BENOÎT HAMON
The socalled Gallic Bernie Sanders won the Socialist Party primary on Jan. 29 on an anti capitalist, anti globalist platform. The radical left-winger wants to introduce a universal basic income and a tax on industrial robots, and reduce the workweek to 32 hours. But he might pay the price of the deeply unpopular rule of out going Socialist President François Hollande.
EMMANUEL MACRON
The pro-E.U.politician was once Hollande’s protégé and is running as an independent under his own organization, En Marche! (On the Move!). Hamon’s candidacy, which has divided Socialists, has allowed Macron to stake out the center ground, and the Elabe poll predicts he will beat Le Pen in the runoff. But he has yet to set out detailed policies.
