France’s runoff election was marked by a record level of abstention, and many cast a ballot only to keep the far right from power — a testament to a growing disillusionment.
Author: Norimitsu Onishi and Constant Méheut
How Hated Is Macron? It Could Decide the French Election.
Given the choice between a president they suspect of despising ordinary people and a far-right candidate they detest, many French voters may stay home.
Macron Sets Out to Build a ‘Dam’ Against Le Pen. Can It Hold?
After Sunday’s vote, when nearly a third of ballots went to the extreme right, a united front of mainstream voters looked more precarious than ever.
How Marine Le Pen Threatens to Upend French Elections
The far-right presidential candidate has opened up about her personal life and tweaked her policies to gain sympathy and credibility among more mainstream voters.
Even Before France Votes, the French Right Is a Big Winner
The dominance of right-wing ideas in France’s presidential election campaign follows years of cultural wars waged successfully by conservatives on television, in social media and in think tanks.
Macron Goes on Defensive Over Use of McKinsey and Other Consultants
President Emmanuel Macron’s opponents have criticized the French government for paying at least a billion dollars last year to private consulting firms.
How Billionaires Are Shaping France’s Presidential Campaign
In a nation with strict political finance laws, control over the news media has provided an avenue for the very rich to influence elections, this one more than ever.
In Paris, It’s Literary Scandal Season Again
The Goncourt prize, a standard-bearer of the French novel known for its probity, has come under criticism over charges of conflict of interest after a juror voted to include her partner’s novel in a list of contenders.
France’s Ideals Are a Harder Sell Among Diverse Youth
France has long sought to create a secular, colorblind republic. But a clash between a government minister and a youth conference shows how those values are being questioned by a new generation.