I made a terrible mistake yesterday. That mistake was clicking on the #FrenchElection hashtag on Twitter. On Sunday, France held the first round in their presidential elections, wherein the top two vote-receiving candidates will now go to a final run-off election in May. To no surprise, Marine le Pen and Emmanuel Macron “won” the first round. Both Macron and le Pen were leading in the polls and they tended to be neck-in-neck around 22-23% in polling throughout the past week. While the numbers are still coming in, it looks like Macron ended up winning more actual votes than le Pen, who came in around 22%.
As the votes were still coming in, the other candidates (in large part) used their concession speeches to throw their support behind Macron, the center-left/independent candidate. Better an independent dealmaker than a far-right fascist, racist and anti-Semite, that’s what the consensus seemed to be among the old-guard French political establishment. While Macron has moved to the center in the past few months, many in France are remarking on the utter collapse of center-right and center-left politics and political parties in their country. And there’s good news: in early polling for a head-to-head match-up for Macron vs. le Pen, Macron is trouncing her by more than 20 points.
All of this is good news, basically. France is not telling America to hold their beer while they too elect a fascist nutjob. While it’s bothersome that le Pen got more than 20% in the first round of the election, French voters seemed to really watch and care about what happened in the Brexit vote and the American presidential election, and they came out to vote against fascism. While I’m still worried about the next two weeks in France, I honestly believe that sane people will do the right thing, despite all of the Russian bots and English-language tweets directed at the French people, using dog-whistle terms like “globalist” and “Rothschild banker.” Yeah, we f–king see you.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
I hope Macron wins. There are many people who say “of course he’ll win” but the polls also said Hillary would win and that Brexit wouldn’t happen.
Cant compare the two. Hillary and Trump were pretty close in the polls (Clinton lead by less than 5), Macron got a huge lead (over 20) and all the other party leaders are now calling to vote for him.
Same goes for Brexit. It was also a lot closer in the polls. It was pretty equal. So while it was shocking that it happened, the polls werent really off.
@QueenB I hope you are right, but I am so gun shy since the Trump election, I don’t take anything for granted anymore.
Macron may not be a fascist nutjob, but he has no experience governing, and, as we Americans are discovering, that matters a lot.
You do realize he had been France’s economy minister for four years prior to his presidential bid, don’t you?
I wouldn’t say he has no experience. I would say he was part of the WORST the current government did. That’s even worse. This whole thing was just a scam and I’m so appalled by what the Parti Socialiste did. What I’m calling PS is actually a reference to the former members, basically those who betrayed their ideas and convictions AND the Democratic process in the name of power (I’m looking at you Valls). I mean, they had a primary election for gooodness’s sake and they had pledged to support whoever won. Yeah, right. People actually had to pay in order to vote for that election too (the primary). A small fee but symbolic. This is just outrageous!
@Mel For the last days, whenever I need to make the pain goaway, I have been looking at people insulting Valls on Twitter. It does work
Well he was the first conselor of The last president and he was in his government (in Finance and Economy) for 2 years ! It’s still an experience,it’s more responsabilities than LePen ever had!
Trump not having political experience is the least of his problems.
@ Megan …. and that’s argument N°1 of the russian/english/lepenist side.
Of course their argument n°2 is that he’s not New People and that Independent since he’s had responsibilities in the PS (The actual government party) and in the government.
Just Saying.
@Mel . Considering the economics facts, The situation he found and what he’ll leave behind him, while Hollande is not well like, no he was not the worst. By far.
I did not say Hollande was the worst. I’ll actually leave that to Sarko (in terms of my lifetime and experiences as a full-fledged citizen). I said Macron was part of some of their worst moves and decisions as a government: loi Macron and loi El Khomri.
Le Pen’s face screams ‘evil’.
that’s because she looks like Voldemort with a bit more colour and a bleach blond wig.
lol she does look a bit like Ralph Fiennes now that I look at her.
her face has got nothing to do with anything. go after her for her politics, not for her face! come on.
I’m still hungover from this…
It was absolutely predictable. Macron is going to win.
And it’s going to be a looooong five years…
Of course, everything is better than a fascist but don’t even get me started on Macron.
This whole election process has been a disgrace as well and I wish the media would have just butt the F… out and let us decide in peace. I’ve come to a point where I really believe that 24 hours news is the devil.
24 hour news absolutely is the devil.
Well in any other normal election year he probably wouldn’t be a contender, but when the alternative is Le Pen it’s a no-brainer.
Sad and angry French girl here… I’m horrified (but not surprised) by Le Pen making the second round. And I just can’t believe so many people were fooled by Macron’s game… The next five years will indeed be long.
Politics in Europe seems to be collapsing, first Britain now France. Clearly people want a change BUT it seems that there are no rational or qualified parties to tackle the task and re-structure in a sane manner. It’s either crazy racist nut jobs or some dingle berry who has no experience. *sigh* the world today scares me.
yep. this exactly. the refugee crisis (which really isn’t a crisis, cause that implies it’s temporary and it’s not) worked like an accelerator for a lot of social and cultural issues within the member states and amongst them. i think the european union is the best thing since, i dont know, bread, but like all institutions, it has a very unhealthy habit of constantly expanding it’s jurisdiction. a lot of people don’t agree with that and when the eu is now telling it’s member states how to deal with refugees and how many to accomodate, people are pissed. i don’t necessarily agree, but i totally get it. at the end of the day it’s all tax funded.
@Anna I call bs on that. In the end we hardly had to accomodate people and in The Netherlands most emergency centers have either never opened or a closing now as the demand had not been high. There is a crisis, because we are not accomodating refugees. We are not following treaties and we are hardly accepting refugees. It really had been the biggest ruse of the last couple of years and it has cost very little taxpayer money. It has been a perfect foil to the further liberalisation of our economy, people hardly paying attention to what’s happening in our hospitals (being turned into profit making enterprises), but being outraged at a couple of thousand (for my country) war refugees getting aid. Please do not excuse these people.
I like to hope that the French will see her off but given Trump and Brexit am not so sure – the lesser of the 2 evils didn’t win. It was a close result and a lot can happen in 2 weeks.
I’m also not that optimistic, if only because we need acknowledge that the woman made it to the second round. That’s not nothing. If she loses, France’s economy won’t automatically improve, the refugee problem Europe is facing won’t go away, and the people who voted for her won’t either. The EU is still f*cked at the moment. And just because Trump is the worst, people outside of the EU tend to not see just HOW f*cked we are. He can’t be the yardstick. We also still have Putin, Erdogan, Assad, and climate change to deal with. Or not, apparently. Small mercies I guess but overall, it’s not looking great.
As I understand it though, le Pen was hoping for at least 25% or hopefully 27-30% and so the 22%, which the NF has been polling at for ages, is not good for her, either next week or generally. I’m not keen on Macron either but this surely has to be a good thing?
As an aside, for more evidence on the sheer uselessness of the British press, you should see coverage today. Nobody in our fourth estate can see a single thing outside our own petty, pathetic narrow view.
I know it’s not a terrible outcome. I’m just saying, we’ve lost sight of what we would’ve considered a good result maybe 3 years ago. Out expectations have changed so drastically that one fifth of French voters going for the nationalist/racist/asshole is suddenly not so bad. It’s bad. I refuse to lower my expectations that much, I simply can’t do it. The amount of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism etc. etc. that has found its way into our daily discourse is just disgusting. Even our language and what we find acceptable seems to have shifted. It worries me so so much because it’s sometimes really hard to even identify before it’s too late and it’s become normal.
I know that the language politicians and the press use or find acceptable seems to be the least of our problems but as a linguist, it’s something that sticks out to me. And they are GOOD at it.
@Sixer – From what I have been reading there were many Fillon supporters who didn’t vote and who might vote for her in the 2nd round. There is a very very slim chance that she could pull it off.
I’m trying to avoid reading the UK press coverage of our snap election, its awful. Corbyn was the first out of the stables and has so far made himself look like the useless tool his is – back tracking within a few hours of his party pledge to ‘not rule out a 2nd EU ref’ only to later that day say that he will continue with Brexit in an interview with Sky News. The press are not letting Fallon and his LGTB marriage comments go and UKIP are talking about banning the burkha.
The other parties have basically given the Tories the press they need to wash over the real reason why the snap election has been called – 30 MPs being investigated over electoral expenses fraud.
Littlemiss – I hear you. It feels like sticking your thumb in the dyke, doesn’t it?
Betti – I meant our coverage of the French election. Anyone reading it would have no idea at all of what’s actually happening.
I wish people would remember that some things happen after Trumpa and Brexit. Case in point, Netherlands elections. The chiffon rouge Trump!Brexit! was used at every turn. Western Europe is just an awful place, filled with racists, fascists and Wielders is about to snatch power!
It turned out that leaders from all the political spectrum effectively rallied against him.
That will be the same here, they’ll run the same play as in 2002, we’ll cast our votes for the lesser evil, who’ll win with comfortable margins and confuse it for a plebiscite for his little person, quickly forgetting what he owes to people NOT from his side.
And if we have messy législatives after that, he’ll be on a throne of an unmanageable country.
As others ,old enough to remember 2002, have said, we’re screwed anyway.
“Western Europe is just an awful place”. What? No it’s not. Enough with the hyperbole. No region or country is perfect, because human beings are not perfect.
I’ve lived in many places, and none of them are perfect. The US has a lot going for it (glamour, generally good weather, low taxes) but Western Europe has stunning architecture, punctual trains and functional infrastructure (the functional infrastructure is not unrelated to the higher taxes). I don’t feel that little frisson of excitement going over a bridge or under a tunnel in Europe, whereas I do in the US: will I live or will this collapse?
To Kath and Tina. Obviously I shoul d have used quotation marks. If you read my post, that’s precisely my point. This hyperbole is used at every turn by reporters, bloggers to keep us in line, with the pavlovian Trump!Brexit! inserted every time.
I specifically use the Netherlands election to show that the far right thrill that seems to excite some medias is like you said a huperbole. And like you I’m fed up with the constant use of it
I’m pissed, but I’m not surprised in these results and the pourcentages. There was too much division in the people who didn’t want Le Pen and her anti-everything-except-born-in-france-white-french-people followers who already knew who they wanted.
I’m surprised by how high Fillon came, approx 20%.
Now, what has me scared is the fact that so many people have said that they aren’t voting in May, in particular Mélenchon’s voters, obviously showing that we’ve learned NOTHING from what happened to America with Trump.
I’m not a fan of Macron (at all), but I know who I have to vote for. Unfortunately, I don’t believe that this will be a as easy as we’d like to hope. I’m so tired of this country.
I so agree with you ! A lot of my facebook friends are Mélenchon voters, and reading their “there’s no way I’m voting Macron in May !!!” comments just baffles me. Seriously could these people just get their head out their asses and look at the big picture ? I could slap Mélenchon and his hysteric minions right now.
Mélanchon’s and Fillon’s voters will come through. They’re saying they’ll abstain (and some will, for sure) but for the next two weeks, we’re going to see Marine’s ugly mug everywhere and they’ll begrudgingly vote. They’ll be butthurt (I know I am) but they will block her.
However, the legislatives will be another matter…These will be important. Or not…Macron is going to be the 49.3 president for sure!!!
Except she was smarter than her father, presenting herself as the champion of French nationals, whatever their color. She campaigned heavily in overseas french departments. I live in La Réunion, a french island in the Indian Ocean where the vast majority of people is mixed (descendants from former african slaves, indian workers, chinese immigrants, whites from mainland France to make it short). Her father never reached a 2 figure-score here, and she made more than 20%.
Same in Mayotte, where her spokesman is a muslim black man,French Guyana, French Polynesia and New Caledonia.
Only the French West Indies, where my father is from (Martinique) seem to resist (she came 4th there) but even there, she does better than previous years. So, pretty sure she’ll lose in the second round, but Macron will have a hell of a battle in front of him for the legislatives.
I’m from the French West Indies but I live in France now, and let me just say, our participation rate was absolutely pathetic this first round. In total, she didn’t come up on top for the FWI, but on my island, she came second, first place being attributed to Fillion. We didn’t even reach a 30% participation, I mean– we have had a consistent immigration issue in the past few years from other poorer islands, but this is a predominately black island, I just couldn’t deal with it.
There’s this idea that tries to justify the abstention rate in the Antilles, which is the fact that most candidates rarely campaign in the FWI and that that we/they won’t be directly affected. I was seething once I received the rates.
She has presented FN in a much better way than JMLP did, but really, the basic ideas are still there.
Hi! Mayotte here! Fillon came first which is no surprise since every single election is rigged and every single elected official is corrupt. But Le Pen’s opening here was Comoros and the illegal immigration. They’re all about deportation here. She tried but it wasn’t enough. I’m baffled that one of if not THE poorest French territory votes for the “old school right” and extreme right…or not…paradox and lack of education.
thanks guys for the d.o.m perspective! very interesting.
Yes, I’m afraid about people not showing up or blank voting… I get it though, no one deserved to win this presidency in the 1st place and voting for Macron when you’re on the left feels pretty gross (then again, we had to vote for Chirac in order to avoid Jean Marie, and that was a pretty disgusting thing to do). I can’t really complain since I didn’t register to vote so I’m part of the problem (to my defense, I’ve been living in Canada for most of my life and registering at the consulate and getting the necessary papers is a pain). I’m still pushing my 80 and 90 yo grandparents to go out and vote. You can use a proxy, but they live in Saint-Cloud which is a hub of racists (Le Pen lives there after all), I wouldn’t trust any of the neighbours to vote on their behalf, so they really need to go vote themselves.
The queue in Montreal was impressive; people had to wait 3+ hours to vote because they had only one booth for 57,000 registered voters. I’m pretty impressed by my friends who didn’t turn away.
I am so depressed right now. I voted for the far left candidate Jean Luc Melenchon and I was so hoping he would made it to the “second tour”. Macron ain’t shit and He has litterally no political agenda but Lepen is worse than everything even worse than Trump. I am so angry scared right now, no one knows what is going to happen.
If macron means well and will obviously have more knowledgeable people around him and I assume he doesn’t have the emotional issues or whatever we could call trumps erratic behaviour, why is this bad? Honest question because I don’t know. I know hollande is unpopular so what’s worse about this guy? Or I guess you’re disappointed someone else running didn’t make it to the finals?
Basically Macron is Hollande’s continuity in disguise.
During Hollande’s presidency there was a shift in policy, especially under Valls’s government and the decisions announced had NOTHING to do with leftist politics. It was actually downright in par with the right wing. The right wing had a field day with this because if they came back in power, they would have all the reforms already in place, without the bad press. Macron was the minister of finances at the time. One of the most impopular reforms actually bears his name: loi Macron. That one along with the loi El Khomri will remain the worst parts about Hollande’s presidency, especially for those who voted for him, because they failed to pass through the legislative and democratic process so Valls issued the 49.3 order each time. He had been vocal about getting rid of that power in the past. What is 49.3? Well, it’s like an executive order except there’s no way around it. It’s like a decree. Those laws go against everything remotely associated with French socialism ideals. There was a divide in the party and a few people left the government because they felt it was betraying its ideology (which it was). Hamon, the left candidate yesterday was one of them. They were then dubbed the “traitors” and accused of disrupting the party’s unity. Fast forward to Macron leaving the government to run for president but detaching himself from the party. Why? Because he would have never gotten this far if he had to go through a primary election. Meanwhile the left (Parti socialiste to be precise) held its primaries and Hamon won fair and square. Valls had signed an official document that stated he would support the person who won the primary. Well, I don’t think it took him a week to turn his back, along with Hollande and a few other prominent government members. Part of it is because Valls was feeling vindicative because he had run in the primaries and was badly beaten! Macron has no political agenda except turning the country into a giant corporation and he was also 100% manufactured by the current government with a serious help from the media. He has as much charisma as an oyster (no offense to oysters) and he really is a product. It’s about packaging. They sold him as “cool”, “hype” and whatnot…ugh…sorry if it’s long but it’s harder to explain than with Le Pen…
What Mel said. I just can’t with how so much voters have been fooled. I just can’t bring myself to partake in this f*ckery.
merci Mel, its very nice of you to take the time to explain this! Going to read about those new policies you named. I’ve read a few articles on BBC and the guardian recently but how you explained the whole picture was so helpful.
Wouldn’t be surprised if she somehow won (god forbid). If this last year has taught us anything, it’s a. Not to rely on polls and b. There are a lot more racist people out there than we thought. The fact it’s even come down to just her and Macron says it all.
There is nothing racist about having a problem with Mass Immigration.
It’s comments like these that make it clear Le Pen is a racist …
“In France we respect women, we don’t beat them, we don’t ask them to hide themselves behind a veil as if they were impure.”
No you’re right. That is just one of the many faces of her racism. They changed the packaging. But her party has a history. She veered into her father’s territory a couple weeks ago with her comments on the Vel d’Hiv. She is as racist as he is. She’s just from a different time and presents herself better. She also wins because of the comparison. Let’s face it, ANYBODY would look good next to that senile fascist, but it’s like ranking two diseases that ultimately kill… you just can’t win.
I suspect this is the same Cara from the Trump post.
Just stop. Have people immigrated to France en masse? No they haven’t.
lil miss naughty have you ever been to Paris? Yes a lot of people have immigrated there. From the Maghreb and many other Muslim majority nations as well as subsaharan Africa Asia, the Caribbean, other European nations and basically everywhere . I don’t blame them I’d love to live there too! Maybe the native French people would prefer an immigration policy More like what Japan hadn’t for many years and is just recently changing.
fiorucci, I guess we disagree about what constitutes masses of immigrants. I have been to Paris but more importantly, I’m German. We know what’s up, trust me. Mass migration sounds threatening and like we’re about to be overrun. That is not the case. How many from the countries you mentioned have immigrated to France?
@fiorucci. Many of these people shouldn’t even be considered as immigrants since they came to the mainland from ex-colonies. Yes, they’re brown, black and muslims, but they fought alongside the French and worked for the French govt so when France left the colonies, they had the right to move to France as well. And then there are the migrants, which is a whole different story, but can you really blame people for fleeing bombs, misery and, likely, death?
I absolutely don’t blame refugees and I welcome them to Canada and the us, I’m a dual citizen. There are issues with immigration and I think voters have the right to have opinions on it. Like maybe some times they can vote to increase immigration and ten years later for a candidate to decrease it. If it keeps increasing I don’t know how sustainable it is in France. We have space in Canada though! I guess the numbers aren’t big as in “mass immigration” but it kind of feels like it in Paris. I can’t blame any nation for having an opinion on the immigration policies of their candidates. To be clear, le pen seems like a scary candidate. By the way while living in France I’ve been mugged and sexually assaulted by muslim immigrants (and also had friends that were Muslim immigrants). In most suburbs there are a lot of immigrants but maybe the numbers for the whole nation are nothing big
Fioruci, first of all I’m sorry for what happened to you but as you pointed out you also have friends who are immigrants and come from predominantly Muslim countries so we can come to the conclusion that what happened to you does not imply that immigrants are all dangerous.
The problem I have is the misconception that France has giant holes in its borders while it has been proven time and again that we have some of the strictest laws in terms of immigration and are one of the least “welcoming” countries in Europe. Also, I will not generalize but I sincerely doubt that there are still plenty of people migrating from Maghreb. They are all pretty much French by this point. The huge wave was in the sixties when WE went to get them. Now they’re children of immigrants but very much French. However, the way they’ve been targeted, they’ve reverted back to communitarianism because they’re constantly told they are not French or second class citizens. I’m white as they come (well, actually I’ve tanned a bit after four years of living in the doms…) but take a French girl who might have parents who were immigrants themselves (like one of my very best friends) and we will have the SAME codes. We watched the same shows growing up, listened to the same music, had the same crushes and fashion. She is French for all intents and purposes. I used to teach in Seine Saint Denis, you know one of those “terrible” places and no go zones where they have riots. I met so many incredible kids and I cried when I had to leave them. How would you feel and would you rise above if your country rejected you time and again? My kids would tell me sometimes they hadn’t done their homework on Wednesday afternoon because they were being held at the police station for failing to carry an id on them while they were hanging out with their friends. I can’t tell how many times I’ve left my house without a purse. I was also on the jury for adults who wanted to get the most basic French exam they could get in order to move forward. It was the most sobering experience of my life. Those people still had a few issues with the French language but they blew me out of the water in terms of degrees. One had a phd in chemistry for Christ’s sake! He was from Egypt and had become a construction worker. He had met someone who taught him everything when he arrived but he realized this job was a health hazard and he would not be able to do it for his life. People coming from immigration are contributing members to society, contrary to what some people say. I could name you plenty of “French French” people who abuse the system as the people coming from immigration have been accused to do. Let’s not play into the hands of the divide and conquer game. That’s all it is. Also, I hate double standards. I live abroad and, for all intents and purposes, I AM an immigrant. But they refer to me as an “expat”. Probably because whites do not migrate nowadays. They are “mobile”…
You’re right, look at what mass immigration did to the Native Americans. Massacres, oppression, exclusion, extermination. They’re now a minority in their own land and they have zero influence in the process of governing. So yes, I understand why far-right extremists are afraid of immigrants. It’s so ironic though, their position on immigration, since they are the product of mass imigration themselves.
Thank you Mel, it’s nice to hear so much from a French person about your experiences. Personally in Canada I can’t think of a single bad experience with an immigrant and have met lots of awesome ones, this doesn’t mean I would necessarily support immigration minded politicians. Actually I would and right now there’s not an anti one here, but it’s not because I think immigrants are nice and want to help them. I think people all over the world are nice and deserving and have sympathy for them but it doesn’t NECESSARILY mean immigration is the best way to help the largest number of people. It did seem that in the suburbs all my attackers were not Caucasian. After I moved back to a Canadian city for 15 years the worst thing that’s happened is a man sitting next to me on the bus when there were plenty of other seats with both available (it was creepy but possibly he wasn’t Paying attention.) one year in Paris was great but I was harassed to varying degrees daily , it’s complimentary but it’s also kind of rape culture and it’s always people from Africa or the Middle East and overwhelmingly seems to be the maghreb. The only time French guys hit on me was appropriate places like a bar or social setting. It has changed the culture for women so I can’t fault people for voting for fewer immigrants, even though the mass impact is not necessarily good if immigration stops. Ok this is a bit of a ramble but my main point to share is even if most immigrants are the nicest people ever, a country can still be full and perhaps it’s better to help more people closer to where they alwready live. Not necessarily but perhaps. I feel really sick of the vibe here that if you don’t want immigration you’re the worst kind of person, it’s the group think pressure that bothers me, even though I’m currently happy with immigration where I live.
Mel, i meant to add I understand the immigrants and their children are excluded to varying degrees and it’s not a melting pot where people are accepted as just as French as anyone, it’s different from how I (not an immigrant) see the US and Canada. People whose grandparents came from Italy wouldn’t Identify themselves as French, but Italian. As a native not sure if you’ve experienced this but in Europe people always wanted to know my ethnicity (sometimes they just shouted out their guess with no prior conversation 🙃) and I returned the question, and most people born in France dont say they are French.
I cannot believe that France is torn between an unexperienced failed economy minister and a fascist. It boggles the mind. Then there’s the crazy Mélenchon whose voters are hardcore leftists or voters sensitive to the populist dogma.
As we have seen recently, a LOT of voters no longer make a difference between the right and the left so it is absolutely possible that some votes will go to Le Pen.
The worst is yet to come. Le Pen will loose, Macron will do a sloppy job and the next elections are going to be much more dangerous than these.
Yep. Probably Le Pen 2022…. That sucks so hard.
This is what I am afraid of. My French friends and family seem so focused on “Never Le Pen!” that they are ignoring Macron’s not-so-progressive platform. He’s being portrayed by Le Pen as “soft” on Muslims which means that if he wins and can’t deliver, Le Pen will be a sure thing next round. IDK. This is tough for France…seems like a no-win.
This election had to be a “Never Le Pen”, none of the candidates were good. Mélenchon could be interesting for the left, but his anti-Europe stances and his admiration of dictators is a bit scary. Fillon is a lying crook, I’d much rather have seen Juppé win the right primary despite him being a convicted crook than Fillon. Hamon and Macron are part of a failed government and Le Pen is the epitome of nepotism and racism. I still think that it’s less painful to have to vote Macron to avoid Marine than it was to vote Chirac, who was a freackin’ criminal, to avoid President Jean Marie Le Pen
I remember when her father and Putin both seemed so nuts as to be completely fringe. Could not have imagined that his daughter, Putin, and Trump could be where they are now.
Yeah well, I do not feel good today. The truth is, French people are apathic, 15 years ago when her father passed it was a political earthquake. Today, absolutly nothing, zero analysis from reporters, there is no anger. I’m disgusted by her voters and the mainstream media reaction. The normalization of this racist, xenophob idiocy is now fully achieved. So yes she’s not gonna be president, but she is here to stay and no one seems trully bothered.
This! It’s scary. A croire qu’on ne retient jamais rien de l’Histoire dans ce pays…
Unfortunately this was inevitable. Le Pen has been building steam for quite a while and populism has gained a nasty little foothold worldwide. Painfully sad for the nations who still have citizens alive who remember what it was to fight and suffer the last time nationalism reared its ugly head and yet who have somehow managed to justify behaving in the same manner. This time, we’re ALL the bad guys.
Hopefully the French citizens will take a hard look inward at themselves and what is happening here and in other countries and make better decisions.
If I didn’t know the average voter better, I’d say there’s one hell of a global political push to intentionally disenfranchise voters so that they become increasingly apathetic about their role in democracy.
I think both are true. The average voter is not very well-informed, and there’s a global push, sponsored by Mr Putin and his bots, to confuse, frustrate, and ultimately disenfranchise voters. It’s extremely frightening and dangerous.
There is a rise in conservatism and ultra nationalism in the western world. The polls don’t mean sh*t at the end of the day unfortunately, and I pray that France goes out and vote for the lesser of two evils, as all the candidates were sh*t as far as I know. However, Le Pen is a bigger danger to the world than Macron. With Le Pen, Theresa May and Trump in power at the same time, God forbid what would happen to us non-white male folks. In other words, don’t count Marine out yet :/
I don’t think we should act as if Macron already won… Mélenchon voters and Fillion voters are divided, some will vote Macron because they don’t want Le pen, but some will vote Le Pen and that’s the dangerous part, while others will vote white (don’t know if you have that expression in English sorry). I’m French, it was my first time voting for presidential election and I’m scared, honestly. Media here are playing it too safe in my opinion, as if Macron is going to win. I don’t want us to see the same thing we witness with Hilary and Trump…
You know what my first election as a voter was ? April 21, 2002… Talk about a first time… but everybody was in the streets the day after, people were horrified. And today, the media are acting like Le Pen is a normal candidate, nobody’s demonstrating. Thats the horrifying part to me, honestly.
Tout pareil 😉
My first time was april 2002 too… it was scary but people really acted like it wasn’t normal… unlike today.
Racists and bigots are not afraid to speak… and they speak so loud that you struggle to respond and make you’re voice heard.
I’m affraid of this world, really…
I think the term is blank ballot in english. It was my first election too and what a lovely way to start.
Yeah, I also don’t agree with the idea that he’s won already, I’d rather wait until May 7th at 23h00 when I can rest assured that they’ve counted all the ballots from every school, because that’s the idea that Americans had, some remainers in the UK for Brexit had.. She, as unfortunate as it is, still made it to the second tour and that’s too close for me.
Yes, the fact that she even made it with the percentage she got is crazy to me. There is nothing normal about this. And I agree it could go both ways.
If Le Pen wins, every Jew left in France needs to move out immediately. It’s already become less safe for them. And I’m not even sure where they should go. I’m Jewish, born in Canada and now a US citizen, and I don’t feel safe anywhere anymore. 🙁
I am Jewish and I voted Le Pen. I am not racist and I am not uninformed. But in the last few years I have been repeatedly attacked, my synagogue has been attacked, and my children have been attacked in school. By muslims, who have made it clear that I, a Jew, am not welcome in this own country. I am sorry, but the prospect of Le Pen winning is not the reason I’m seriously considering leaving the country. I know that FN is not the answer, but I am desperate and they are the only ones naming the problem.
and that’s one more I do not understand.
FIrst, yes, if you do not make the difference between (muslmim) extremist and muslim, you are etheir uninformed or racist or both.
Second, do you really, actually believe that a common enemy (muslim) make you friend ?
My former father in law is long time Le Pen supporter and I can assure you, that in their eyes, you, as a jew, are no better than a black or a muslim.
Muslim are easy target nowadays, with the IE problem. But their hate is not exclusive. In fact their antisemitiscm is older and well integrated.
As @Izzy said, if your chosen party win, you’d better run away fast.
It’s interesting that you think voting for an anti-semite is going to help your Jewish children.
Unfortunately, you seem to know little about the situation in Europe. Sadly, I have been reading lots of profiles of Jews voting Le Pen in the past weeks. Or LGBT people voting Le Pen. Large amount of Jews have already left the country. Faced with the choice of voting Le Pen and being scared of the increasing attacks and antisemitism of Muslim immigrants, sadly larger numbers of people see themselves forced voting against their own interest.
Same going on in Germany. We’ve just had a big case of a Jewish boy being driven out of his school because of antisemitic attacks by Muslim classmates in the media. The Jewish council has just come forward and asked for immigrants having mandatory visitis of Holocaust memorial sites being introduced.
And if you think voting for her will be any better, you are delusional. You will end up with exactly the same situation we have with Trump, where the anti-Semitic bigots who were already in hiding – and believe me, they have ALWAYS been in France, just covering well since the end of WW2 – will be emboldened.
Good luck. You’re gonna need it.
Polls show anti-Semitism is very high in France, about 30-35% of the population hold such beliefs. Muslims make up about 7-8% of the population, so it’s hardly all on them.
I do agree some serious education needs to happen, however.
I didn’t say that I think this is a good thing. Just saying with the truly alarming increase of antisemitism coming from Muslim immigrants in Europe as well as with homophobic attacks Jews in Europe (and members of the LGBT community) have decided to give their vote to right wing parties. The original Le Pen is a Holocaust denier, you’d never think Jews would end up giving their vote to Front National. But it is a reality that they do.
I don’t think you understand the severity of the situation of the Council of German Jews approaching the government asking them to make visits to concentration camp memorials mandatory to Muslim refugees/immigrants because the increase in antisemitism has been so bad. I also don’t think you are aware that German and French Jews live in a situation where armed police is stationed in front of all Jewish institutions.
@thaliasghost, I have a number of Jewish friends who have come from France to settle in London. (For those reading, just google “French Jews coming to London” to see why). I don’t blame anyone who chooses to leave France, or Germany. The UK has a lot of problems, everyone knows. But I think it is a pretty good place in Europe for Jewish people now. You are welcome here.
If there’s one thing I learned from the 2016 election, it’s that, yes, the fascist underdog who’s behind by 20+ points in every poll CAN win the election.
Sidenote: What part of Brexit and Trump’s racist, fascist nutjob politics are the French looking at and saying “Yes, that seems to be going well, we want that!”? Crazy times.
Just a quick comment to express solidarity with all French Celebitches.
Thank you. You know what the worst part is? When you vote in the interest of people who will undoubtedly suffer more than you will. And still they cast THEIR ballot for the worst they could choose… that probably sounds familiar…
+1
I’m sorry to say that it sounds very familiar.
Gee I wonder what that’s like?
But seriously, solidarity and hopeful and positive vibes for my French peeps. Here’s hoping you don’t end up with a Trump/Brexit on your hands.
Oh Sixer thank you so much !! I felt the same way about Brexit – poor British celebitches !! And now I’m about to move from France to London for work, lol. As we say in french, we’re all on the same (slowly sinking) boat, aren’t we !
I’m afraid we are! You will love London. It’s a great city. I hope you’ll be happy there.
While I don’t like Macron and his programme, i’m going to vote for him, obviously. Marine Lepen is the devil, she’s smug, racist, she doesn’t give a crap about the people of France, she only cares about power. Her niece, Marion Maréchal Lepen is even worse. The whole family is power hungry and I want them to disappear.
I really don’t know how i’m going to survive the next 2 weeks, urgh !
What? what? a politician is power hungry?? I’m sure Macron and the others were in it, just out of the kindness of their hearts?
Well… this is the second time in my life i’ve to choose between a Le Pen and a very liberal politician… and if i did chose Chirac in 2002, i’m still not sure what to do this time.
Don’t get me wrong, i’m all against Le Pen ideas and program. I’m a human rights lawyer and everything Le Pen says makes my blood boil.
But … Macron really isn’t the sun.
We all know Le Pen is incapable of doing 90% of her program, and FN doesn’t have enough people to gain majority in Assemblée Nationale. I don’t want her… but I don’t want Macron too.
I’m almost sure i will vote Macron, but part of me really think “we’re screwed, whatever…” I’m tired of all this…
Don’t underestimate Le Pen. Just like Trump and his stupid wall, we know he can’t do half of the things promised, but he sure can make life hell in a myriad of other ways for so many people. I’m sorry for the situation you’re in, it’s horrible when you have to vote for ‘lesser evil’ –
I’ve been in that position myself many times. But if you don’t vote for Macron in the second round, your other two options are either voting for Le Pen, which is enabling a fascist, or abstaining – and that never ends well. Fascists and right wingers have a very disciplined voting base. If you abstain from the second round of presidential elections, the fascist candidate wins, it’s as simple as that.
I’m really really pissed at 45 % of my compatriots today. Beacause let’s be clear : except for the white rich people, the rest of us are going to have a hard time whether Le Pen or Macron is elected . Both of them equally scare me, for different reasons.
Now, from a global point of view, Macron is obviously the least worst choice. I mean at least I wouldn’t be worried he starts a civil war in France or worse, WWIII along with Trump and Putin… But the way he acted as he had already won last night made me sick. Plus, he shouldn’t count his chickens before they hatch because a lot of people are going to abstain, there’s even a popular hashtag #SansMoiLe7mai (meaning they’re not going to vote on May 7th) running on Twitter. Well I don’t blame them because I couldn’t have voted for either candidate plus I really do think we need to stop playing this twisted game. Unless we do, as other commenters already said it, if Le Pen loses this year, she will come back even stronger in 2022.
I would vote for anybody but this homogenized racist who sat with Putin and doesn’t give a wink about destroying the European Union. Le Pen should not have gotten a single vote and it makes me sick that she, like Trump, has supporters.
They are falling for the same stupid economical arguments. And just like them, they heard, saw on social media some story that…. but do not bother to fact check anything.
I’m not voting for macron, no way. Not for she-voldemort either obviously, but front républicain is dead to me. I’m not participating in this giant joke.
Do you have a vote in France? This is not a joke. It is Russia’s war against the European Union and needs to be taken extremely seriously. No vote is a vote for le Pen. She could win if people stay away.
Exactly Robyn. I understand the disappointment very well, but it’s down to basic human rights now. No vote *is* a vote for fascist Le Pen. Right-wing candidates always benefit from low turnout; while liberals refuse to engage because they feel indignant about the state of the world, conservatives happily turn up in droves.
I’m really tired of people trying to put responsibility on blank-voting or abstaining people. If Le Pen is elected the people responsible for it will be the ones who voted for her. No one else.
Sorry that’s just not true. Not voting IS a vote whether you want to admit it or not. Sometimes one has to pick between the lesser of evils but one simply must vote. People died for you to vote and if you don’t the authoritarian leader who secretly aspires to squash your vote will win and democracy will lose.
yes thank you Lilas. I understand that tune Robyn, it’s just tired at this point. Useless. And no one died for me to vote, people died for my right to express myself and that’s what I’ll do.
Yes … expressing an unwillingness to participate in voting and calling it a “protest” is a right that’s for sure. Voting is compulsory in Australia and I can see why. People love to defend their right to do absolutely nothing. However, do nothing people give up their right to b*tch imo.
Actually I blank vote, which is basically the same thing from abstaining at the end of the day, but to me it’s important to let no doubt allowed on my opinion on those two candidates. To me, choosing between the lesser of two evils for the fourth time in a row makes no sense anymore, if it ever did. Evil is evil. The poor and the muslims and the women suffer under so-called republicans presidents, they just f$cked us to the core. Chirac did bad, Hollande did bad, we are in the streets againts macron’s law since two years now and he will achieve to sell our asses and strenghten the FN which will pass in 2022. I won’t participate and give him legitimacy to do it, hell no. I do a lot of things irl for my community. What I don’t do however, nor irl nor online, is nagging people about their vote which changes absolutely nothing and is also very arrogant. Seriously, what’s the use of that? I won’t vote for a pos who was part of a ain’t sh*t government because people in the internet would feel better if I did, end of.
” If Le Pen is elected the people responsible for it will be the ones who voted for her.”
And the one who either do not understand how the electing system works or chose to let her win because they are sore losers who do not care enough to be responsible.
If you want her to win, just say so. I do not agrre, but I can respect that. But do not say that it’s not your responsibility. It’s false, and it’s cowardly.
I don’t consider myself a sore loser. “My” candidate never had a chance to win in the first place, lol. I don’t want Le Pen to win but I don’t want Macron to win either. I voted for Chirac in 2002 against father Le Pen and it was painful but it was meaningful to me at the time. This time, it’s just not. Understand it, or not, whatever, I have no doubt people with that stance will be held responsible of whatever happens “you should have vote Mélenchon, you should have vote Macron, you should have vote mon cul sur la commode”, that’s NOT how the electing system works. I’m convinced if people were voting by conviction we wouldn’t be in that sh*t now, but I won’t criticize people who don’t because everyone is free to vote what they feel like voting. That’s how democracy works.
Oh my God, enough with the “people died for you to vote”. Yes, I know that, thank you very much, but it was in another time and in another context.
I don’t want Le Pen to be my president, I don’t want Macron to be my president and I’m not a sore loser. Like millions of other French people, I’m just tired of being endlessly manipulated by politicians who don’t give a damn about us and are incapable to learn the lessons of the past.
As many of us have explained here, we had to block the Front National several times by voting for people we didn’t want to vote for. We’ve been promised it would lead the Le Pens away but the only thing it did was to make them stronger. And again, if she loses and nothing changes in the next five years, Le Pen (or her niece, because yes, there is also a niece) will probably be elected in 2022. So, sorry, but we no longer want to play that sick game. We don’t want to betray once more our beliefs by playing it. We should vote for someone we share ideas with, not for the lesser evil again and again. This is not what a real democracy is. Our electoral system has become a giant joke and we’re not amused anymore. If you can’t understand this, well it’s your right. As it’s mine not to want to participate in this nonsense anymore.
And no, I won’t be responsible if Le Pen wins. Past governements, our electoral system and people who vote for her will be.
I am not interested in reasons why people abstain from voting. If you don’t vote, fine but don’t explain why or try to justify it. It is a civic duty and a responsibility. As a woman I am forever grateful for the women who fought for our right to vote and I don’t take that lightly. This is the second time in less than a year I’ve had to listen to people saying they won’t vote in an election (I voted last fall in the US election and I voted in the French one this past weekend) because they don’t like any of the candidates and I don’t think it’s a valid excuse. My father (originally from France) threatened to not vote in the last US election and I got angry with him since he didn’t become a US citizen only to stand idly by and watch. And guess what? You bet your little French behind he voted in the French election this past weekend.
I agree with you Amelie, but we must listen to Lilas and people who agree with her. They are the majority now.
If you’re the same Amelie that posted below, it’s a civic duty and a responsibility you were happy to not exercise the last 10 years (2 presidential elections, 2 parlementary elections).
It’s only last year that you cared to register , because you thought that one was important (guess what, the others before 2017 were also), and you lecture people that have done their duty for decades, had to swallow the Chirac pill and are now fed up. The tactic may worked with your father, not sure it will be effective with anybody else.
Sooo this is your first time voting in France Amelie? Now my “little french behind” thinks that’s rich.
Look, I am not interested on why you didn’t grace us with your civic duty and responsibility since now, but did you even care to watch during all this time? Did you see the big parties shamelessly and relentlessly using the anti-fascist line while promulgating discriminating laws, segregating our society and sinking in mediocrity? Selling all our assets and rights? Consciously strenghtening the FN because it’s the easy way to win elections and to divert from their wrongdoings and because they are racists and mysogynists and classists too, just with more decorum? Or because they just don’t give a sh*t? Did you see your republican hero Macron partying like there’s no tomorrow while the Republic is supposed to be in danger, because he and his bourgeois friends are so happy to be against le pen, because they are so sure to win and they don’t even care to hide it anymore? Do they look like they’re upset so much voters are voting for a far right and violent and anti democratic party? Do they look like they are going to do something about it? And you, what are you planning to do about it except voting for a puppet who will strenghten and further the legitimate anger we feel as a people? I don’t want to antagonize you, you will do as you see fit but don’t tell me what to do. Like Manta said I am voting at every freaking election in this country since I came of age, I know what to do thank you very much.
I’m a dual French-American citizen and last year I made sure I was registered on the New York French Consulate electoral lists since I knew this would be an incredibly important election. I have never voted in a French election before even though I’ve been a citizen for nearly 10 years now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the US so invested in an overseas election before and cover a French election so widely. I’m not surprised at the outcome of the final round. Youth unemployment is at an all time high in France and with all the terrorist attacks in the last two years perpetrated by Islamic radicals, it’s not a surprise Le Pen’s rhetoric appeals to many French people. All of my American friends who have never been invested in French elections have been asking me who I voted for and telling me “Not Marine!!” I think many people here (apart from the other French commenters) don’t remember Le Pen’s father made it to the final round in 2002 and Jacques Chirac won for the simple reason no one wanted Jean Marie Le Pen to win. Also, one more Le Pen to look out for since they are a political dynasty at this point: Marion Marechal Le Pen, Marine’s niece and Jean-Marie’s grand daughter. She is too young right now I think to run (she’s only 27) but watch in a few years, she could gain traction with the National Front and upstage her aunt at some point.
The voting process by the way is SO different from the US elections, it is so old school. You basically put a piece of paper with the candidate’s name on it into an envelope. You grab more than one candidate’s name when you enter your polling location so nobody is sure who you vote for. You then go into the “isoloir” aka a little area behind a curtain so you have privacy to pick the piece of paper with your candidate’s name on it, put it in the envelope, and close it. The other candidate’s names you grabbed are then thrown into the recycling bin in the curtain-privacy area. You walk out and then insert your sealed envelope into an urn (a glass box with a slit at the top to insert the envelope) that is closely guarded by an urn watcher. You then sign your name to ascertain you voted and then you walk out.
Goodness, I had no idea about the niece. They’re like evil cockroaches.
And as others said, as this is the second time of people being forced into supporting unbridled neoliberalism because otherwise a Le Pen wins, I believe we are actually getting closer and closer to Houellebecq’s vision.
Glad to see someone say this. All of these elections continue to force people to vote for a neoliberal over a fascist. Neither is a good choice, but I guess you can say neoliberalism is the lesser of two evils. Really hoping that left wing populist Melanchon wins a future election. Just as I have hope that someday Americans will do the right thing and elect a left wing populist similar to Bernie Sanders. I think there is more hope for Europe than the USA that a Democratic socialist will win an election.
I know this is behind a paywall, but it is a cri du coeur from the son of a Holocaust survivor on his mother’s behalf: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/not-every-age-needs-a-churchill-or-de-gaulle-fwshcp7kc
And here are the last two paragraphs:
“My mum didn’t want to live all her life as a survivor. She wanted a country that was free, but also safe and stable. She didn’t want a turbulent politics that sucked in every citizen. She wanted reason and moderation and a sense of proportion so that she could do more than survive.
So that she could live, and love, and nurture and prosper. And, in the end, so that she could die in peace and tranquillity in her adopted home.”
There’s a lot to be said for neoliberalism.
I see through people trying to discourage others from voting. This is how Putin and le Pen win. It’s a tactic that could work well. It worked in the US election where many democrats didn’t bother to vote because they didn’t “like” either candidate and they thought Hillary and/or common sense and decency would win in the end but it didn’t. There’s a fair chance le Pen could still win and that is to the detriment of the European Union and all that was fought for in WW2.
You’re right. Just like Trump, Russia/Lepen are using alternative facts spreading media and working hard on social networks.
Have you seen the videos of immigrant gangs destroying the streets and trying to blow up police cars with the police still inside? Marcon told the country to just get used to it. Le Pen won’t stand for that kind of behavior. Who do you think the French people will choose when their country is turning to chaos?
I dunno. Giant douche vs. Turd Sandwich imo. That’s all elections are these days.
I copied and pasted this response to the mass migration in Europe and I thought it asked some interesting questions.
So at what point should people stop turning the other cheek?
We’ve had freedom of speech banned in Sweden.
We’ve had the police directed to not protect the public, falsify the crime records, and attack anyone that complains, in Germany.
We’ve had sky high r-pes and murders in Sweden.
We’ve had organised mass r-pes in Germany and the UK.
At what point should the tolerant stop tolerating the intolerant?
Or do you always have to prove your tolerance by sacrificing yourself to the intolerant?
The problem with the migration is not the tough checks and the paperwork, it’s what happens with these people (also a lot of children!) when that’s over and they are left to their own devices in a country that will use them as a scapegoat anyway no matter what they do.
The response to the mass rapes was obviously to update laws/policies (more paperwork!) but the consequences for migrants or refugees remain similar: punishment. If innocent people get mistreated in detention centres and deported for no reason, you think they would let the people who commit a crime against the citizens of their host country off with a slap on the wrist? Have you seen the government coddle these migrants or refugees or support them beyond emergency housing and basic funds (if they are lucky) ?
Yeah sure they are ‘welcome’ but this simplistic mindset does not take into account that a human being needs more than food, a roof over their head and money. To integrate is to work hard to learn language, culture and respecting other communities and this comes from both citizens and migrants so this will never happen. There is never any funding for decent integration programmes and existing programmes are grassroots and short-term. Thus you will have immigrants who think their culture is transferable to the West and where they think that the oppression of women is not punished.
Btw, one does not have to commit physical crimes. If you look at the uprising of the far right and the views Western societies have on women still, than the West is just as violent only in silence behind computer screens or on their ballot when they tick DT. Or the amount of rape cases that get dismissed, evidence lost or a woman ripped to shreds by the media and court system. Justice doesn’t exist really but we GLADLY turn our cheek then right?
What people are tolerating is not the rapes or other crimes, it’s the migrants and refugees who are trying to build a life in their new country and who are kind and just scared people trying to settle and who wouldn’t hurt a fly! Not every migrant or refugee commits a crime and so you shouldn’t make blanket statements. Crimes are committed by individuals who sure sometimes act in groups but never a whole community.
No, you haven’t had freedom of speech banned in Sweden (and you’re in Canada anyway).
Any instances of the police being directed to not protect the public, falsify the crime records, and attack anyone that complains, in Germany, are isolated and not the norm.
There have not been sky high rapes [Joannie – it’s not a swear word] and murders in Sweden. The number of rapes in 2015 (less than 6000) was about the same number as in 2009. The number of murders in 2015 (around 115) was about the same number as in 2011.
There have not been organised mass rapes in Germany and the UK.
These are lies, Joannie. I know you are an intelligent person. Look at where your sources are coming from. Please, I beg of you, check the facts before you post these things.
Artemis thank you for your thoughts and comment.
Tina, none of that comment was mine. I simply thought the question regarding tolerance was interesting. I have read from numerous sources though that Sweden has become the number one country with the most rapes in the last several years. I have friends in Germany who have said things are not so good. I dont know what is fact because I am not there but the mass rapes have been reported in our papers and on our news. I don’t think everything is a lie. Sensationalized perhaps?
Joannie, the rape capital of the world is South Africa, without a doubt, and has been for a number of years. The rate of rape in Sweden is high for a Western industrialised country. This is also true for Australia. These countries have made great strides in allowing reporting of rape, which has contributed to the high rates.
I do not live in Germany and so I can’t speak to there (although I do know that the accounts of the New Year’s alleged crimes were not reported accurately) but I can tell you that the only mass rapes reported in the UK have been in Rotherham, and have not involved refugees or recent immigrants.
Breaking news: Le Pen has just stepped down as NF Party Leader says she wants to be above party politics to have a clear run at the Presidency. Interesting move on her part.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39696861
I am French too.
For the first time in my life, it was extremely hard to choose a candidate to vote for. I was a member of the Greens since I was a teenager, and until I got totally fed up with their antics.
I voted for Melenchon this time, although I was not totally convinced by him.
I will vote against Marine Le Pen, because my great-grandfather survived a labor camp in Poland and my son’s great-great grandfather from his father’s side was murdered by the Na*is. And even though she tries really hard to pretend that she is different from her father, MLP just hides the skeletons in the cupboards, she still minimizes the horrors of WW2 (claiming the French were not responsible for the Vel d’Hiv a few days ago !) and she still bases her program on hatred, fear and finding a scapegoat to solve all the problems of our country !
I worked from 7:30am to 21pm at the electoral office of my town yesterday and was quite frustrated to come to this result. Marine Le Pen is a racist and Macron is the void. Sad day.
You shall not paaaaaass Marine! We are the creme de la creme of FREE countries…go fug yourself 🙂
enora, you are the true spirit of France. Vive la République!
Another dual citizen here who voted. And like many of the other commentors, both of the choices in the second round disgust me. To those castigating the people who have said they will vote blank, think on this:
It doesn’t matter who ends up winning this one. Macron represents ripping off the bandage slowly, LePen represents ripping it off quickly. The end result is going to be the same thing, the question is simply how much pain you have before you get there.
Macron has no discernable program although the little we do know seems to me like a continuation of “running ahead of the storm” until France is sucked dry. One of his counsellors is on record concerning the introduction of a tax on “fictitious rents”, ie: if you own your own home and have paid off your mortgage, it’s not fair that people who have the same income as you but who are renters don’t benefit from the same standard of living. Therefore, you should be taxed on the amount of rent you would be “earning” if you were renting your home out. In essence, tax on an income that doesn’t exist.
France has been introducing more and more taxes, many of them dissuasive to foreign investment, ever since the EU was called upon to bail out Greece, Spain, Portugal etc. And those bailouts were in effect, disguised bank bailouts. They have also been introducing more and more restrictive controls on what you can do with your own money, how much you can pay in cash, how much you can actually withdraw in cash per month and should you wish to make a wire transfer abroad for a significant purchase, justify why. Even if you are, as is our case, non-residents.
In addition to that, the EU has now put into place the mechanism of “bail in” should the banks be at risk of failure again. In essence, they can take your money to pay off their creditors and give you worthless shares in the bankrupt bank who just expropriated all of your savings in return.
All of that says to me that the EU technocrats clearly see the storm on the horizon, and we’re all being set up as the pigeons who will foot the bill. And when that happens, the EU is likely to implode anyways.
Take away all of the rhetoric and that leaves the choice of choosing between a Captain of the ship who will load all of his banker buddies into the lifeboats first when the ship goes down, or a Captain of the ship who gets all of the passengers off before it hits that iceberg. The question for me is not “EU or no “EU”, it’s choosing under which circumstances the inevitable exit will take place.
I detest LePen, I detest the racism, the extremism and pretty much everything she stands for. But I absolutely can not see myself voting for Macron either and be in any way responsible for assisting these POS in selling out the country and the French people to a financial construct that is very clearly heading towards it’s doom. Even though that choice would personally buy us time to take measures to protect ourselves financially.
Therein lies my dilemma.