The 2017 French election campaign will likely be studied in detail in political science schools. Its surreal script is full of surprises, dramas, and scandals.
The scandals of François Fillon
The results of the Republican Party primaries on November 20th came as a big surprise when they brought to the fore François Fillon, Nicolas Sarkozy's former prime minister. The disappointed Sarkozy, who was also among the contenders with a strong hope of returning to the Elysee Palace, left the political campaign headless and joined the ranks of the French international hotel group Accor. In encouraging news, his annual salary could reach 62 euros. Alain Juppe, mayor of Bordeaux, the favorite of the polls, also failed miserably in the primaries and returned to his city. François Fillon, who during his term as Prime Minister was called “Mr. Nobody,” Mr. Nobody, and was so humiliated by President Sarkozy, emerged as a new, determined and charismatic man. Attacking his opponent, Sarkozy, he said with great cynicism: “Who can imagine for a moment General de Gaulle receiving a summons to court!” A venomous allusion to his opponent’s complicated legal problems, which have not yet been fully resolved. “The general, what is he saying now?” Sarkozy replied with undisguised pleasure when, after the revelations of the newspaper “Le Canard Anse”, the Penelope affair exploded. Penelope Fillon, the discreet wife of François Fillon, who always preferred to stay behind the scenes, was involuntarily thrust into the headlines. And what’s more. She, like her husband, was also summoned to appear in court, and not just once. Fillon is suspected of paying his wife and two of his children generous salaries, higher than usual, for fictitious jobs as parliamentary assistants. It should be noted that employing relatives is permitted, provided of course that they perform the work for which they are paid. “In the event that an indictment is filed against me, in the event that my honor is damaged, I will withdraw my candidacy for president,” Fillon declared.
Talk is one thing, deeds are another. Fillon did not withdraw from the race even after he was indicted on March 14 for misappropriation of public funds. On March 28, his wife was indicted. New cases were emerging against Fillon every morning, similar allegations about money stashed in his pocket. And the most surprising thing is that despite all the cases tarnishing his name, Fillon agreed to accept a luxury suit as a gift from his friend, lawyer Robert Bourgeois, without any hesitation. “Well, so what,” he responded. The French people did not like the fact that Fillon presented himself as a pure and spotless man and proposed a plan for the reconstruction of the country that required serious belt-tightening while serious suspicions were raised against him and while he was enjoying a life of welfare. The campaign brought to the center of public debate the issue of the morality of elected officials, which would be revisited and put on the table after the new president was elected. There were also allegations that Fillon’s cases were taking over the campaign. Instead of talking about the candidates' proposals and plans for the future of France And the lives of its citizens spoke only of the entanglements of the angry candidate who saw himself as a victim of harassment by journalists, judges, and the Elysee Palace.Although a large part of his party demanded his resignation, Fillon insisted on continuing in the race. “I am not asking you to love me, I am asking you to support me,” he told the people. His request was not accepted and he came in third place and did not advance to the second round.
The left in France also surprised
Another surprise, in the Socialist Party primaries on January 29, was the big victory of Benoît Hamon, one of the opponents of François Hollande's policies and his obstacles. Hamon beat the favorite candidate, Manuel Valls, Hollande's former prime minister, who resigned from his post in the hope of winning the presidency. Also severely disappointed by the election was the ambitious and energetic Valls, who would have loved to be in Emmanuel Macron's place today but was left behind.
Another surprise for us is the rise of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the far-left camp, who ran a successful campaign, full of eloquent speeches and the correct use of innovative technology. Who hasn't heard of Mélenchon's hologram that allowed him to broadcast his election rally that took place in Dijon and seven other cities. Mélenchon, described as charismatic, came in fourth place to his disappointment and did not advance to the second round. Mélenchon did not, like Fillon, call for a vote for Macron to block the path to the far right. He contented himself with announcing that he would not vote for Marine Le Pen, who called on his voters to switch sides.
In the second round, Marine Le Pen, leader of the “National Front,” and Emmanuel Macron, the favored candidate who founded an independent movement, neither left nor right, both left and right, are competing. This time, the major parties, the left-wing Socialist Party and the right-wing Republican Party, are not represented, in other words, a historic turning point in the political life of France.
The latest surprise in the surreal campaign is the great aggression that characterized the televised debate between the two finalists, a debate that has so far been conducted politely and in a civilized manner. The one responsible for this is Marine Le Pen, who lashed out at her opponent without restraint, disappointing even a significant portion of her own party members. Emmanuel Macron did not lose his composure and answered every point with the patience of a teacher addressing a disobedient student, constantly repeating in several versions the phrase “Madame Le Pen, you are talking nonsense.” “You are not worthy to represent France,” signed Emmanuel Macron, whose election polls predict will be his, tomorrow, Sunday, May 7, 2017. Will the election result be as surreal as the campaign so far?