As we're close to the French Presidential Elections, which will probably be the most important elections this year in Europe - I thought we'd have a place to have a good ol' chat about it.

Announced candidates for election:

Parti Socialiste - Hamon (Left winger)
Les Republicains - Fillon (Thatcherite) (currently involved in corruption scandal)
Front National - Le Pen (Far Right)
Independent - Macron (Social Liberal)
Left Party - Melenchon (Socialist)

 

Just remember, Le Pen is the same as everyone else. Voting for the status quo, or voting for the virulent racist, xenophobic, nationalist will incur the same outcome!

 

UMP are Les Republicians; Sarkozy we named them a few years back.

The second round of voting typically leads to coalitions and tactical votes - so, yes, very likely Le Pen will be kept out. Macron is currently favourite to beat her, quite easily, in the second round; like Clinton, though, is facing a lot of Russian propaganda.

FN recieves financial aid from Moscow, which Le Pen does not deny.

 

What luck. Sarkozy renames UMP to Les Republicains just in time for another Republican party to go off the rails.

 

That is correct.

 

Ironically, I believe he changed the name to rid the Right of the "corruption" tag.

 

I guess I should state my winning preference order:

1) Hamon
2) Melenchron
36) Macron
200a/b) Le Pen/Fillon

 

Not a fan of Macron's empty phrases and meaningless rhetoric?

 

He should count himself lucky he is in the 10s and not 100s.

 

Can someone tell me who the Pragmatic candidate is?

Americentrism SuperWatto

 

I think if you studied Fillon you'd see he's just as bad as Le Pen.

Being classist and hating on the poor is equally as bad as being racist imo.

 

I'd thought you would favour Melenchon, to be fair. More traditional hard left. favours abolishing elements of the state (the French Presidency for example) anti-nuclear and very radical on the environment.

 

Macron. A very Blair like figure.

 

My issue with groups like Parti de Gauche and people like Melenchon is that while I traditionally would be more likely to fall under them ideologically, they and their members always end up acting stupidly with weird **** like supporting Russia, a lot more focus on "fash bashing" and a lot less focus on actually helping the poor. Maybe these guys will be different, but right now I'm skeptical.

 

Left Party is currently of the "NATO is bad, Russia is good" mentality.

 

So, first let me admit upfront that I don't know a thing about French politics. As such, can someone clear up some confusion for me: What exactly is the difference between the Party Socialiste (labelled by DanielUK as "Left Wing") and the Left Party (labelled by Daniel as "Socialist")?

 

The Socialist Party is a social democratic party, while the Left party is a hard socialist party.

 

The brackets are in reference to the candidates and how they describe themselves.

 

When simply removing "Holocaust denial" whilst remaining staunchly anti-Semitic is considered "less wild" I think there are some issues...

 

She has basically replaced anti-antisemitism with Islamophobia. Le Pen is no different to her father.