French Presidential Election Voting Mr. Macron or Mr. Le Pen?

The French presidential election will be voted on from the afternoon of the 24th of Japan time.

Over the situation in Ukraine, the incumbent President Emmanuel Macron is calling for the unity of the EU-European coalition and the strengthening of sanctions on Russia, while the former leader of the far-right party, Marine Le Pen, is trying to catch up with measures against rising prices. , The judgment of the voters will be noticed.

The French presidential election will be contested between the same incumbent President Emmanuel Macron, who was the same as five years ago, and the former leader of the far-right party, Marine Le Pen, following the result of the first vote on the 10th of this month.

In the election campaign, how to deal with the situation in Ukraine and how to relate to the EU were issues, and a fierce debate was fought.

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, President Macron is gaining support by appealing for the EU to unite and aim for a diplomatic solution and to strengthen sanctions on Russia.

On the other hand, Rupen candidate has announced a reduction in value-added tax while fuel prices are soaring due to the influence of the situation in Ukraine, and opposes that sanctions to stop imports of natural gas and oil from Russia will further put pressure on the economy. It has expanded its support mainly to low-income people in rural areas.

According to the opinion poll as of the 22nd, 55% of the respondents answered that they would vote for President Macron, and 45% answered that they would vote for President Le Pen. I am.

Voting will begin on the afternoon of the 24th of Japan time, and it is expected that a large number will be revealed on the morning of the 25th.

What is Mr. Macron?

Emmanuel Macron, an incumbent middleman, is 44 years old from Amiens, a town in northern France.

He graduated from the French National Academy of Government, which produced many presidents, and changed from a government agency to an investment bank.

He served as economic minister for two years under the former administration of the Socialist Party, Hollande, and in 2015 passed a law called the "Macron Law" to revitalize the economy, expanding commercial facilities on Sundays and nights, and freeing long-distance bus routes. We have carried out large-scale deregulation such as the introduction of the law.

In the last 2017 election, he ran for "aiming for politics that is neither left nor right".

He was elected at the youngest age of 39 in history, beating Mr. Le Pen, the far-right party, in the final vote.

Candidates for the two major parties, the right-wing Republican Party and the left-wing Socialist Party, who had been in charge of the administration until then, could not advance to the final vote, and in the National Assembly election held two months later, President Macron's party " The "Republican Advance" won overwhelmingly and revolutionized the traditional composition of French politics.

5 years of President Macron

President Macron became president at the youngest age of 39 in the last French presidential election in 2017.

He tackled a variety of challenges, including terrorism, climate change, and institutional reforms, but the painful reforms also met with strong opposition.

The biggest crisis was the protest demonstration that started in November 2018.

It all started with a fuel tax hike that the Macron administration aimed to introduce as part of its climate change measures.

It was called the "Yellow Vest Movement" because the participants wore yellow fluorescent vests for work, and when there were many, hundreds of thousands of people participated nationwide.

Opposition voices spread from local residents, who need cars for their daily lives and work, and developed into nationwide protests through SNS.

Demonstrators clashed with police in various places including Paris, and mob participants set fire to shops and parked cars, causing confusion, and department stores and museums were forced to close, which had a great economic impact. Came out.

President Macron himself and other government officials went to various places to talk with people, saying that the administration abandoned the fuel tax hike and listened to the local dissatisfaction that was the biggest factor in the demonstration.

There was also a strong backlash over the pension system reforms that were underway for fiscal consolidation.

Public transport unions rushed into a large-scale strike, saying that the amount of benefits could be reduced, and the number of trains, subways, and buses was drastically reduced, which had a major impact on commuting to school and tourists. It has decreased.

In the midst of this turmoil, the transmission of the new coronavirus will spread in Europe in 2020.

President Macron banned strict outing restrictions and the operation of all but a few stores, and corporate activities were severely restricted.

On the other hand, in order to minimize the impact on the economy and employment, the government will take measures such as compensating the wages of employees of restaurants and shops that are forced to take a leave of absence.

Furthermore, when the infection situation settled down and the stores reopened, in order to balance the economy and infection control, it was obligatory to show the vaccination certificate at restaurants, etc., and the vaccination was strongly urged.

Some have also invited strong opposition that "it is a de facto mandatory vaccination", but we promoted it as a way to balance the economy and infection control.

On the other hand, in terms of external relations, he said, "Strengthening the EU = European Union will strengthen France," he said, aiming for an EU that has a strong presence in the international community, such as building a unique relationship with China instead of following the United States. came.

With regard to relations with Russia, amid growing tensions over the situation in Ukraine, he held talks with the leaders of each country, such as President Putin, President Zelensky, and President Biden of the United States, and actively engaged in mediation diplomacy.

Even after the military invasion began, as the EU Presidency, he continues to hold dialogue with President Putin, leading discussions on strengthening sanctions, and is seeking a diplomatic solution.

Looking at President Macron's approval rating, it fell sharply during the "Yellow Vest Movement" and the strike over the reform of the pension system, but it has remained at a level higher than the same period of former President Sarkozy and former President Hollande. increase.

President Macron has faced numerous challenges in domestic affairs and diplomacy.

French voters will judge President Macron's five-year track record in an unusual election in which the military invasion of Ukraine continues and Europe is also at risk of war.

What is Mr. Le Pen?

Marine Le Pen, the former leader of the far-right party "National Rally", is 53 years old from Neuilly-sur-Seine near Paris.

Taking over the far-right party from his father, Jean-Marine Le Pen, who fought with President Sirac in the final vote of the 2002 presidential election, he ran for the last time in 2012 and the last time in 2017, and last time he proceeded to the final vote with President Macron. I fought.

In the past, it was "anti-immigrant" and "anti-Islamic", but based on the lesson learned from the defeat of President Macron in the final vote last time, he refrained from radical words and actions and proceeded with a moderate route called "de-demonization". We have been trying to expand support.

Le Pen's slogan is "France, which we love," and the traditional system of deporting illegal immigrants and automatically granting nationality to children born in Japan regardless of their parents' nationalities. The abolition of the above is stated in the pledge.

In addition, as fuel prices soared in response to the situation in Ukraine and protests by carriers occurred in various places, he insisted that the value-added tax on gas, electricity, gasoline, etc. would be reduced from the current 20% to 5.5%, and he is worried. It has become a recipient of voters and is gaining support.

How the French presidential election works

The French presidential election is a direct vote by people over the age of 18.

If none of the candidates get a majority of the votes cast, the top two will vote in the final two weeks later.

Under the current election system, which has been in place since 1965, the first vote has never been settled, and everything has progressed to the final vote.

Since the result depends greatly on who the voters who voted for the third or lower candidate in the first vote vote in the final vote, the candidate who was the second place in the first vote is reversed in the final vote. In some cases, we won.

The term of office of the President of France is five years, and the term of consecutive terms is limited to two terms and ten years.

In addition, in order to avoid a crowd of candidates, it is necessary to collect more than 500 signatures from members of the Diet and local councils.

In France, the president has strong powers from domestic affairs to diplomacy, such as the appointment of the prime minister, the dissolution of the parliamentary house, and the approval of international agreements as the head of state, but if the same political power cannot secure a majority in parliamentary elections. The prime minister may be appointed by a party different from the president, causing a “twist” within the administration.

In the days of President Mitterrand and President Chirac, such a "retaining coexistence government" was inaugurated, and the president and the prime minister were in conflict and forced to run a difficult government.

Changes from traditional composition

In the French presidential election, the president has been elected from traditional right-wing and left-wing political parties, but the tendency has changed since the last election.

In the 2002 presidential election, it was initially seen as a battle between Mr. Chirac of the right-wing Rally for the Republic and Mr. Jospin of the left-wing Socialist Party who was the prime minister.

However, Marine Le Pen's father, who is running for this election in the first vote, and Jean-Marie Le Pen, a far-right party on the National Front, ranked second after Sirac, opposition to EU integration and immigration. Mr. Le Pen, who insists on exclusion, was shocked as a "Lupen shock" by advancing to the final vote.

In the final vote, Mr. Le Pen's discriminatory remarks on immigrants became more cautious, and Mr. Sirac won overwhelmingly.

In 2007, there was a battle between new candidates to replace President Chirac, and Sarkozy won the final vote by Mr. Sarkozy, who ran for the right ruling party, and Mr. Royal, the opposition and social party aiming to become France's first female president. ..

In the 2012 presidential election, Sarkozy and Hollande, the Socialist Party, who are aiming for a re-election, proceeded to the final vote.

Sarkozy's support fell due to widening social disparities in the first term and criticism of his flashy private life, and Hollande defeated Sarkozy to create a left-wing president for the first time in 17 years. ..

The composition of the president being elected from the traditional right-wing and left-wing parties changed in the previous presidential election in 2017.

Mr. Hollande, who was the incumbent of the Socialist Party, abandoned his candidacy due to the low approval rating due to the high unemployment rate due to the terrorist attacks in the country and the economic downturn.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Hwiyoung, the right-wing Republican Party, who was once regarded as a favorite candidate, also dropped his approval rating on suspicion of illegal receipt of public money by his family.

Under these circumstances, Mr. Macron, who was 39 years old at the time, launched his own political movement with the aim of aiming for politics that is neither left nor right, and entered the presidential election as an independent candidate.

It was Marine Le Pen, who took over the position of leader of the far-right party National Front from her father, who fought with Mr. Macron in the final vote.

While making a critical claim to the EU = European Union, Mr. Le Pen worked to renew the image of "discriminatory far right" and spread support among young people, and the final vote was an independent candidate and far right. It was an unusual confrontation with a candidate for a political party.

Macron won the final vote, giving birth to the youngest president in French history.