Usually a choice means that you vote for the one you think is best.

But the French presidential election has developed into a kind of anti-election.

In the absence of a candidate you think is good, many are instead expected to vote for the one they think is least bad.

You vote for Macron to stop Le Pen, or you vote for Le Pen to stop Macron.

Only half of those who want Macron to win think he will be a good president.

The others who cast their vote for him only want to prevent a radical right-wing nationalist from taking power in the country.

He will not win only with the help of the heart voices.

In fact, many French people rather feel that they are putting a vote of duty on him.

Similar situation as 20 years ago

There are great similarities with the situation exactly 20 years ago when Marine Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, met Jacques Chirac in the final round of the presidential election.

Large sections of the left then joined behind the center-right candidate Chirac to block father Le Pen and his xenophobic party National Front.

A republican front, as it came to be called, was concluded between the established parties to prevent the outer edge from coming to power.

Admittedly, the idea of ​​a Republican front lives on.

But is much weaker like this 20 years later.

On the one hand, many voters no longer experience Le Pen as as extreme and not at all as frightening as their father.

On the one hand, the disappointment among many left-wing voters is so great after five years with President Macron, that many prefer to abstain completely or vote blank.

Macron will have to start uphill

If the favorite tipped Macron wins with the help of the duty votes in front of the heart votes, he will become a vulnerable president, who will have to start uphill.

A hill whose sidewalks are likely to be lined with strong protests and cries against unpopular decisions.

This is a continuation of the protests that Macron got to taste a few years ago when the country was temporarily paralyzed by the yellow vests. 

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Here are the three questions that Macron and Le Pen share ahead of the French election.