Die französischen Präsidentschaftswahlen vom 10. und 24. April 2022: Schwelende Unzufriedenheit genügt nicht für einen Machtwechsel

Abstract

President Emmanuel Macron hesitated about his renewed presidential candidacy. According to the polls, an election victory in the second round against his fiercest rival, the far-right Marine Le Pen, was by no means certain. Tue election campaign was dominated by the inflation of fuel and food prices. Macron won the first round of voting ahead of Le Pen. However, her considerable success once again demonstrated the extent to which her ideas are now permanently anchored throughout the country. And yet, Macron had succeeded in being a credible alternative for a large proportion of previous voters on the left, right, and center. Tue once large governing and opposition parties (Gaullists and Socialists) had shrunk to insignificance. For the second round of voting, the incumbent intensified his hitherto rather restrained campaign by targeting in particular non-voters and supporters of the radical leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who had lost in the first round. Although Macron lost more than seven percentage points compared to the 2017 election and suffered losses almost everywhere in the country, he won the election with 58.55 percent. His far-right challenger Le Pen achieved her best-ever election result of 41.45 percent and made notable gains throughout the country. Some worrying trends continued: among others, a high level of abstention, especially among younger voters (29 percent of whom did not vote) as well as the split between urban (Macron) and rural (Le Pen) voters, increasing rejection of the EU, and support for protectionism.