France's presidential campaign seems to have been in progress for months, but it has only begun officially this week. The pace now becomes frenetic, as candidates criss-cross the country. Posters, election broadcasts and mass rallies now all come into play.
Of the 12 candidates registered, only four have a chance of reaching the second round. The others, representing the further reaches of left and right, the urban and rural, can be enjoyed as features of the rich landscape of French politics. Their only bearing on the first-round result will be in the votes they deflect from the main candidates. The bitter lesson of five years ago, when too many Socialist voters stayed at home, propelling the far-right candidate into the second round, has probably been learnt. We suspect fewer voters will select the "exotic" options on 22 April.
But it is not only the wrenching experience of five years ago that defines this election. After 12 years under Jacques Chirac, France stands at a crossroads, and voters know that. They are disillusioned, but unsure of how France needs to change. They are treating this election with deadly seriousness. This is the other reason why there may be fewer "exotic" votes. It is also why so many - almost 40 per cent - say that even at this late stage they have not yet made their choice. continue...
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