제 14 호 All about the French Election 2022
Kicker: WORLD
All about the French Election 2022
by Da-hwee Kim, Cub-reporter
French presidential election coverage on FRANCE 24
The French presidential election was held on the 10th (1st round) and 24th (2nd round) of April 2022, and Emmanuel Macron was re-elected as the president of France. You may have curiosity about the presidential electoral system in France at this point because it already seems quite different from ours. Therefore, in this article, we are going to dig into the French election from A to Z. Let’s figure out the basic concept of it first. And then, we’ll take some time to compare it with the Korean election system. Finally, we’ll analyze its significance and explore its impact on the world.
What are the results of the 2022 French presidential election?
The 2022 French presidential election marked the lowest turnout since 1969. According to the final tally, Emmanuel Macron was re-elected with 58.55% of the vote, beating Marine Le Pen, who received 41.45% of the vote. The interesting fact is that these two candidates have even faced each other in the 2017 presidential election. It is quite evident that the gap has narrowed significantly compared to the polls of the two candidates in the runoff polls of the two candidates right after the first vote in the presidential election five years ago, which were in the low 60% vs. high 30% range. Marine Le Pen suffered a total of three presidential failures, including this one, and Macron became the second president to win re-election after François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac.
What is the difference between the French and Korean elections?
The French presidential election is conducted by direct elections, in which the people are directly elected. The term of office is 5 years and can be renewed only once. Voting is largely divided into 1st and 2nd rounds. If there is a majority of valid votes on the first ballot, that candidate is directly elected president. However, if there is no majority on the first ballot, the two candidates receiving the most votes in the first ballot will be put on a run-off ballot. Looking at the domestic case, it can be seen that this is completely different. As we all know, in Korea, the elected person is decided by one round of voting. The fact that the president cannot be re-elected is also a big difference.
What was the situation in the French presidential election?
In the French presidential election, Emmanuel Macron of the centrist party En Marche (Advance) and Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front (FN) faced each other. Since they made opposite promises in all fields, including economy and security, including EU and immigration policy, the direction of the election could be seen to change significantly depending on which candidate is elected as president. Unlike Macron, in the case of Le Pen, who is a far-right conservative candidate, there was a possibility that France, which had been involved in international affairs with an open attitude, would take a different path than in the past. Therefore, there were a lot of voices of concern about this. In a Europe in crisis following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the French have rejected candidates hostile to NATO, the European Union, the United States, and the fundamental value that all citizens should not be discriminated against because they are Muslim. According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the election results reflected a rallying to uphold the French people's values against France's narrow vision.
French presidential election 2022 explained: Macron challenged by far-right Le Pen (nbcnews.com)
Why is the French presidential election important?
At this point, you may be wondering why the French presidential election is so important. It is because the French presidential election is considered one of the most important elections in the world. This is because of France's international status and influence. France, along with Germany and the United Kingdom, is a representative European power. Therefore, there is no doubt that the powers of the French president are considerable. Furthermore, France is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council. The French president has great power in the international community. It is for this reason that the world's attention is focused on the French presidential election.
How will this affect the world?
To tell the truth, if Marine Le Pen had been elected, the whole game would have been greatly altered for sure. But with Macron's re-election, the risk was no longer needed. Nevertheless, there are still many hurdles that Macron must overcome, such as the Ukraine war, pandemic, or religious issues. No one knows what kind of situation the country and the world will face. Macron, who had been criticized for being wild and arrogant in his first administration, has hinted that the new government will show a more inclusive and understanding style of governance. It makes us anticipate a leap to a better future.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/24/world/europe/french-election-results-macron-le-pen.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/24/europe/french-election-results-macron-le-pen-intl/index.html
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/elections/resultats/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_French_presidential_election
