Populism a la française

Erwan Lecoeur and Jean-Pierre Le Goff. Two sociologists explain the social and political fault lines that have led to the French electoral result.

“Good luck!” were the last words of the outgoing president as he handed over the Elysée palace to Emmanuel Macron. The new French president will indeed need plenty of luck to rebuild a nation that is divided and confused about both the historical processes in which it is involved and the current identify of the French people.

The vote clearly revealed social rifts among the French electorate. One group voted in belief of a better future: mainly women, young working people, professionals and middle management, all fairly well-educated and living in medium- to large-sized cities. They voted for En Marche!

To keep reading, purchase the pdf file of this issue   

To subscribe to the magazine please access our subscription page here