The first round of the 2017 French presidential election—the most unpredictable in decades—was held yesterday (April 23).
The unpopular incumbent, Francois Hollande, did not seek a second term. With Hollande’s would-be Socialist successor Benoît Hamon on the margins and main opposition Republican nominee Francois Fillon dogged by scandal, the race is wide open for the young maverick Emmanuel Macron—and for the National Front’s Marine Le Pen.
Will France’s elections follow recent British and American examples down a populist, anti-immigrant path?
Vincent Michelot, professor of American politics and emeritus director of Sciences Po Lyon in France, will lead a discussion about the election Tuesday, April 25, at 4:30 p.m. in Tinkham Veale University Center Senior Classroom.
Michelot will explore the issues and the stakes facing French voters in April, May and June, when parliamentary elections will decide who governs France for the next five years and whether the Fifth Republic is strong enough to withstand the combined challenges of populism and weakened parties.