France Impressing the World

Kudryavtsev A.K.,

Senior Researcher, Center for European Studies, Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO), Russian Academy of Sciences, akud22@yandex.ru

elibrary_id: 627627 |

DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2019.06.13

Rubric: Reflecting on matters in print

For citation:

Kudryavtsev A.K. France Impressing the World. – Polis. Political Studies. 2019. No. 6. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2019.06.13

Abstract

The article looks at the political problems which are the focus of the “Macron’s Elections, or the Choice of France: French Politics in 2017-2018”, the last book of eminent political technologist Igor Bunin, published last year. The decreasing influence of both traditional political parties – Socialists and Republicans – is caused by the fact that both of them, being in power, failed to find solutions to the growing socio-economic problems of the country. Their approach to the elections provoked internal disagreement on many issues of public life. Against this backdrop, extreme political movements, both right and left, grew stronger politically, standing on platforms of populism. This urgent need for new politics was skillfully utilized by Macron, who won the presidential elections, alongside his speedily created new party “Forward, France!” which achieved an absolute majority in the National Assembly. In the course of an unusual election campaign, the discussion about the country's future appeared to be largely diluted. According to the results of the election cycle of 2017, the two-party political system that had been in force for the last half-century has been blown up, and the political elite of the country has been radically renewed. The first steps of the administration of Macron, vigorously embarking on reforming the socio-economic model of the country, as well as the origins of the large-scale social crisis in France at the turn of 2018-2019, are shown; the deep roots of this is the cause of the erosion of the middle class and the growing volatility of its position, which actively tightens populism.

Keywords

Igor Bunin, France, Macron, French political parties, party-political system.

Full Text

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Content No. 6, 2019