The election that might make a difference and is too close to call thread - France

A_Medium_Size_Jock

A low turnout is being reported.
No surprise there.

Voter turnout was 28.2% by 12:00 local time (10:00 GMT), lower than that of previous presidential elections.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39833831
Polls close at 8pm local time.

wotsthat

A_Medium_Size_Jock wrote: »

A low turnout is being reported.
No surprise there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39833831
Polls close at 8pm local time.

It surprises me. A two horse race where one of the horses is a fascist and people can't be bothered to vote against her?

The recent trend to use the word 'liberal' as an insult is working wonders and people have bought into it hook, line and sinker.

I hope their apathy doesn't come back to haunt them.

A_Medium_Size_Jock

wotsthat wrote: »

It surprises me. A two horse race where one of the horses is a fascist and people can't be bothered to vote against her?

The recent trend to use the word 'liberal' as an insult is working wonders and people have bought into it hook, line and sinker.

I hope their apathy doesn't come back to haunt them.

If it surprises you that can only be because you have not been paying attention and reading this thread.

Nice attempt to decry the terminology "liberal" but that won't wash.
Because not only is one horse a nationalist but the other horse is seen as establishment pro-EU and - worse - spendthrift.
(See earlier in the thread.)

Also earlier in this thread it has been described a lose/lose choice for France.
As said by the French themselves BTW, before you attempt to imply that as being just my opinion.
Which is certainly a reason for the low turnout; lower thatn elections back to 1981 according to the BBC.

The participation rate reported by the interior ministry for this election at 17:00 was more than six points lower than the 72% recorded at the same time in 2012 and nearly 10 points down on the 75.1% of 2007.
In fact, it is lower than all the elections back to 1981.
Analysts have said that there could be a high abstention rate, which may damage Mr Macron's chances.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39833831

gfplux

At 19.20 CET TF2 suggest abstentions at 25.3%. Many polling stations closed many still open until 20.00 CET.
At 19.45 CET a lot of internet buzz suggesting Macron at 60%. There are smiles in the TF2 studio, I think/hope that means Macron.

A_Medium_Size_Jock

First estimate Macron 65.1%........... Le Pen 34.9%
according to:
http://www.politico.eu/article/france-presidential-election-2017-second-round-live-results-winner-emmanuel-macron-marine-le-pen/

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

And sanity returns...

The far right gets a thumping great kicking in the polls with a resounding vote for the EU and centrism.

A_Medium_Size_Jock

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

And sanity returns...

The far right gets a thumping great kicking in the polls with a resounding vote for the EU and centrism.

The only one getting a kicking is France as a country.
(NOT I hasten to add that Le Pen would have been better.)
If you think the UK is divided by Brexit you ain't seen nothing yet.

Macron has no party.
How will he form a government?
How will he get the majorities he will need to pursue his visions?
How is he going to unite the large dissenting anti-EU factions?
That is why the abstention rate was so high.

En Marche will very soon become En Retrait I think.

vivatifosi

I am glad that Macron has won, but it is still disturbing that a far right candidate can get 35% of the vote and an estimated 11m voters, as well as the fact that it took every other party (ok except the far left) to band together to support the other candidate.

Filo25

vivatifosi wrote: »

I am glad that Macron has won, but it is still disturbing that a far right candidate can get 35% of the vote and an estimated 11m voters, as well as the fact that it took every other party (ok except the far left) to band together to support the other candidate.

When you put the far left or far right up against another candidate, the rest of the parties are usually going to end up backing the other candidate

Le Pen couldn't really have had a much more favourable environment to fight this election in, but still couldn't get close to winning (she didn't even reach the final round particularly convincingly).

It's obviously always pretty horrible to see the Far right getting significant support in a major European country, but much though some of our own more Brexit enthusiast media seemed to be hoping for a win for the Le Pen it never looked too likely to happen this time around.

vivatifosi

Did he just give that speech without an autocue? I can't see one anywhere on the stage. Seriously impressive if he did.