The French presidential elections see Emmanuel Macron against Marine Le Pen in revenge: reactions and impact on the industry

In the run up to 2017, the 2022 French presidential election now pits the same two candidates against each other: incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen. In the first round of voting, held on Sunday, the centrist Macron got 27.6% of the votes, while Le Pen got 23.4%. There is greater testimony from Le Pen and his National Grouping Party (formerly Front National) than there was five years ago. The second round of final voting will take place on 24 April.

While the war in Ukraine still dominates most of the headlines, the French media have naturally focused on yesterday’s and today’s elections. Newspapers in the far corners of the world do not publish as many columns as in 2017, the historic first round in which the main French political parties failed to advance. However, the UK and our European neighbors are closely watching the growth of the National March brand of extremism across the continent. In the USA, New York Times Le Pen’s strong performance showed the continuing appeal of nationalist and xenophobic currents in Europe.

In 2017 Macron defeated Le Pen in the final with 66% of the votes. It came after a crushing debate in which Le Pen, who was unprepared, blew himself up. Now they are reviewing it again on April 20th.

Macron has recently focused on the war in Ukraine and his role as a continental official, although many in France are increasingly concerned about the cost of living and rising inflation in the country.

Populist Le Pen, who has ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin and was one of the first international politicians to mention Donald Trump’s presidency in the United States, has tried to soften his image and that of his anti-immigration party by focusing on economic issues and gambling. Out of town. However, his program still includes a referendum that would change the French constitution and prohibit policies that would lead “to the introduction of so many foreigners into the national territory as to change the composition and identity of the French people”.

In the wake of the results, calls were made on the bombings to block the advance of Le Pen. Most of the first-round candidates, including Socialist Paris Mayor Anna Hidalgo and Republican Valerie Pecresse, are urging their supporters to support Macron. Pekres warned of “chaos”, “helplessness”, “disagreement” and “failure” in the event of Le Pen’s election, noting the candidate’s “historic closeness to Vladimir Putin”. Left-wing Jean-Luc Melanchon, who finished third in Sunday’s voting time, quietly backed Macron, repeatedly telling supporters, “You shouldn’t vote for Ms. Le Pen.”

The main candidate pushing his supporters towards the controversial politician is former ultra-national TV commentator Eric Zemour.

Le Pen said Sunday evening that “I will restore order in France” and spoke of “the choice of society and even of civilization” to defend the “legitimate supremacy of French culture and language” as well as “the restoration of sovereignty in all spheres.. “

Macron said: “I want France in a strong Europe that maintains its alliances with the great democracies to defend itself; Not France, which will have populists and xenophobes as the only common international ally outside Europe. This is not us. “

Whatever the outcome, the future of France Televisions can be balanced. Macron said it will eliminate the annual TV license, which is its main funding. Although he hasn’t offered a replacement, the allies suggest the funding came from the state. This could damage the issuer’s ability to follow a long-term investment strategy and protect itself from partisan pressures.

Meanwhile, Le Pen wants to privatize France Télévisions, of which analyst Claire Enders says: “Nobody will try to do it with their mind … it’s a gigantic power in France”. In the event of privatization, Enders expects the beneficiary to be billionaire businessman and media titan Vincent Bolore.

Enders told Deadline that the government has always “trusted its commitment to French television … France Télévisions has always achieved absolutely 100% and exceeded its statutory endowment and the government has done the opposite consistently.” for 15 years “.

In any case, says Enders, “you have to have French television, be independent, be credible. Otherwise, the French do not have access to free information they trust in their own language… there is as much ambiguity as possible… the undemocratic nature of Macron’s or Le Pen’s proposals is absolutely alarming.

It is unclear at this point what effect the outcome will have on the rest of the entertainment industry if Le Pen rises to power, although recently the industry has recovered not so much with Macron but with Le Pen. He has officially left the Frexit platform, launched in 2017 to try to expel France from the euro, but his program still contains measures contrary to the European treaties, which could question freedom of movement. Both goods and people like the echoes It was held last week.