French presidential election, 2002
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Second Round
| President: | Jacques Chirac, Rally for the Republic (RPR) | ||
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| Opponent: | Jean-Marie Le Pen, Front National | ||
| Vote: | Jacques Chirac (Winner): 25,540,873 (82.21%) | Jean-Marie Le Pen (Opponent): 5,525,906 (17.79%) | |
First Round
General Summary
This election came as a shock to many commentators, almost all of whom had expected the second ballot to be between Jacques Chirac and Lionel Jospin. Jospin's poor showing and the widespread splintering of the left-wing vote in the first round of the election meant that instead Jean-Marie Le Pen faced Chirac in the second ballot. The election brought the two-round voting system into question as well as raising many concerns about apathy and the way in which the left had become so divided.
In the months before the election, the campaign had increasingly focused on questions of law and order, with a particular attention towards crime committed by the youth, especially the youth of foreign origin. The Jospin government was criticized for its "softness" on crime.
There was a widespread stirring of national public opinion, and more than one million people in France took part in street rallies, in an expression of fierce opposition to Le Pen's ideas. Some held up protest signs stating "I'm ashamed to be French".
The choice between Chirac, who was at the time under investigation for actions carried out whilst he was mayor of Paris (see corruption scandals in the Paris region) and who was benefiting from Presidential immunity, and Le Pen, a nationalist often accused of racism and antisemitism, was one that many found tough. In the days before the second ballot, a memorable poster was put up of Chirac with the slogan "Vote for a Crook, not a Fascist". Chirac defeated Le Pen by a landslide.
See also: President of France, France, Politics of France
External links
- Official French government links are in French.
- Official file (http://www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr/dossier/presidentielles/2002/index.htm) of the French Constitutional Council
- Official results (http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/avotreservice/elections/presid2002/) from the Ministry of the Interior
Template:French Presidential electionsfr:lection prsidentielle franaise de 2002 ru:Президентские выборы во Франции, 2002