French election 2022
Our coverage of the fight for the presidency
Welcome to The Economist’s coverage of the French presidential election. Five years ago Emmanuel Macron was elected on his first attempt. To win re-election, he will once again have to defeat Marine Le Pen, of the populist National Rally party, in the final run-off, to be held on April 24th.
Who will come out on top? On this page you can find our forecast of the outcome, analysis of what the candidates’ victories would mean, reporting on the race and the context to make sense of it all. If you are not already a subscriber you can unlock some of our content by registering here.
Latest on the race
Emmanuel Macron did better than it seems in the first round of France’s election
He still has the advantage over Marine Le Pen in the run-off
The race to be the next president of France enters the final stretch
The two finalists go head-to-head in the closing phase of the campaign
First-round results in detail
More than half of votes went to candidates outside the political mainstream
The Economist’s French election model
Our forecast says Emmanuel Macron is likely to win re-election in April
France’s election could be a cautionary tale for centrists everywhere
Our special podcast series on the presidential race
Why are the French fed up?
The polls suggest Emmanuel Macron is likely to win re-election. But the French are unhappy, both with him and the state of the country
Emmanuel Macron
1843 magazine | Emmanuel Macron’s charm offensive
A profile of France’s president who is respected but unloved
By InvitationOlivier Blanchard on Emmanuel Macron’s economic policies
The economist considers France’s president to be a pragmatic social-democrat
Emmanuel Macron, surreptitious socialist
The French president, seducer of the right, has embraced big government
Marine Le Pen
1843 magazine | Marine le Pen, L’Etrangère
Sophie Pedder on the brutal beginnings of the leader of the nationalistic revival sweeping Europe
Marine Le Pen hopes for another face-off against Emmanuel Macron
The populist’s third try at France’s presidency is unlikely to succeed
Fractured France: A country with deep fault lines
Emmanuel Macron promised unity. Remaining divisions will complicate the next five years
Emmanuel Macron’s troubles open up space for Marine Le Pen
But they also bring greater scrutiny
The context
France is doing well, but feeling miserable
Blame a looming election, the structure of the state and an innate Gallic gloom
Money matters take centre-stage in France’s election
The economy is healthy, the public finances are less so
The hidden side to French suburban living
What politicians in Paris might learn from the area around it
The strange tenderness of Michel Houellebecq’s new novel
In “Anéantir”, a bard of modern France takes a surprisingly upbeat turn