The favorite promise of French presidential candidates: Referendums

A French presidential election campaign traditionally features debates, rallies, visits to agricultural fairs, and, of course, a race to claim the legacy of Charles de Gaulle. Not a single contest goes by without most candidates declaring themselves the most faithful heir to the father of the Fifth Republic. Right now, that appropriation is taking the shape of promises, from many candidates, to hold a referendum if they are victorious on May 2, 2027. That pledge echoes a demand, repeatedly voiced since the Yellow Vest protests, to hold citizen-initiated referendums, demonstrating the French public's desire to participate in the country's democratic life. Despite the anti-Gaullist sentiment that prevailed in her party when it was created in the early 1970s, Marine Le Pen has cited "the General" and a handful of his quotes as blank checks for her proposed "referendum revolution." Le Pen, leader of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN), has touted frequent votes as a guiding principle if she were elected. She would inaugurate her presidency with a referendum against immigration, a move that would bend the rules laid out in the Constitution. Le Pen's plan would be to hold the consultation at the same time as the first round of future parliamentary elections, in the first of a populist series of votes. "My intention is, therefore, to end the monopoly of an oligarchy that appropriates the right to decide on behalf of the people, all while all too rarely granting them a voice," Le Pen stated back in 2022. You have 82.79% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.