La France, divisée

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
04/25/2017 at 17:39 • Filed to: France, Politics

Here we find an interesting map.

The French as many may know have just had Part 1 of their presidential elections and as a result they find themselves divided into left and right. Not just politically either.

On the left hand side and around Paris they find themselves generally in favour of the youngish and centrist M Macron, whose CV includes the interesting fact that he’s never stood for election before (it also includes the fact, fascinating for some, that he became enamoured of his drama teacher when he was 15 and she was 40 and married to another and that they’re still together).

On the right, in every sense of the word, we find that they’re leaning to the far right Mme Le Pen who aims herself at what we might call the Trump voter.

A nation divided both politically and geographically then.

Just as interesting, we find that France extends itself to all manner of little known specks scattered all around the world and the two specks that find themselves in the mouth of the St Lawrence expressed a leaning to the hard left in the form of M Mélenchon.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the blue area belonging to M Fillon around Le Mans is because he’s from there.

DISCUSSION (24)

ttyymmnn > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 17:41

As divided as the US. What are Macron’s chances?

For Sweden > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 17:42

So the political opinions of the French are directly correlated with their proximity to Germans

hmmm

Cé hé sin > ttyymmnn
04/25/2017 at 17:43

As per polls on Sunday, 62:38 in his favour. Things can change but at the moment it’s his to lose.

Cé hé sin > For Sweden
04/25/2017 at 17:45

And their proximité to the Atlantic.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > For Sweden
04/25/2017 at 17:49

Yeah I was thinking that.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 17:50

I though it would be more divided north south, not east west.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > ttyymmnn
04/25/2017 at 17:50

My brain has been hearing macaroon on NPR in the morning.

Cé hé sin > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
04/25/2017 at 17:54

Me too, I thought Le Pen would have appealed more in the forgotten areas of inland France but there you go.

Nick Has an Exocet > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 17:58

You mean their proximité to poisson.

BritishLeyland™ > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 18:00

“it also includes the fact, fascinating for some, that he became enamoured of his drama teacher when he was 15 and she was 40 and married to another and that they’re still together”

French people gonna French.

ttyymmnn > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 18:07

So it’s unlikely that anybody who did not vote for Le Pen in the first round will switch to her?

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 18:09

I’m afraid of the future of my country. Elect a fascist who has the brilliant idea to leave the EU or the guy responsable for France pumping 41 billions per year in businesses to create jobs, without forcing them to create jobs

duurtlang > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 18:12

Macron got 23.75%, Le Pen 21.53% and Fillon and Mélechon both almost 20% each . These four were very close to each other. The difference between #1 and #4 was only about 4%, which isn’t much at all. The geographical differences on the map are interesting, but given the percentages it’s utterly meaningless for the second round of the elections. You also can’t say that if Le Pen became #1 in a province (or whatever it’s called) with like 25% of votes it’s a right leaning province, as the vast majority voted for other candidates.

Having said that, I do find it troubling that Le Pen got almost a quarter of the votes. It’s not as bad as in the US, but it’s still bad. Since I doubt the majority of Le Pen voters are raging racists there are deeper issues in France that Macron will have to address when he’s president. People vote for xenophobic populists out of frustration. The cause of that frustration will have to be addressed.

Cé hé sin > ttyymmnn
04/25/2017 at 18:15

You’d be surprised. I saw a chart of round 2 intentions which I can’t find now but it showed Mélenchon’s votes going almost equally to Macron and Le Pen. He’s hard left and she’s hard right but they’re both anti-EU, he more than her.

Cé hé sin > duurtlang
04/25/2017 at 18:25

Maybe so, but don’t forget that Fillon is right wing as well so a departement that gave its highest vote to Le Pen is not giving all its remaining votes to the left. Fillon appeals to an older, religious, conservative voter. It might be interesting to compare departements by right (Le Pen plus Fillon) and left and leftish (Macron plus Mélenchon).

duurtlang > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
04/25/2017 at 18:25

It’s about picking the lesser evil I fear. It was shown to the world how not to do so about half a year ago, on the other side of the big pond.

duurtlang > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 18:34

It might be interesting to compare departements by right (Le Pen plus Fillon) and left and leftish (Macron plus Mélenchon).

Exactly my point, and add Hamon to the mix as well (the only ‘normal’ left wing here). Imagine a province with 24% for Le Pen, 15% Fillon, 23% Macron, 22% Mélenchon, 10% Hamon. Le Pen would be the #1 in the first round and on that map but it would be a left leaning place.
It can also be the other way around, Macron can be #1 somewhere but if both Le Pen and Fillon are very close behind it’s a right leaning place.

Because of the above I see little value in the map related to the outcome of the second round, although the geographical differences interest me.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 18:39

(it also includes the fact, fascinating for some, that he became enamoured of his drama teacher when he was 15 and she was 40 and married to another and that they’re still together).

I think this is the most French thing I’ve ever heard.

Cé hé sin > duurtlang
04/25/2017 at 18:48

One side effect of attending Rétromobile is that you get three months online subscription to Le Figaro and so I’ve been reading some of their endless election coverage. Their reporters find a lot of anti foreigner, anti EU, anti Muslim feeling in the forgotten parts of rural and small town France. A common complaint is something like “there’s no decent work here, the local doctor and dentist are retiring and nobody wants to replace them and now the Muslims are building a big new mosque so we feel like strangers in our own country and the government and the traditional parties don’t care”. It’s areas like this that vote for Le Pen.

Flavien Vidal > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 20:13

Well, I wouldn’t call it divided... Sure on the map, it looks like it, but in reality, we’re talking about 20% of people voting for LePen... The second turn of the presidentielle will show that the country isn’t divided... Just that a bunch of us are racist as fuck :)

wiffleballtony > Cé hé sin
04/25/2017 at 22:17

Faire la France bien a nouveau

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > duurtlang
04/26/2017 at 07:32

The question now is which one IS the lesser evil? One will destroy France by isolating it, the other one will make it self-destroy

duurtlang > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction
04/26/2017 at 08:13

I thought Macron was a centrist? I’m very confident you know a lot more about French politics than I do though.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > duurtlang
04/26/2017 at 09:10

I don’t know much about it, but from what I read (trying to get some non-sensationalist info), it’s a mess.
He is, apparently, but he’s an elitist asshole who’s disconnected from reality