Editorial of the “World”. The table is now almost complete. Emmanuel Macron announced his candidacy for the presidential election in a simple letter published by the regional daily press on Thursday March 3. With this declaration letter that looks like an administrative formality, the Head of State put an end to a non-existent suspense.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen in quick succession obtained their five hundred sponsorships. They will perhaps be joined in extremis by Philippe Poutou, the candidate of the NPA, perpetuating a unique French tradition in the world, which has lasted for twenty years: the presence of two Trotskyist ballots in the first round of the presidential election. Christiane Taubira, the former Minister of Justice, she noted her inability to rally the left – and even more so her sponsorships -, abandoning the idea of a candidacy that never took off.
Beyond this race for five hundred sponsorships, with its ritual staging, the President’s entry into the running marks the real launch of a campaign which will only last five weeks, between now and the first round, scheduled for 10 April – even if, even before officially declaring himself, he was already the central figure in this hazy political landscape. The other candidates are hardly mistaken and target him, who through a campaign poster (Marine Le Pen), who through a recorded video message (Eric Zemmour). After attacking an elusive non-candidate for several weeks, the suitors now want to do battle by placing the president and his record at the center of the debates.
compelling reason
With what result? Emmanuel Macron is now a candidate, but it is not sure that this considerably changes the situation. He has already warned that with the war in Ukraine he could not campaign as he “will have it[t] wish “. His meeting on Saturday March 5 has been canceled, his participation in debates against his competitors is very uncertain. If one displays in his camp the disappointment of not being able to carry out the offensive strategy which had been concocted in recent weeks, the posture of the president in business is, in reality, not so inconvenient.
The outgoing has indeed all the trappings of the favorite. Our opinion poll, carried out from February 24 to 27 by Ipsos-Sopra Steria in partnership with the Jean Jaurès Foundation and Cevipof among 8,585 people certain to vote, places Emmanuel Macron very largely in the lead in the first round with 26 .5% of the voting intentions, or 11 points more than its first pursuer, Marine Le Pen (15.5%).
An update carried out with 4,000 people on March 2 shows a clear progression of the Head of State over the last few days (30.5%). After having capitalized on his role as managing president of the Covid-19 crisis, he benefits from his overhanging position, grappling with the major geopolitical issues of the moment, starting with the conflict in Ukraine.
However, these two turning points, the global pandemic and the return to war on European soil, added to the current climate catastrophe, make it all the more essential to hold a real presidential campaign and a debate enlightening citizens on these major subjects. Major world events cannot be excuses for overriding elections. Rather, they are the compelling reason why we need leaders elected through a free democratic process. The application phase is over. This is good news: the campaign, hitherto hampered, can finally begin. It’s urgent.