Flash Points: The malaise poisoning French politics

Plus: Is Marine Le Pen a fascist? [Foreign Policy Logo]( [Foreign Policy Flashpoints]( April 24, 2022 | [View in browser]( To read unlimited articles featured in Flash Points, [sign in]( or [subscribe today](. SPONSORED BY [THE JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH]( The results of France’s presidential runoff will be broadcast on Sunday shortly after 8 p.m. local time, when the last polling stations in the country close. Regardless of whether incumbent President Emmanuel Macron triumphs over far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, each candidate is seen by many as anathema. It’s safe to say French politics are in a state of disrepair. Foreign Policy has gathered a collection of our coverage on this pivotal moment in French political life, characterized by a despondency known in French slang as le seum. —Allison Meakem --------------------------------------------------------------- [Après Macron, Le Déluge]( The French president’s aloofness is a personal failing that could soon produce a historic catastrophe. By James Traub --------------------------------------------------------------- [France’s Constitution Can’t Contain Marine Le Pen]( By expanding executive power, previous presidents have primed the system for her abuse. By Rim-Sarah Alouane --------------------------------------------------------------- [Is Marine Le Pen a Fascist]( The French presidential contender’s reliance on referenda suggests she is more of a Bonapartist. By Robert Zaretsky --------------------------------------------------------------- [The French Right Is Obsessed With Fighting Wokeness]( An imported culture war is playing a major role in the presidential election. By Lucas Dolan and Kimberly Tower --------------------------------------------------------------- [The Malaise Poisoning French Politics]( There’s a word for the anger and disappointment French voters are feeling: “seum.” By Fleur Macdonald Photo: Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images --------------------------------------------------------------- SPONSORED Become a Public Health Leader. At the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, students learn how to tackle the world’s most urgent health problems and save lives, millions at a time. Enroll in one of our 137 academic programs and join the effort to make our future more healthy and equitable. [Learn more](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Now Available: The China Issue.]( Read masterful analyses of the U.S.-China relationship, Beijing’s foreign policy, the Ukraine-Russia conflict and more. Plus, get a free copy of the print magazine at no additional charge when you join. [Save 20% when you subscribe today.]( FOLLOW FP ON This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to FP’s Flashpoints newsletter. Want a friend to receive this newsletter? [Forward it]( now. Want to receive other FP newsletters? [Manage]( your FP newsletter preferences. [unsubscribe]( | [privacy policy]( | [contact us]( | [advertise]( Foreign Policy magazine is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2022 The Slate Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006. [Link](