A Victory for France

France has dealt a heavy blow to far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen in Sunday’s presidential election run-offs and reinstated the conservative president Jacques Chriac to power. The outcome was a landslide victory for the incumbent candidate after two weeks of street protests, but certainly no surprise.

Exit polls show Chirac took nearly 82 percent of the vote against Le Pen’s 17 percent.

Voters across the political spectrum turned out in masses to reject the anti-immigrant National Front Leader, who shocked the nation several weeks ago during the first round of elections by receiving the second highest returns and knocking socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin out of the running.

In an unprecedented demonstration of unity, left-wing government officials, union leaders, business directors and church heads all called on the country to elect Chirac. Never before had a presidential election come down to a race against a candidate from the right and one from the extreme right.

Some 80 percent of the population heeded their message and headed to the polls. For many it was a vote on the future of France and the state of the nation.

"The result is clear – extreme right 17.5 percent, democracy 82.5 percent", declared outgoing Socialist Finance Minister Laurent Fabius soon after voting ended.

Chirac’s success

The overwhelming sweep for Chirac is the biggest election victory in the history of France’s Fifth Republic. Chirac is the only French president to receive higher voter returns than the conservative party’s mentor, General Charles de Gaulle. And yet, the victory is not a pure one.

Yet far from realizing his dream of becoming a non-partisan "president of all the French", Chirac will remain the French leader many people voted for simply to block Le Pen. A vote for Chirac on Sunday does not necessarily mean an endorsement of the Gaullist leader’s policies.

Several left-wing party supporters said they had no other choice but to vote for Chirac. For them it came down to electing the lesser of two evils. A few even showed up at the polling stages with a clothes pin on their nose to protest the "stench eking out from Chirac’s corruption scandals".

Nonetheless, Chirac said he intended to begin his new term as president under the sign of renewal. "France has reaffirmed its attachment to the values of the Republic. I salute France," he proclaimed in a televised speech from his campaign headquarters.

Chirac said he had "heard and understood" the call for change from the alienated electorate that had sent Le Pen into the run off at the expense of Jospin. He pledged to respond with better policies on crime and employment, two issues Le Pen supporters criticized the government for not doing enough about.

What comes next?

On Monday Chirac will accept Prime Minister Jospin’s resignation and appoint a party successor for the premiere’s office. Chirac will then begin building up his transitional government, which will govern the country until at least the conclusion of the parliamentary elections on June 9 and 16. Until this time, the government does not require the support of Parliament.

If, however, the voters turn out in large majority for the leftist parties, than the conservative government named by Chirac would be forced to step down. A forced coalition between opposite sides, such as the previous one under Jospin, would be formed. If the conservatives dominate the parliamentary elections, then there would be a so-called presidential majority. The last time this happened was from 1995 to 1997.