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The election campaign in France – at first it barely got going, and now the war in Ukraine is dominating the debate. The French also feel the effects of the war in their wallets, for example when they fill up their tanks. As in other countries, petrol prices are causing red heads – but in France the issue is particularly sensitive.
Election campaign for the purse
Because in France, purchasing power has been the number one concern for the population since the fall due to inflation. “This is special compared to previous election campaigns,” says political scientist Isabelle Veyrat-Masson from the CNSR Institute “Centre national de la recherche scientifique” in Paris. “Usually, unemployment comes first.” The fact that this has slipped down in the worry barometer has to do with the fact that unemployment figures have fallen under the Macron government. On the other hand, the war is now adding to the problem of purchasing power.
President Emmanuel Macron had already taken various measures to strengthen purchasing power in the autumn. Now the government has announced a rebate of 15 cents per liter of fuel; The amount is deducted directly when paying at the gas station. The measure will be implemented on April 1, just ten days before the first ballot. The schedule is based on the practical implementation.
Political scientist Isabelle Veyrat-Masson is only partially justified in seeing Macron’s critics see this as an election campaign maneuver. “Many other European countries are also taking measures to cushion the rise in fuel prices. It would have caused a stir if Macron had not acted – with a negative effect on the campaign, »said Veyrat-Masson. One could hold Macron up to the timing. “The speed with which the measure was taken is probably no coincidence in the campaign.”
Memories of «Gilets Jaunes»
Fuel prices are a hot topic in France. The plan to increase it led to the protests of the “Gilets Jaunes”, the so-called yellow vests, in autumn 2018 – a test of strength for the Macron government.
Concerns about purchasing power are nothing new for right-wing populist Marine Le Pen. For her, it is the subject that made her available to a broader range of people. She wants to counter the rising fuel prices with tax cuts. Le Pen had already made it into the runoff against Emmanuel Macron in 2017, and now she is again in second place in the polls. According to political scientist Veyrat-Masson, Le Pen can count on a stable following thanks to the purchasing power issue. “The danger for them is the non-voters. There are people in their constituency who say they vote for Le Pen in polls. But it is uncertain whether they will actually go to the polls.”
That could then in turn help far-right candidate Eric Zemmour. This was filmed last week with concerned citizens at the petrol pump. In retrospect, the appearance turned out to be a staging: The car driver who was just filling up turned out to be a fiery follower of Zemmour. Zemmour is currently in fourth place in the polls, behind left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The election campaign at the pump is on. In view of the war, however, it will be difficult for President Macron’s challengers to blame the government for the problem.