The French presidential elections and the need to mobilise beyond the urns

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The good news to arise out of the French presidential election campaign is that it has accentuated the crisis of the French presidential system, argues Mediapart’s publishing editor and co-founder Edwy Plenel. The bad news is that it is being played out like a game of Russian roulette. What will be the final result is all the more uncertain because of the potential influence of events like Thursday’s terrorist attack in Paris. Which is why, aside the vote itself, we must above all trust in the role of society and the mobilisation of citizen movements.

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How can one not savour this presidential election campaign in which, right up to the end, nothing has happened as predicted? That is, as predicted by and for the old political and media world which no longer knows which opinion poll it should believe in, and which is startled by the surge in support for the radical-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, just as it was previously by the tide of popularity for maverick centrist Emmanuel Macron.

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