Angelique Chrisafis’ Twitter report on upcoming election in #France
Angelique Chrisafis on Twitter
Angelique ChrisafisVerified account @achrisafis Apr 10
1/ Spent roughly two weeks talking to voters in rural central France & urban areas in S. East & West. A few things I noticed:
2/ France’s mass unemployment problem came up again and again as a key source of worry & anger at the political class
3/ There was overwhelming sense of wanting to kick the current political system, send the harshest message possible in the presidential vote
4/ Many intending to vote Le Pen hadn’t voted Le Pen in any election before & hadn’t voted in local elections in the past 5 years.
5/ More anti EU-feeling among Le Pen and Mélenchon voters than general polls might suggest
6/ Anger at the traditional political class and total breakdown in trust for them. Distrust of media.
7/ Voters who said they were undecided didn’t mean they were left-wing. There were undecided voters who said they might choose Le Pen
8/ A fluidity & wavering in choices. A trad right-wing voter who said “why not try Le Pen?” A 2012 Mélenchon voter who would choose Macron
9/ Majority said the most important thing was change. “Things have to change”,”Things have to be shaken up”
