With the dawn of the New Year, the presidential hopefuls from France’s mainstream political parties have begun to set out their plans ahead of the vote in the spring.
Francois Fillon
The centre-right candidate Francois Fillon has defended his programme of slashing public spending and cutting half a million public sector jobs.
He says the policies are needed to give corporate France a shot in the arm and boost economic growth.
“I think 500,000 jobs is an achievable figure, particularly if we negotiate an increase in working hours,” Fillon said, referring to plans to scrap the 35-hour working week.
He rejected repeated charges that his proposals for welfare and public health service reform are brutal.
“I am a Gaullist and I am a Christian:that means I would never take a decision that is contrary to the respect for human dignity and the human being,” he continued.
Je veux être le candidat de la vérité, d’une France forte, d’une France qui protège. #LE20H pic.twitter.com/N5IkVSR9kD— François Fillon (@FrancoisFillon) January 3, 2017
Marine Le Pen
The French National Front leader Marine Le Pen says her party is “ready, determined and organised” for this year’s presidential election.
Speaking during her New Year news conference in Paris, Le Pen said she has been preparing for the spring election for months now.
The far-right leader says she offers order and stability:
“I have seen candidates come and go, who appear and then disappear. I have seen presidents who declare their candidacy, then fade away as if their term were just a political hiccup. Faced with this chaos, we offer an organised campaign. An organised campaign to put France back in order.”
Je présentais ce matin mes vœux à la presse pour cette année 2017 : https://t.co/Znl7HvSqEN #VoeuxMLP #Voeux2017 pic.twitter.com/sAuKxpu0g1— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) January 4, 2017
Manuel Valls
Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls promised to avoid draconian public spending cuts as he laid out his pitch for traditional left-wing voters in the Socialist Party on Friday.
Valls resigned last month to run for the Socialist presidential nomination.
The 54-year-old is also proposing to overhaul the welfare system.
“I completely accept what has been undertaken since 2012 with the president, Francois Hollande. That is what responsibility means to me. I also demand the right to be freely creative, because I am a candidate for the presidency.”
While pollsters say Valls is likely to secure the Socialist ticket in a primary vote this month, the left is in disarray.
Commentators say any Socialist candidate will face a struggle to make it beyond the first round of the two-stage ballot in April and May.
Une République forte, une France juste : découvrez mon projet pour la France en direct, dès 11h, sur https://t.co/JR8eVrLXi0 #Valls2017 pic.twitter.com/jH24oz7Dk6— Manuel Valls (@manuelvalls) January 3, 2017
Who is Emmanuel Macron?
A former investment banker
F
Comments