In the French election, we now have the complete field of candidates (pending confirmation their 500 endorsements are deemed valid). 11 this time round, which is fairly normal (10 in 2012, 12 in 2007) and far away from the record 16 in 2002.
Besides the main candidates I mentioned a fair bit (Mélenchon, Hamon, Macron, Fillon, Le Pen) the rest of the field is :
- Nathalie Arthaud, the spokesperson for the secretive Trotskyist Lutte Ouvrière, in her second run. She walks in the path of her predecessor Arlette Laguiller and her 6 consecutive runs in the election under the same banner (first woman in the election in 1974). Nathalie Arthaud is a "class candidate" and an economy teacher (lots of economy teachers in french politics...)
- Philippe Poutou for the Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste (which itself is mostly a reskin of the old Trotskyist Ligue Communist Révolutionnaire). Worker in a Ford factory, union leader. On his second run.
- Jean Lasalle for Résistons, former associate of Christian Democrat middleweight Bayrou (who joined Macron for this bid), he's a mayor and MP from the deep Pyrénées (the mountain range separating France from Spain) who became famous for a 39 days long hunger strike to protest a factory moving. Stands for rural France.
- Jacques Cheminade for Solidarité et Progrès, tried to run 6 times in the election but it's only his third valid bid (he failed to get endorsements the other times). He's the oldest and cloud cuckoolander candidate (wants to colonize the moon) but he's actually connected to Lyndon LaRouche. Wants France to leave NATO, the EU and the Euro. Former student at HEC (highest commerce school in France) and ENA (which produces a lot of career ubli servants and politicians).
- François Asselineau for the Union Populaire Républicaine, also a former HEC and ENA student, former public finance inspector, former member of the right wing mainstream party but constantly floating to his right under Charles Pasqua (Former representative of all the shady underbelly of gaullism, became famous when he said he wanted to "terrorize the terrorists" in the nineties) then Philippe de Villiers (Catholic ultra-conservative), now defending a "sovereignist" bent stance including a "Frexit" from the EU. Somewhat of a minor Internet sensation those last few years.
- Nicolas Dupont-Aignan for Debout la France, a right wing politician placing himself between Le Pen and Fillon who broke with the mainstream party back in 2007 when Sarkozy took complete control. Also a sovereignist. Also suggesting France should maybe leave the EU in "its current form". He has a couple of schticks like presenting himself as the champion of car owners (a demographic prone to pout and feeling targeted). He's on his third run.
Those six candidates will probably not tally more than 10% combined (in reality, bar any surprise, probably closer to 5%) and they're mostly non factors.
However, upon examining the complete list, the left is fielding a low number of candidates. Greens have joined Hamon and Communists rallied (after a narrow vote) to Mélenchon, somewhat contrary to tradition of running someone. The problem is that the 3 major candidates are all able to do over 10%.
EDIT: Poutou claims Lasalle endorsed his presidential run to help him mount a viable bid...
Also, to the surprise of no one, former Socialist Prime Minister Valls refused to endorse his party candidate Hamon.
Macron said he wanted to reinstate a mandatory conscription (only a month long however). Chirac decided in 1997 that the French Army was to become a professional, voluntary enlistment only, institution. The mandatory service was 10 months long then.
Latest BVA poll :
First round :
Le Pen 26%
Macron 25%
Fillon 19,5%
Hamon 12,5%
Mélenchon 12%
Dupont-Aignan 3%
Second round :
Le Pen 38%
Macron 62%
When asked if they were firm and sure of their choice of candidates, voters said :
Le Pen 80% sure
Fillon 70%
Mélenchon 58%
Macron 54%
Hamon 44%