French presidential election Key Players

Jean-Luc Melenchon

65

LEFT PARTY

Total overhaul of political system, high tax, big spending on environmental transition, EU-hostile

ECONOMY

Cut pension age to 60 from circa 62/63 currently, keep work week at 35 hours, raise minimum wage to 1300 euros/month net versus 1139 now; repeal recent labour reform that makes hiring and firing easier; increase number of income tax bands, with top rate 100 percent on annual income over 400,000 euros .

SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION

On immigration, has said he wants immigrants generally to stay away, that what needs to end is forced exile of immigrants from their native country and thus the war and austerity that drives them to exile.

EUROPE AND THE WORLD

Opposes EU treaties, says change them or leave. Wants France to leave NATO, opposed to TAFTA/CETA trade accords.

SOCIETY AND GOVERNANCE

Wants sweeping constitutional reform to end a “presidential monarchy”, establish more citizen power over politicians and more political accountability as well as cement guarantees on rights such as abortion.

Benoit Hamon

49

SOCIALIST PARTY

Positioned to the left end of his Socialist Party. ‘Big idea’ is costly social welfare reform under which the state provides a no-strings monthly income to all adults

ECONOMY

10 percent rise in minimum wage, benefits payments and civil service pay. Shift to basic welfare income model, starting with 10 percent rise in benefit payments, to 600 euros monthly, extension of that payment to people aged 18 upwards versus 25 upwards now. Aim is to raise this to 750 euros and award it to all adults, costing at least 300 billion euros a year. Funding to come from tax reform including introduction of ‘robot tax’ on increasing number of digital- or robot-platform businesses.

SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION

Hire 1,000 police officers per year and boost defence budget to 3 percent of GDP, from well below 2 percent of GDP now. Introduction of temporary ‘humanitarian visa’ for migrants plus work permits pending asylum decisions.

EUROPE AND THE WORLD

Recognise Palestian state. Seek moratorium on EU’s stability and growth pact pending reform and exclusion from Maastricht deficit rules of defence spending. Oppose various international free trade pacts. Favours EU convergence on tax and social policies as well as defence.

SOCIETY AND GOVERNANCE

Legalise cannabis. Presidential mandate to be changed to one term of seven years, versus more than one five-year-term now. Members of parliament limited to three mandates. Introduction of citizen-initiative legislating where parliament must consider bills that are proposed with backing of 1 percent of voters.

Emmanuel Macron

39

EN MARCHE, AN UNAFFILIATED MOVEMENT

Non-partisan political movement created in April 2016 with stated goal of transcending the limits of traditional left- and right-wing parties, with policies that would combine state protection and business freedom to innovate.

ECONOMY

Keep 35-hour work week in law but allow negotiation of true work hours at branch and/or company level; broaden the existing CICE tax credit scheme for low-wage staff; exempt low-wage earners from health/unemployment taxes, boosting take-home pay by as much as 500 euros/month, with cost to state offset by rise in broader-based CSG tax. Extend healthcare cost reimbursement to full cover of dental, optical and hearing treatment.

SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION

Hire 10,000 police in first three years of mandate. Keep EU’s Schengen pact but boost external frontier policing by 5,000. Adopt common European asylum policy.

EUROPE AND THE WORLD

Firmly pro-European Union: wants common defence funding while remaining pro-NATO and wants euro zone governments to forge closer ties. Like most others, does not like TAFTA free trade agreement, which France among others has refused to back. Says free trade accords need more democratic process of negotiation.

Francois Fillon

62

THE REPUBLICANS

Seeking return to power for mainstream centre-right. after five-year hiatus. Won Les Republicains ticket on proposals to slash public spending and cutting state sector jobs Social conservative from region with strong Catholic roots.

ECONOMY

Reduce public expenditure by 100 billion euros, in large part by cutting public service payroll jobs by 500,000 and also raising legal workweek in private and public sectors — with instant rise to 39 hours, paid 37, in the public sector. Retirement age to rise to 65. Two-percentage point rise in upper-band VAT sales tax, scrap wealth tax and lower official company profit tax to 25% from 33%. Privatisation of social welfare insurance beyond serious or long-term illness cases. Big initial deficit rise.

SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION

No rise in national police numbers. Says Europe/EU needs an external frontier police force. Annual quota for intake of immigrants. Health benefit: foreigners eligible after two years of residence, free hospital treatment limited to serious illness. General free medical care abolished for foreigners.

EUROPE AND THE WORLD

Pro-EU but muted in rhetoric on this issue, with focus on consolidating and improving euro currency area decision-making. Wants closer ties with Russia, meaning end of EU sanctions over Crimea/Ukraine conflict and alliance in dealing with Syria.

SOCIETY AND GOVERNANCE

Personally opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage but would not change basic rules on either, except on adoption by same-sex couples. He would ensure filiation link with birth parents would remain, whereas it would be cut in the case of adoption by a man-and-woman couple. On programme generally, government would roll out key measures including tax cuts in first 100 days.

Marine Le Pen

48

NATIONAL FRONT

Seeking first presidential win for far-right party her father Jean-Marie Le Pen founded in 1972 but which she has rebranded as anti-establishment party that caters to working class voters of left-wing leaning as well as anti-immigrant, anti-EU and “French-first” voters.

ECONOMY

Raise salaries of up to 1,500/month by 200 euros/month. Cut retirement age to 60 and raise pension benefit. Cut gas and electricity prices by 5%. Cut tax on car fuel by 20%. Add higher income tax band of 46 percent. Add new higher VAT sales tax rate for luxury goods. Reform or maintain wealth tax. Company profit tax change to bands of 15%, 25% and 34% according to company size.

SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION

Referendum on restoration of death penalty and unchangeable life prison sentences. National preference rule for hiring French-origin people in public and private sectors. Reduce legal immigration to 10,000/year from 200,000/year. No welfare benefit for recidivist offenders. Legal migrants urged to leave country after one year of unemployment.

EUROPE AND THE WORLD

Ditch the euro and re-establish French franc currency. Renegotiate relationship with European Union. Pull out of EU farm subsidy programme and replace with a French one that limits payments to Brussels.

SOCIETY AND GOVERNANCE

Bring back seven-year presidential term and make it non-renewable. Strict secular rule, with ban on all forms of religious clothing and apparel in public service and among users of public services. Not part of official programme but she has said the abortion-on-demand law should not be changed.

Source: Candidate programmes and declarations

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