The French Presidential elections will take place on 23 April and 7 May 2017 and could potentially have a large impact on the future of Europe: From the far left to the far right, there are parties in France which oppose European integration and call for France to leave the European Union. On the other hand, there are candidates who have always supported the European Treaties and who fight for a strong role for France in Europe and for Europe in France.

The European Movement International believes that the national elections in 2017 have a meaning for Europe as a whole. On this page we provide an overview of how “Europe” is mentioned in the election programs of the top five candidates.

Who are the candidates?

The top five candidates in the 2017 French election are, in alphabetical order: Francois Fillon (Les Republicains), Benoit Hamon (Socialists), Marine Le Pen (Front National), Emmanual Macron (En Marche !) and Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Unsubmissive France).

Have a look at our flashcards with the candidates’ views on Europe:

What do they say about Europe?

François Fillon – Calls for a “tougher, more united Europe that can defend itself against violent extremists and unfair trade” — and warns that a “Frexit” would lead to chaos and the death of the EU.

– Calls for a “tougher, more united Europe that can defend itself against violent extremists and unfair trade” — and warns that a “Frexit” would lead to chaos and the death of the EU. Benoît Hamon – “My European commitment is free from any kind of fetishism, it comes from a conviction that if we do not transform Europe urgently we will allow the extreme right to prosper.”

– “My European commitment is free from any kind of fetishism, it comes from a conviction that if we do not transform Europe urgently we will allow the extreme right to prosper.” Marine LePen – “We had been told that it was not possible to leave the EU, and the UK has just demonstrated that, when the people want it, we can set up the conditions to exit the EU. So, thank you for showing us the way out of this huge prison.”

– “We had been told that it was not possible to leave the EU, and the UK has just demonstrated that, when the people want it, we can set up the conditions to exit the EU. So, thank you for showing us the way out of this huge prison.” Emmanuel Macron – “We need Europe because Europe makes us bigger, because Europe makes us stronger”.

– “We need Europe because Europe makes us bigger, because Europe makes us stronger”. Jean-Luc Mélenchon – Argues that France should leave “European Union treaties” that “made it impossible to unify social protection standards”.

We have translated those parts of the election programs of each of the candidates that focus on their vision for Europe. Please find the document here.