Macron and Le Pen on the Issues
The two remaining candidates in the race for the French presidency couldn’t be more different. Emmanuel Macron embraces globalization and Europe and Marine Le Pen wants to close borders and protect trade, for instance.
As they campaign ahead of the May 7 second round of voting, they’ll seek to recruit voters from the three other main candidates as well. It’s all up for grabs.
Emmanuel Macron
On the Move!
Center | Age 39
A former economy minister,
he created his party just
over a year ago and has
never been elected to office
Marine Le Pen
National Front
Far Right | Age 48
She modernized the party
after taking over from her
father but retained his
anti-immigrant views
Francois Fillon
The Republicans
Center-right | Age 63
The former front-runner has
been brought down by
scandals over putting relatives
on the public payroll
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
France Unbowed
Far Left | Age 65
He left the socialists to form
his own party, and is now on
his second run for president.
Benoit Hamon
Socialist Party
Center-left | Age 49
The former education
minister beat Prime
Minister Manuel Valls
to win the party primary
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Emmanuel Macron
On the Move!
Marine Le Pen
National Front
Francois Fillon
Benoit Hamon
France Unbowed
The Republicans
Socialist Party
Center | Age 39
Far Right | Age 48
Center-
right | Age 63
Far L
eft | Age 65
Center-le
ft | Age 49
A former economy minister, he created his party just over a year ago and has never been elected to office
She modernized the party after taking over from her father but retained his anti-immigrant views
The former front-runner has been brought down by scandals over putting relatives on the public payroll
He left the Socialists to form his own party, and is now on his second run for president
The former education minister beat Prime Minister Manuel Valls to win the party primary
Francois Fillon
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Emmanuel Macron
On the Move!
Marine Le Pen
National Front
Benoit Hamon
The Republicans
France Unbowed
Socialist Party
Center | Age 39
Far Right | Age 48
Center-
right | Age 63
Far L
eft | Age 65
Center-le
ft | Age 49
A former economy minister, he created his party just over a year ago and has never been elected to office
She modernized the party after taking over from her father but retained his anti-immigrant views
The former front-runner has been brought down by scandals over putting relatives on the public payroll
He left the Socialists to form his own party, and is now on his second run for president
The former education minister beat Prime Minister Manuel Valls to win the party primary
Here’s a rundown on where they stand, based on their platforms, speeches and tweets.
Economy: With the euro zone having faced near death earlier this decade, and with populists arguing that the austerity cure was worse than the disease, the question of common currency, fiscal policy and competitiveness are on center stage.
Spending / Deficit
Macron
Meet EU 3% deficit target
Le Pen
4.5% in 2018, down to 1.3%
in 2022
Fillon
Short-term deficit increase,
balance by 2022
Mélenchon
3% target is “folly”
Hamon
Universal basic income,
exclude defense budget from
EU deficit limits
Europe / Euro
Stay in and strengthen euro
Macron
Leave euro, replace with
francs at home and common
currency for big companies
and international trade
Le Pen
Stay in euro
Fillon
Mélenchon
Renegotiate euro treaty to
focus ECB on jobs and growth.
If no success, leave
Stay in euro, mutualize debts
Hamon
over 60% GDP
Competitiveness
Invites U.S. scientists to
Macron
immigrate
“Intelligent protectionism”
Le Pen
Program to be passed in first
Fillon
100 days
Spend €100 billion ($100B) on
Mélenchon
environmental transformation
Tax work by robots
Hamon
Spending / Deficit
Europe / Euro
Competitiveness
Macron
On the Move!
Meet EU 3% deficit target
Stay in and strengthen
euro
Invites U.S. scientists to
immigrate
Leave euro, replace with
francs at home and common
currency for big companies
and international trade
“Intelligent protectionism”
4.5% in 2018, down to 1.3%
in 2022
Le Pen
National Front
Short-term deficit increase,
balance by 2022
Stay in euro
Program to be passed
in first 100 days
Francois Fillon
The Republicans
3% target is “folly”
Renegotiate euro treaty to
focus ECB on jobs and
growth. If no success, leave
Spend €100 billion ($106B)
on environmental transformation
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
France Unbowed
Stay in euro, mutualize
debts over 60% GDP
Universal basic income,
exclude defense budget
from EU deficit limits
Tax work by robots
Benoit Hamon
Socialist Party
Spending / Deficit
Europe / Euro
Competitiveness
Macron
On the Move!
Meet EU 3% deficit
target
Stay in and strengthen
euro
Invites U.S. scientists
to immigrate
4.5% in 2018, down
to 1.3% in 2022
Leave euro, replace with
francs at home and common
currency for big companies
and international trade
“Intelligent
protectionism”
Le Pen
National Front
Fillon
The Republicans
Short-term deficit
increase, balance
by 2022
Stay in euro
Program to be
passed in first
100 days
Mélenchon
France Unbowed
3% target is “folly”
Renegotiate euro treaty
to focus ECB on jobs and
growth. If no success, leave
Spend €100 billion
($106B) on environmental
transformation
Hamon
Socialist Party
Universal basic income,
exclude defense budget
from EU deficit limits
Stay in euro, mutualize
debts over 60% GDP
Tax work by robots
Society: France’s generous welfare state has broad popular support, but there are major differences on how to pay for it and what changes are needed to sustain the overloaded system.
Taxes
Macron
Cut taxes on labor and
business
Le Pen
Lower labor taxes for small
companies, 10% tax on
foreign workers
Fillon
Cut payroll taxes for
companies and workers,
raise sales taxes
Mélenchon
Cut taxes for lower-income,
raise highest rate to 90%
for top 0.05%
Cut business taxes for
Hamon
companies that create jobs
Labor Market / Reform
More flexibility for
Macron
companies
Le Pen
French workers get priority
for jobs
Increase workweek, cut
Fillon
500,000 jobs in civil
services
Mélenchon
Limits on CEO pay
Union accords at national,
Hamon
not local, level; end hiring
discrimination
Retirement
Current law but same
Macron
system for public and private
sector workers
Le Pen
Lower retirement age to 60
for those who worked 40
years when employment
massively improves
Raise retirement age to 65
Fillon
Mélenchon
Lower retirement age to 60
for those who worked 40
years
Hamon
Current law: full retirement
at 65, minimum age would
drop to 60, from 62, for
physical jobs
Taxes
Labor Market / Reform
Retirement
Cut taxes on
labor and business
More flexibility for
companies
Current law but same
system for public and
private sector workers
Emmanuel Macron
On the Move!
Marine Le Pen
National Front
Lower labor taxes for
small companies, 10%
tax on foreign workers
French workers get
priority for jobs
Lower retirement age to 60
for those who worked 40 years
when employment massively
improves
Cut payroll taxes for
companies and workers,
raise sales taxes
Increase workweek,
cut 500,000 jobs in
civil services
Raise retirement age to 65
Francois Fillon
The Republicans
Cut taxes for lower-income,
raise highest rate to 90%
for top 0.05%
Limits on CEO pay
Lower retirement age to 60
for those who worked 40 years
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
France Unbowed
Benoit Hamon
Socialist Party
Cut business taxes
for companies that
create jobs
Union accords at national,
not local level; end
hiring discrimination
Current law: full retirement at 65,
minimum age would drop to 60,
from 62, for physical jobs
Taxes
Labor Market / Reform
Retirement
Cut taxes on
labor and business
More flexibility for
companies
Current law but same
system for public and
private sector workers
Emmanuel Macron
On the Move!
Marine Le Pen
National Front
Lower labor taxes for
small companies, 10%
tax on foreign workers
French workers get
priority for jobs
Lower retirement age to
60 for those who worked
40 years when employment
massively improves
Cut payroll taxes for
companies and workers,
raise sales taxes
Increase workweek,
cut 500,000 jobs in
civil services
Francois Fillon
The Republicans
Raise retirement age to 65
Cut taxes for lower
income, raise highest
rate to 90% for top 0.05%
Limits on CEO pay
Lower retirement age to
60 for those who worked
40 years
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
France Unbowed
Cut business taxes
for companies that
create jobs
Current law: full retirement
at 65, minimum age would
drop to 60, from 62, for
physical jobs
Benoit Hamon
Socialist Party
Union accords at national,
not local level; end
hiring discrimination
International: The shock of Donald Trump’s victory and revelations that Russia sought to influence the U.S. outcome have reverberated throughout French politics. Those are just two examples of why the candidates’ views on foreign policy vary widely from the U.S. president’s.
Russia
Favors sanctions, for now
Macron
Opposes sanctions
Le Pen
Opposes sanctions
Fillon
Russia is France’s “natural ally”;
Mélenchon
NATO is obsolete
Maintain distance and
Hamon
sanctions
U.S. / Trump
Macron
Opposes immigration bans,
Mexico wall
Le Pen
France is better served with him
in the White House
Fillon
Judge him on his actions
Mélenchon
Sees him as no worse than any
other U.S. president
Hamon
Makes European defense
cooperation a necessity
Immigration / Security
Hire more police, raise defense
Macron
spending
Reinstate border controls,
Le Pen
ban net immigration
Set immigration quotas as low
Fillon
as possible
Immigrants contribute more
Mélenchon
than they cost
Reinforce community based
Hamon
policing
Russia
U.S. / Trump
Immigration / Security
Emmanuel Macron
On the Move!
Favors sanctions, for now
Opposes immigration
bans, Mexico wall
Hire more police, raise
defense spending
Marine Le Pen
National Front
Opposes sanctions
France is better served
with him in the White House
Reinstate border controls,
ban net immigration
Opposes sanctions
Judge him on his actions
Set immigration quotas
as low as possible
Francois Fillon
The Republicans
Russia is France’s
“natural ally”; NATO
is obsolete
Sees him as no
worse than any other
U.S. president
Immigrants contribute
more than they cost
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
France Unbowed
Reinforce community-based
policing
Maintain distance and
sanctions
Makes European defense
cooperation a necessity
Benoit Hamon
Socialist Party
Russia
U.S. / Trump
Immigration / Security
Emmanuel Macron
On the Move!
Favors sanctions,
for now
Opposes immigration
bans, Mexico wall
Hire more police, raise
defense spending
Marine Le Pen
National Front
Opposes sanctions
France is better served
with him in the White
House
Reinstate border controls,
ban net immigration
Opposes sanctions
Judge him on his actions
Set immigration quotas
as low as possible
Francois Fillon
The Republicans
Russia is France’s
“natural ally”; NATO
is obsolete
Sees him as no worse
than any other U.S.
president
Immigrants contribute
more than they cost
Jean-Luc Mélenchon
France Unbowed
Benoit Hamon
Socialist Party
Reinforce community
based policing
Maintain distance and
sanctions
Makes European defense
cooperation a necessity