Importance of vote results in extraordinary turnout
Thousands of expats wait in long line to cast their votes at Collège Stanislas
Daniel Weinstock figured he would get his vote out of the way early by arriving a half-hour before polls opened.
But with a line wrapping around five city blocks at 7:30 a.m., the Montreal-born French citizen realized there was no way he would be able to cast a ballot in time to make his 9 a.m. meeting Saturday.
“I thought I would beat the crowd, and boy was I mistaken,” said Weinstock, a professor in the Faculty of Law at McGill University, who has been voting in French elections since the 1980s. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Weinstock expected to return to vote at 5 p.m. in hope of casting a ballot before polls were scheduled to close by 8 p.m. Saturday.
With most of the votes counted on Sunday, both here and across France, results showed that centrist Emmanuel Macron, 39, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen, 48, will face each other in a run-off on May 7 to determine the French presidency.
Hundreds of French expats showed up at the Union française in Montreal to watch the results on television. Some in attendance said they were disappointed that Le Pen will have a crack at the presidency in two weeks. Others said they are content that Macron is the other candidate.
“I am relieved because I think Macron will succeed in rallying a lot of people,” said Victoire Gonzalez.
The results have set up a duel between Macron, a candidate with no electoral experience who supports the European Union, and the woman who represents the antiimmigration Front National party, which has been tainted by racism and anti-Semitism.
The race is seen as a litmus test for the spread of populism and could help determine Europe’s future. Close behind were far-left contender Jean-Luc Mélenchon and conservative François Fillon.
Thousands of French nationals lined up to vote at Collège Stanislas in Outremont, the only place in the Montreal area where French citizens could vote. “You have to be motivated, that’s for sure,” said Marc Dorschner, who is from the Alsace region.
“We are really eager to participate,” said Dorschner, adding it was the most important election in the history of the Fifth Republic (France since 1958). “We are confronted with political visions that are totally different. We have real candidates who really want to change things, unfortunately not always in the best ways.”
Dorschner was one of several who said he was motivated to block the extreme right, which has been gaining popularity in the country in recent years. He said there is nothing new with Le Pen’s message, as the Front National has existed for decades and has had a similar message throughout its existence.
“I have confidence in my country,” he said. “I think it is impossible that half the country wants to see the Front National in power, but that’s why I think a lot of people are here today, to avoid this catastrophic scenario.”
The country’s 10-per-cent unemployment rate and lacklustre economy were among the top voter concerns in the election.
A deadly attack on police on Paris’s famed Champs-Elysées clouded the last days of campaigning. Security is a prominent issue after a wave of extremist attacks on French soil, including Thursday night’s attack by a gunman who killed a Paris police officer before being shot dead by security forces. The gunman had a note in his pocket praising the Islamic State.
Several French nationals in line Saturday said it is this climate of fear that has boosted Le Pen.
“Are we going to go in the same way we have seen elsewhere, like what we’ve seen with (the election of Donald Trump in the U.S.)? I don’t know,” said Emmanuelle Paciullo. “I hope not, because when we start to close borders, we turn inward and give a rise to racism and xenophobia.”
Weinstock said aside from the rise of Le Pen, this election is different because of the sheer number of candidates — there were 11 — and the fact many seem to have similar levels of support in public opinion surveys.
“When I started voting in French elections, there was a certain predictability,” he said. “You would have a socialist candidate and a candidate from the moderate right-wing coalition, and you would choose between those two. Now, you have all these new voices that are shaking up the political landscape.”
Many of those waiting in line in Montreal on Saturday said they were supporting Mélenchon, the far-left candidate.
“We need for things to change,” said Tristan Roche. “I’m here in Quebec because there are not many opportunities for me to get a job over there.”
However, some said they understood why Le Pen became such a popular candidate in the election.
“Maybe she’s talking about things that people want to hear, issues that are important to some people,” said Frédéric, who did not want to give his last name.
He agreed this was one of the most important elections in recent history.
“I’ve never voted here before in the past, but decided to come today, because this time it’s very important, because things have to change, and now is the time,” Frédéric said.
We are confronted with political visions that are totally different.