Town that usually follows the winner in a spin

Surrounded by farms producing goat’s cheese and foie gras, the medieval town of Donzy in deepest Burgundy is, in many ways, textbook “la France profonde”. With a population of 1660, it boasts a church, two doctors, a butcher, two bakers, three cafes, three schools and a retirement home.

Donzy is seen as a political bellwether, having voted for the winning party at each general election since it became a constituency in 1974. Donzy has reflected the national vote in seven presidential elections. In 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the then Front National candidate, won 16.86 per cent of the firstround vote in Donzy and 16.87 per cent nationwide.

There was a wobble in round one in 2012, but it was back on track in the run-off, plumping for Franc¸ois Hollande, the socialist winner. Yet Donzy’s political weather vane is in a spin, as no fewer than four candidates stood a chance of reaching the run-off.

The consensus of locals was that the Marine Le Pen vote would be very high. Mickael, 30, an agricultural worker, said: “I want radical change. I choose Marine Le Pen. I juggle with two jobs to get by. I don’t take my kids on holiday. I am the France that works, that people don’t look at or listen to.”

Sitting in a bar, Fre´de´rique Charpin, 31, an accountant, was also tilting towards the FN candidate. “People have had enough of the way the French political system is organised.”

But she held out little hope Le Pen would win the run-off. “In the first round, it will be Le Pen-Macron but after that, [Emmanuel] Macron will win as the French are scaredy cats. The Le Pens never win. But I’d like it to be her turn.”

Vincent Chavouet, 33, a care worker, was mulling backing JeanLuc Me´lenchon, who he felt had interesting ideas on ecology and was not as extreme as some claim.

Preparing ballot boxes in his town hall, Jean-Paul Jacob, Donzy’s Mayor, envisaged a big protest vote.