Skip to content
Navigating a New Political Landscape: View real-time updates about the impact of and Northeastern's response to recent political changes.
Apply
Stories

Could France elect a leader from the far right?

People in this story

The final round of the French presidential election on April 24 features a rematch of the 2017 runoff between Emmanuel Macron, the current officeholder, and Marine Le Pen, the far-right challenger of the National Front. The dynamics have changed since their last campaign, when Macron earned 66% of the vote to Le Pen’s 33%. Despite Le Pen’s political relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin—a photo of the pair is featured on Le Pen’s website—as well as her anti-immigrant and Euroskeptic positions, modelers, including those from The Economist, forecast that the election will be “tight.”

“I would not bet a lot of money on Macron, but I still think that’s the safer bet,” says Colin Brown, a Northeastern assistant teaching professor of political science who researches the impact of first- and second-generation migrants on elections, particularly in Western Europe. 

Macron is backed by the main challengers who were defeated in the first round on Sunday—with the exception of Éric Zemmour, who ran to the right of Le Pen. In the second and final round, he will go head-to-head against Le Pen.

Continue reading at News@Northeastern.

More Stories

Gas pump fills a tank

Will the Federal Reserve pause rate cuts after January’s inflation uptick?

02.12.2025
A drawing depicts steam engines in America.

What is Jevons Paradox? And why it may — or may not — predict AI’s future

02.07.2025
Heart-shaped box of chocolates

How a Victorian-era marketing ploy made chocolate the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift

02.14.25
All Stories