As the French presidential election draws nearer, an online tool can help you see which of the 12 candidates your local mayor supports.
The interactive tool enables you to search for a particular town, city, department or region, and then shows matching results, including the name of the mayor, their commune and department, and the candidate whom they have presented as a recommended candidate (parrainages in French).
As of March 7, 13,427 pledges of support have been validated by the Conseil constitutionnel. They must be validated in order to be considered official pledges.
There are now 12 confirmed candidates in the presidential race. All of them have at least 500 officials who have backed them as suitable candidates.
Marine Le Pen - Far-right. Third attempt at the presidency. Long-time Rassemblement national leader.
Eric Zemmour - Far-right. Former polemicist. Known for controversial views on immigration and Islam.
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan - Far-right. Paris suburb mayor. Eurosceptic. Tough on migration and welfare.
Valérie Pécresse - Centre-right. President of Ile-de-France. Former minister under Nicolas Sarkozy. Considered to be “tough on crime”.
Emmanuel Macron - Centre. Current president. Former investment banker and Economy Minister. Pledges to boost the economy but some see him as “leader of the rich”.
Anne Hidalgo - Left. Socialist. Current Paris Mayor. Eco-minded, and promises pay rises.
Yannick Jadot - Left. Former Greenpeace campaigner. Climate change policies and less reliance on nuclear power.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon - Far-left. Leader of La France Insoumise. Anti-globalisation. Arguably the most popular left-wing candidate.
Fabien Roussel - Communist. Promises include raising taxes on high earners and pay rises for public sector workers such as teachers and nurses.
Philippe Poutou - Anti-Capitalist party. Former factory worker. Pledges to raise public spending.
Nathalie Arthaud - Trotskyist. A secondary school economics teacher. Standing for Lutte Ouvrière and pledges to raise the minimum wage and lower retirement age to 60.
Jean Lassalle - Anti-establishment. Former shepherd who once went on hunger strike to stop a factory closure. Pledges include encouraging young people to “revive” the countryside, and reduce EU power.
Users can search the new tool by region, department, city or commune, meaning it can produce a comprehensive picture of the support among leaders near you.
For example, a search for “Dordogne” reveals 300 results, with a broad mix of support across the candidates, including Anne Hidalgo, Yannick Jadot, Jean Lassalle, Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Valérie Pécresse, Fabien Roussel and Eric Zemmour.
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A search for Finistère in Brittany brings up 150 results, with support again split among the major candidates.
Some of the results show support for other candidates.
These include François Asselineau, Inspector General for Finances and leader of his own party l’Union Populaire Républicaine; Arnaud Chiche, a doctor running as an independent; Clara Egger, a teacher, and part of the gilets jaunes Espoir RIC movement, running as an independent; and Anasse Kazib, a “militant” left-wing cheminot (train worker).
These candidates are technically in the running but have failed to secure enough supporter signatures to be considered in the final round.
