French Revolution? The 2017 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections

The 2017 French presidential and parliamentary elections were among the most eventful in the history of the Fifth Republic. Both elections saw a rejection of the two political forces of Left and Right that had dominated electoral politics for decades, with neither candidate from the Socialist Party or Les Republicains even qualifying for the second round of the presidential contest. Instead, the second-round run-off was between a newcomer to electoral politics, Emmanuel Macron, and the standard bearer of the extreme right, Marine Le Pen. Macron's success was followed by the victory of his new party in the parliamentary contest. Yet, while political renewal was an outstanding feature of both elections, in several key areas President Macron's reformist agenda represents a significant degree of continuity with the practice and policies of previous presidents.