French Presidential Election: Can Marine Le Pen Win?

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Join France's renowned political commentator and sociologist Virginie Martin and Johns Hopkins professor Tristan Cabello for an analysis of the first round of the French election.

After dominating the first round with 27% of the vote to Le Pen's 23%, French President Emmanuel Macron will face the far right's candidate in a presidential run-off on April 24. The repetition of the 2017 run-off supports both Macron's and Le Pen's political assessments. The left-right division is no longer significant; instead, an opposition has emerged between a mainstream pro-European bloc on one side and nationalists on the other. While polls indicate that Macron will win reelection in two weeks, first-round results show that the president cannot rest on his laurels. With Macron polling as low as 51%, the possibility of a Le Pen presidency exists.

Virginie Martin is a French political scientist, associate professor at Kedge Business School, and co-president of the Scientific Council of France's Political and Parliamentary Review. She is the founder and former president of "Think Tank Different," a think tank created in 2012, and currently serves as associate scholar of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council. Her latest book, The Discreet Charm of TV Series, was published in August 2021 and offers a sociological and political reading of French and American TV series. She regularly appears in French and international media to discuss French politics and society. You can follow Virginie on Twitter @VirginieMartin_.

Tristan Cabello is an historian of American and French social movements, senior lecturer at the Johns Hopkins University, and associate director of the Master of Liberal Arts program. He regularly comments on U.S. and French politics in the media. You can follow Tristan on Twitter @tristancabello.

The event is sponsored by the Master of Liberal Arts at Johns Hopkins University, Advanced Academic Programs.