France Goes to the Polls -- What Will the Contenders Offer the World?

April 20, 2007 — -- After 11 years in power, French President Jacques Chirac is set to leave office in May, and the attention of international policymakers has turned to what France's global outlook might be under his potential successors.

In recent years France's position on the international stage has been marked by Chirac's very public opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq, and at home by widespread anti-Americanism.

Some observers speak of a recent rapprochement between France and the United States, pointing to diplomatic cooperation over last year's war in Lebanon and ongoing military cooperation in Afghanistan. Yet the fallout over Iraq persists.

As the nation prepares for this weekend's first round of voting, this question emerges: Would any of the election front-runners work to repair transatlantic relations? What are their positions on other international issues?

The outcome of this year's election looks unpredictable, but most observers agree that only three of the 12 candidates are serious runners: socialist Ségolène Royal, Nicolas Sarkozy on the right, and centrist Francois Bayrou.

Common ground exists between the candidates. All three main contenders have said their priority will be ensuring that France reclaims its central role in the European Union. All declare themselves opposed to military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.

All are in favor of tougher sanctions against the Sudanese government if it continues to oppose the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers.

All demand that China improves its human rights record if the European arms embargo is to be lifted.

And all three take a cautious line on U.S. plans to install missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic, insisting the proposals be considered by Europe as a whole, and not just individual countries.

That said, foreign policy has not featured prominently in the campaign. Yet if the socialist and conservative front-runners go head to head in the second round, observers believe French voters will be offered a meaningful choice between two very different views of the world.