On the Eve of the Elections the Armenian Community in France Is "Targeted” by the Presidential Candidates

• 04.20.2017, 11:51
•  Europe,  World,  Diaspora

Francois Durand/Getty Images Europe

Few days is left before presidential elections in France, but as surveys show, it won’t be able to avoid the second round.  Against the background of scandals during the campaign, voters can not make a final decision and their support varies from one candidate to another. Thus, a week before the elections chances to reach the second round of elections increased for Jean-Luc Melanshon thanks to TV debates. His rating was growing so quickly that even bothered current President Francois Hollande, who urged the French to avoid the prospect of making "catastrophic choice" between Marine Le Pen and Melanshon in the second round.

Public opinion polls, conducted during the campaign, are predicting that chance to reach the second round of the presidential elections have candidates Marine Le Pen, François Fillon and Emmanuel Macron. According to the survey, they get 24-28% of the voteс. As for the possibility of victory in the second round, surveys predict victory for Emanuel Macron, while his opponent will probably be Francois Fillon. However, experts do not exclude that the real picture can be quite different, and the nationalist candidate Marine Le Pen can win, as her supporters are not so fond of speaking about it openly, and opinion polls also could reduce the number of supporters of Le Pen, as it was in case of Trump. At the same time compared with the start of the campaign Macron’s position is weakened. The French people are particularly concerned about the fact that Hollande said “Macron is me”. This had a negative impact on Macron’s rating, as the French think that in case of his victory Hollande's policy will be continued.

In such uncertain situation, each of the candidates rush to bring a large group of voters to his/her side by making target statements. In this context, the Armenian community of France, which has not expressed its support for any candidate yet, appeared in the focus of some candidates. Thus, Francois Fillon, who appeared in the center of the scandal from the beginning of the campaign, losing the support of the electorate, promised to complete the process of criminalization of Armenian Genocide denial. Marine Le Pen in this regard in addition to the traditional reference to the Genocide topic, referred to Karabakh conflict. In an interview with Nouvelles d'Armenie Le Pen said that the most desirable solution to the Karabakh conflict will be the reunification of Artsakh with Armenia.

French presidential elections will be held on April 23, 2017. If none of the candidates receives more than half of the votes, a second round will be held on May 7.