"'Europe' in the 2002 French elections"

Drake, Helen. (2003) "'Europe' in the 2002 French elections". In: UNSPECIFIED, Nashville, TN. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

French relations with the European Union (EU) have found themselves on trial in the opening years of the 21st century. The French presidency of the EU's Council machinery in 2000 was charged with faulty diplomacy; and the events and results of the 2002 French presidential election suggested the existence of a sizeable minority of the French electorate prepared to give voice to a persistent anti-"Europeanisation" -if not anti-EU- sentiment. France's international image has emerged tarnished from these high-risk developments. This paper evaluates at close range the significance of the 2002 French presidential and legislative elections for the course of French European policy in Chirac's second presidential term. It measures the extend to which `Europe' featured in the election campaigns, and interprets the significance of `Europe' in the election results. It analyses the impact of the elections for the role played by the European question in the French party political life, for France's international image, and for its policy options. The paper concludes that the elections both confirm France's troubles in elaborating a European strategy, yet - paradoxically? - suggests a new phase in French activism in Europe.

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