In the second and decisive round of the French presidential elections, most French farmers will vote for President Macron on Sunday, rather than his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen.
Le Pen cannot count on the support of French agricultural associations due to her anti-European stance, as was made clear last week from recent opinion polls and voting recommendations.
The chairwoman of the French Farmers' Federation (FNSEA), Christiane Lambert, reminded in an internal circular that the association is statutorily apolitical and only recommends participation in the elections. At the same time, Lambert advocated for a “stronger Europe” and warned against a divided EU “based on excessive national viewpoints.”
The FNSEA president called on French farmers to vote. “This election is of paramount importance for our country,” she emphasized. “Domestic agriculture must fit into a united and strong Europe that does not return to the primacy of self-interest and national politics.”
Le Pen also cannot hope for support from other French sector organizations. While the smaller farmers' association Coordination Rurale (CR) gave no comment on the entire election campaign, the Confédération Paysanne (Conf’) called on its members not to vote for Le Pen. The Association of Agricultural Family Businesses (MODEF) also urged blocking Macron’s competitor.
Numerous non-governmental organizations, including Greenpeace, also took a stance against Le Pen. Although Macron has broken numerous previous campaign promises on environmental and social issues, the “xenophobic, backward, and isolationist” policy of Le Pen should not be overlooked, according to Greenpeace.
Not only modern liberals or progressives, but many French farmers are not truly satisfied with President Macron’s policies during his past five-year term. Many left-wing voters say they will not vote at all. Nevertheless, many undecided voters tend to still vote for Macron to prevent the “even greater threat” of a far-right presidency under Marine Le Pen.
It was already known earlier that her National Front has received financial support from Moscow in recent years and that Marine Le Pen was cordially received by President Putin.