Addressing the nation and Europe: a study of French presidential election texts, 1988-2007

This doctoral thesis examines how French presidential favourites have addressed the nation and Europe in their bids for the presidency from 1988 to 2007. The study demonstrates the malleability of de Gaulle's influence on the French presidency. It reveals how the presidential election is the ideal domain for the promotion of the idea of French exceptionalism. It also shows the continuities and changes in the treatment of France and Europe by the presidential favourites over the years. This study involves a critical reading of a select sample of presidential campaign texts: François Mitterrand's presidential project in 1988; Lionel Jospin's foreign policy proposals in 1995; Jean-Marie Le Pen's 1 May speech in 2002 and Nicolas Sarkozy's first official address as presidential candidate in 2007. These main texts are supplemented by other satellite texts, and are contextualised and elucidated by reference to primary and secondary source materials, the latter drawing from the fields of political science, French studies and cultural studies.2017-02-2