Transformations in the Contemporary French Political Landscape: Between Electoral Strategies and Ideological Realignment

This paper analyzes some of the key transformations in French electoral politics and political rhetoric today. Focusing on the question of the evolving Left voting bloc in the wake of globalization and both sociological and ideological evolution in the electorate on the left and right, the different electoral strategies and ideological discourses of the Left are examined. Special attention is paid to the shift in the working class vote and the tensions within the French Left today over how to restore a coherent voting bloc. On one hand, some suggest that a new, diverse Left coalition must be formed; on the other hand, some advocate a return to a popular and republican conception of the Left electorate that aims to challenge the Right and extreme Right on pivotal issues such as security and authority. Finally, some of the key notions employed in these debates are analyzed in light of alternative discourses within the Left that make reference to an ethics of care