Conclusion

Contemporary France, as is often said, is quickly changing. So too is the character of French presidential elections. With the reordering of the election calendar and the possible end of cohabitation, and with both of these evolutions leading to a growing “presidentialization” of French politics, presidential contests have certainly taken on greater importance for understanding contemporary political dynamics in France. Add to this the fact that over the past few decades an increasing number of French voters have been supporting nontraditional presidential candidates, and it seems accurate to say that French politics, and especially French presidential voting behavior, is not what it used to be. These developments have led a number of analysts of contemporary French politics to turn their attention to the exceptional character of each individual presidential contest and to emphasize short-term dimensions in their assessment of electoral outcomes – not without good reason.