The first round of the French Presidential election in 2012 will take place on Sunday, 22 April 2012. The two leading candidates will face each other in a run-off two weeks later on Sunday, 6 May 2012.
A candidate in the first round must obviously be a French national and must have obtained the signature of 500 elected people from at least 30 different departments in France or abroad. There are potentially 45 000 elected people, including 36 000 Mayors. No one can present more than one person in the election.
Although theoretically one could find 90 different Presidential candidates, this is far from what will happen. To be sure they have enough valid sponsors, small candidates will collect many more than just 500 signatures. Big party candidates will do the same thing, but with the object of stifling and blocking competition from smaller candidates !!! Big parties will not help small candidates.
The real problem is that the names of 500 "sponsors" of each candidate will be officially published !!! This in fact means that the electors of small town mayors could discover that he has favoured a candidate who is not to their liking !!! He could lose votes in his next election !!! On top of this, if his home town is in a region which is now in the "opposition", it may get less regional subventions !!!
This problem is well known in France, but the Constitution will not be changed before the coming election.
A candidate in the first round must obviously be a French national and must have obtained the signature of 500 elected people from at least 30 different departments in France or abroad. There are potentially 45 000 elected people, including 36 000 Mayors. No one can present more than one person in the election.
Although theoretically one could find 90 different Presidential candidates, this is far from what will happen. To be sure they have enough valid sponsors, small candidates will collect many more than just 500 signatures. Big party candidates will do the same thing, but with the object of stifling and blocking competition from smaller candidates !!! Big parties will not help small candidates.
The real problem is that the names of 500 "sponsors" of each candidate will be officially published !!! This in fact means that the electors of small town mayors could discover that he has favoured a candidate who is not to their liking !!! He could lose votes in his next election !!! On top of this, if his home town is in a region which is now in the "opposition", it may get less regional subventions !!!
This problem is well known in France, but the Constitution will not be changed before the coming election.
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