‘Sense of fatigue’ as France prepares to choose next president

Locals stand on the main square, next to the twelve official posters of presidential candidates, during the visit of French President and liberal party La Republique en Marche (LREM) candidate for re-election in Spezet, western France [Ludovic Marin/AFP]

Paris, France – Voters in France are preparing to cast ballots in Sunday’s presidential election, the Fifth Republic’s 12th since 1958.

The campaign has been overshadowed by the Russia-Ukraine war. On the domestic front, it did not deliver debilitating misconduct such as the 2017 embezzlement scandal of Francois Fillon, the right-wing candidate of Les Republicains party.