In the first round, four programs of the main candidates competed, the main difference between which can be reduced to four combinations of answers to two fundamental questions: should the French economy be liberal or protectionist? Is France itself cosmopolitan or nationalistic? About this in his article for DT. UA is written by the expert on foreign policy and security policy of the Ukrainian Institute of the Future and the Council of Foreign Policy "Ukrainian Prism" Nadezhda Koval.

The author notes that none of the "hybrid" programs has received sufficient support. In the second round on May 7, bringing political polarization to the maximum, the project of double openness of Emmanuel Macron and the project of double closing Marin Le Pen. Each of the candidates outlines this opposition with their own terms: for Le Pen this is a confrontation between the Europeanists and patriots, for Macron - the Progressives and the Conservatives.

In addition, there is a deep social rift between voters' candidates, Koval writes.. As the IPSOS study showed, the Macron electorate is educated residents of large cities with an income of 3000 euros per month (in Paris, it received a record 35% of the vote, while its rival is barely 5%). But the electorate of Le Pen - residents of villages and towns, unprivileged France, the most affected by economic stagnation, hired employees and workers with a salary of up to 1,250 euros.

"There was also a clear geographic rift: 47 departments where Le Pen was celebrating the victory are located in the east of France, 42, obtained by Macron, in the west," the author adds..