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((PLAYBOOK SLUG: France/Vote-Chateaudun (TV)
HEADLINE: Ahead of French Presidential Runoff, Bellwether Town Mulls Options
TEASER: For years, the Loire Valley town of Chateaudun has voted in line with France
PUBLISHED AT: Thursday, 04/21/2022 10:33 am
BYLINE: Lisa Bryant
DATELINE: Chateaudun, France
VIDEOGRAPHER: Lisa Bryant
VIDEO EDITOR: Jon Spier
PRODUCER: Jon Spier
SCRIPT EDITORS: BR, MAS
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA Original, AFP
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:55
VID APPROVED BY: BR
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO))
[[France decides on its next president Sunday (4/24), when incumbent Emmanuel Macron faces his far-right rival Marine le Pen in runoff elections — just as they did five years ago. For the past two decades, the small town of Chateaudun, southwest of Paris, has voted in line with the rest of the country. So which candidate will its citizens back this time around? For VOA, Lisa Bryant went to find out.]]
((NARRATOR))
This picture-postcard town in the Loire Valley is known for its historic monuments, but also for being the bellwether of France. How Chateaudun votes – election after election - has been how France votes.
((Fabien Verdier, Chateaudun Mayor (male in English))
“We have everything here. We have agriculture, we have industry. // And all this history of agriculture, industry makes that Chateaudun seems to be the heart of France.”
((NARRATOR))
In 2002, center-right incumbent Jacques Chirac won the vote of most of Chateaudun’s 13,000 residents. In 2007, his successor, Nicolas Sarkozy got their vote – so did Socialist Francois Hollande in 2012 and current president, Emmanuel Macron, in 2017.
Chateaudun residents, known as Dunois, also mirrored the national vote for the first round of this election earlier this month.
Now, it’s down to Macron and his rival, Marine Le Pen, of the far-right National Rally party.
((Antoine Maestracci, Chateaudun Resident (Male in French) ))
“I’m choosing Mr. Macron. I think he’s serious, honest, a hard worker. // He won’t make bad choices for the French people. I don’t agree with the National Rally for a number of reasons…”
((NARRATOR))
Polls currently show Macron is likely to win the runoff by 10 percentage points, or more. But the outcome is volatile. Many French countrywide, and here, are still undecided.
((Carla Dacunha, Student (female in French — VOA original))
“To have Macron (on the ballot) again — he doesn’t necessarily represent me….And Le Pen isn’t someone I really like.”
((NARRATOR))
But the far right seems closer to a win than ever. Two decades ago, Le Pen’s father lost the presidential runoff by more than 80 percentage points. This election might be different.
((Nicolas Metereau, Chateaudun Resident ((male and French))
“Marine le Pen has good arguments… we’ll see whether what she says is true. It could be like all the other presidents; they promise a lot but only deliver half of it. But a woman in power could be interesting.”
((Fabien Verdier, Chateaudun Mayor (in English))
"I think they see in her what they didn’t have with the (traditional) right and left since 30-40 years. To try something else. A reject(ion) of traditional parties…traditional candidates…Also they would like to have results. Efficiency. Act quickly. And something else — to change France.”
((NARRATOR))
Mayor Verdier is taking no chances. He will not predict how the Dunois — and the rest of France will vote this coming Sunday.
((Lisa Bryant, for VOA News, Chateaudun, France))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateApril 21, 2022 11:02 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English