French people are used to having their politicians make historical references in their campaign speeches and policy statements. As the French head to the polls, the weight of French history is again shaping the presidential campaigns.

The BBC reports on the use of history by the presidential candidates in France.  Olivier Guez comments in a New York Times op-ed on the inward-looking rhetoric and historical allusions of the presidential campaign.

Earlier posts have dealt with the use of Jeanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) by candidates in the current 2012 French presidential campaign.

If historical rhetoric has been a major part of the 2012 presidential campaign, new techniques of campaigning have also been adopted, according to a report in the New York Times. For a summary of the presidential candidates and a description of their platforms in English, see the BBC.