The Russian invasion of Ukraine has already had an enormous impact on European politics and society. Poland and other Eastern European nations are rightly nervous and have bolstered their defenses, supported by NATO. Germany has radically increased its defense spending and has begun providing direct military support to Ukraine. The entire European Union is grappling with massive shifts in military spending and security policies.

The Ukraine War has also significantly affected the current French Presidential Elections, as French presidential candidates prepare for the first round elections on 10 April 2022. The top two candidates from the first round election will then advance to a second round runoff, which will be held on 24 April 2022.

Last night, the French television channel TF1 held a live televised forum on La France Face à la Guerre, which offered French citizens a series of fast-paced interviews with the eight leading presidential candidates from across the political spectrum.

The program was essentially a pseudo-debate focused on the Ukraine War, immigration issues, economic and social policies, and retirement reforms.

A recording of the TF1 program La France Face à la Guerre is available online.

Meanwhile, professors and researchers of French History, French Studies, and Political Scientists are closely following the ongoing French Presidential campaign.

At Northern Illinois University, Professor Emma Kuby and I both conduct research on French History and incorporate contemporary French culture into our teaching of HIST 311 Early Modern France, HIST 312 Modern France, HIST 339 French Overseas Empire, HIST 423 French Revolution and Napoleon, and other courses.

For more information on French History and the Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in History at Northern Illinois University, see the NIU Catalog and the NIU Department of History website.

Research centers and institutes at other universities are organizing discussions and programs on the French Presidential Elections. The Modern French History Seminar at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), based at the University of London, will be hosting a roundtable on the French Presidential Elections.

Here is the announcement from the IHR’s Modern French History Seminar:

IHR Modern French History seminar will gather on Zoom on  Monday 21 March, 17:30 (London time) for a roundtable on the French Presidential Elections.

We will be delighted to welcome:

Helen Drake (Loughborough), Marc Lazar (Sciences Po), Rainbow Murray (QMUL), William Rispin (independent researcher), and Andrew Smith (Chichester). Julian Jackson will chair the session.

Please register via the IHR website to join us for the live discussion. You will receive the zoom codes in your registration confirmation email. 

More information is available at the Institute of Historical Research website.