  2022 French presidential election

France's conservative party Les Republicains will send Valérie Pécresse into the 2022 presidential race. The head of the Île-de-France region prevailed in a run-off against staunchly right-wing Eric Ciotti. Former favourites such as Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier were eliminated in the first round. Commentators discuss whether Pécresse can hold her own against Macron and the far-right candidates Zemmour and Le Pen.

After considerable speculation, the far-right journalist Eric Zemmour has declared his candidacy for the 2022 French presidential elections on YouTube. His video harks back to General de Gaulle's 1940 call to resistance and warns that French culture is disappearing as a result of immigration. Europe's press voices concern.

The French newspaper Ouest-France has announced that it will not conduct any polls for the 2022 presidential election on the grounds that they distract from the essential issues. With the exception of the free papers, Ouest-France is the French daily with the highest circulation. Can this move strengthen democracy and the culture of debate?

Hardly a day goes by without a controversial debate about Eric Zemmour in the French media. The journalist, who has been convicted several times for spreading racial hatred, is making a name for himself with his far-right views and flirting with the idea of running for president in the 2022 elections. In some polls he has already overtaken Marine Le Pen. France's press takes stock.

The French elections in April 2022 are drawing closer. On Monday the first TV debate among the conservative primary candidates took place, Macron's televised address on Tuesday already was already focused on his election platform, and on the extreme right Eric Zemmour - not yet an official candidate - is slowly outpacing Marine Le Pen. Europe's press discusses the extent to which they are all fighting for the same votes.