[FR] Living together in the face of fears: the French political dilemma

This Policy Paper by our director Yves Bertoncini and Dídac Gutiérrez-Peris, director of European affairs at the Viavoice Institute, was produced on the basis of an exclusive YouGov survey aimed at assessing fears in France and five other EU countries (Germany, Spain, Poland and Sweden) and their impact on political debates. An English version was published as part of the report ‘Nothing to fear but fear itself?’ coordinated by Demos. the United Kingdom, Poland and Sweden) and their impact on political debates. An English version was published as part of the report ‘Nothing to fear but fear itself?’ coordinated by Demos.

This Policy Paper develops elements of analysis grouped into three main points:

• Fear is a structuring element of French public debate, in many forms
• The upcoming elections should allow for the expression of a feeling of mistrust, but also determine whether the National Front is perceived as a possible recourse or another threat;
• The Euroscepticism of the French cannot be equated with a Europhobic desire to break away from the European Union.

This Policy Paper will be the subject of a presentation and debate organised by Demos in Paris on 20 March 2017 in partnership with the Maison de l’Europe.