La Présidentielle 2022 in the American Library in Paris

Sunday 10 April saw the first round of the 2022 French Presidential election, with voters across France’s 101 départments heading to the polls to vote for their next president. 

Twelve candidates ran in the first round, and incumbent président de la République Emmanuel Macron, and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen polled top, respectively earning 27.8% and 23.1% of the votes cast.

Voters will return to polling stations for the second round two weeks later—on Sunday 24 April— to choose between Macron and Le Pen, and to ultimately decide the next resident of the Élysée Palace.

Here at the American Library in Paris, providing access to materials from a wide range of authors and points of view is central to our mission. To help you learn more about this election, and the contemporary French political landscape, we’ve curated  a selection of resources—both physical and digital.

Drop by our Members’ Lounge over the next few weeks to peruse our selection of books on the subject of 21st century French politics and the key issues in the 2022 présidentielle. From biographies of key stakeholders to deep dives into specific cultural, social, and political issues faced by France today, such as the European question, we hope to offer enriching information for everyone. 

While we strive to provide our members with the widest range of sources possible, as an English-language library, we are sometimes limited by what has already been—and not been—translated into English from French. If you’re a member and would like to suggest a title for our collection, please feel free to do so here.

You can also take a look at some of our online resources to stay on top of the French election, wherever you are in the world. To borrow these on OverDrive or Libby, use your barcode (found on your library card) and your password:

• Reporter magazine
• L’Express magazine
• Le Journal du dimanche
• Le français dans le monde
• Guardian Weekly
• The Economist

You can also stop by the Members’ Lounge in person to browse our selection of magazines and newspapers.

Finally, the American Library in Paris is holding a special Evenings with an Author event called ‘The French Election, Analyzed’ on 26 April 2022 at 19h30 which you can join in person at the Library or online, wherever you are in the world. Read more and RSVP here.