If you’re thinking about betting on the next French president, find out more about the French elections and how the odds look to bookmakers.
France has been accustomed to having a president ever since 1848, when Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte was elected and took his position as President of France.
What Does the French President Do?
Unlike the United States of America, where the President is the head, the French government has a different system.
The French Prime Minister is actually higher than the President, and the current Prime Minister is Manuel Valls, who was elected in 2014.
The President of France has a fair amount of authority when it comes to the national security of the country and any foreign policies, although the Prime Minister and parliament deal with the daily affairs of France.
Who Is the Current President of France?
At the moment, the President of France is François Hollande, who was elected in 2012. Before he came into this position, he was the President of the Correze General Council and was the Mayor of Tulle before that from 2001 up until 2008.
Previous French Presidents
Before François Hollande became President three years ago, Nicolas Sarkozy had held the position for five years. He didn’t get off to a great start after jetting off on holiday with his family the day after he was elected; however, despite negative media coverage, the French public was not outraged by this move.
Charles de Gaulle is another famous French historical figure who was the military leader during the Second World War. He became the President fourteen years after the war ended, and was in office from 1959 until 1969.
However, none of the president held this title as long as Jacques Chirac, who served from 1995 until 2007, and was succeeded by Nicolas Sarkozy. He had been the Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and then again from 1986 to 1988.
Who Could Be the Next President?
It wouldn’t be totally surprising if Nicolas Sarkozy took the position again, since Chirac was elected as President on two separate occasions. However, Sarkozy is out of the race.
Marine Le Pen is proving to be popular with the French public, and could stand a very good chance in the 2017 French election.
Among the biggest favourites, according to bookmakers, are François Fillon and Emmanuel Macron.
Betting on the next President
The bookmaker Paddy Power seems to think that François Fillon is in with a good chance of being elected as the next President of France, and has odds of 4/5.
Marine Le Pen has odds of 3/1 and is in third place according to this bookie. François Bayrou isn’t very popular and takes the bottom spot with odds of 200/1.
If you’d rather bet with a different bookmaker, like William Hill, you can place a bet on the party which will win the next presidential election, rather than the individual. The favourite party with odds of 4/11 is currently the UMP (Union for a Popular Movement).
The next president of France, my lovely great country?
François ASSELINEAU
The only one we love!!!!