What I have to say now will not attempt to offer any great insight into the ongoing election campaign for the next President of France- though hopefully complements current discussions and events.
Whilst spending a recent weekend in Paris (which, incidentally, was the weekend of the first round of the 2017 presidential election), I had the same feeling as when I last visited the city- as well as when I visited Vienna last year. Beautiful cities though they are, I feel that there is a sad disparity between the images these cities portray of themselves (and their countries generally) versus the reality. Perhaps it is because I am a British monarchist that I am biased, but I can't help thinking that London's landmarks represent a continuous story of the UK's history and identity, with two of the most iconic buildings, Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, reflecting our centuries-old attachment to democracy and constitutional monarchy. In contrast, Paris' most iconic buildings tend to be grand palaces or cathedrals, which imply that monarchy and Catholicism are strong parts of France's identity. In reality of course, France officially endorses republicanism and secularism- and has done for the past century or so. It therefore feels a bit hollow to me that buildings so important to what people associate with France are not really relevant to what the country is today; and that, to an extent, the way you could once trace the country's ongoing story through its architecture and most famous buildings has stopped.
Adolphe Thiers once famously said the reason behind the establishment of a French republic was that it "divides us least"- a governmental system set-up therefore not out of strong convictions, but as a compromise. Adolphe Thiers would be one of the first ever Presidents of France, yet was himself a monarchist sympathiser. The Third French Republic was often seen as a provisional form of government for France, following the country's defeat in 1871 in the Franco-Prussian War, yet has been upheld (albeit with amendments along the way) ever since. Even France's strongest symbol, the Eiffel Tower, unveiled in the early days of the Third French Republic, was due to be a temporary structure only, and intended to be removed a couple of decades later- yet has likewise lasted ever since.
I wonder if there is any link between the weak convictions underpinning modern France, formed by a provisional republic and represented by a temporary structure, and the insecurities that have plagued France's national identity since the compromise republic was established back in 1871...
