WHY THE FRENCH HATE THEIR POLITICIANS SO MUCH

The French are often beguiled by their politicians' promises, only to be disappointed soon after the elections. Is this due to the ineffectiveness of French political leaders? Or to their presumed corruption? Or is it the traditional French pessimism making the people impossible to govern? In short, why do the French hate their politicians so much? In their book Pourquoi détestons-nous autant nos politiques?, Emiliano Grossman and Nicolas Sauger from Sciences Po's Centre d'études européennes examine this strange affliction, which can be seen as an acute manifestation of a European syndrome. Interview.

Is the opinion the French have of their ruling classes an exception in Europe?

Nicolas Sauger: Unfortunately not! Growing distrust of governments is evident throughout Europe. But France has taken this distrust further and faster. "Getting rid of the incumbents" has become a constant feature of French political life, much more so than in our neighbouring countries. The starting point for the book is this cycle of disappointment with politics in France, which repeats after each election. And that's what we try to explain.

Aren't the French right to be disappointed?

Emiliano Grossman: In fact, the first thing you notice is that the French have very high expectations of their politicians. They are often enthusiastic during election campaigns, and if you compare France with its neighbours, you see that the French don't actually suffer from more inefficient public policies or more corrupt political elites than elsewhere. Contrary to a widely held view, it is not because the French are never happy either.

So why this crisis of confidence?

Nicolas Sauger: The explanation we propose in our book is that the origins of the crisis are to be found in the very institutions of the Fifth Republic. These institutions can’t be blamed for all our troubles, but they accentuate the existing distrust because of the gap they create between the high expectations politicians’ raise during election campaigns and their inevitably more modest achievements once in power. Moreover, faced with these high expectations, and given the centrality of the presidential election, candidates for the Presidency tend to exaggerate their ability to solve problems.

Find out more
Emiliano Grossman and Nicolas Sauger, Pourquoi détestons-nous autant nos politiques ? (fr), Presses de Sciences Po

The Sciences Po Centre d’études européennes