Today, France is heading to the polls to elect a new president.
With Front Nationale candidate Marine Le Pen’s divisive and at times Islamophobic rhetoric on immigration and security, the presidential elections are of great interest to many in the Arab world.
Le Pen has said that “we do not want to live under the rule or threat of Islamic fundamentalism,” criticizing public prayer and “gender segregation”.
“L’election presidentielle” has provided much food for thought, then, for those in the Middle East.
Some Twitter users, however, have taken the opportunity to point out that Le Pen might be bigoted, but at least the French live under a successful democracy.
France is often seen as one of the birthplaces of modern democracy, given the impact its revolutions and their aftermath had on governance across Europe. This is a legacy that is still enviable to many in MENA where limitations have often been placed on political freedoms and voting rights.
Lebanese singer Elissa was among those to make the comparison today. Parliamentary elections in Lebanon were delayed for the third time since 2013 earlier this year.
I envy the French people. At least they have a true democracy where they vote unlike Lebanon
— Elissa (@elissakh) May 7, 2017
Meanwhile, a Saudi tweeter asked “when will we see Arabs electing their presidents? Do not call me an infidel.”
#الانتخابات_الرئاسية_الفرنسية متى سنرى العرب ينتخبون رؤسائهم لحد يكفرني
— AishahAlmrzok (@Aishah_Almrzok) May 7, 2017
In Jordan, one ironic tweet read “France chooses its president in two rounds… meanwhile, for Arabs the president is chosen before the first round [of voting], and then the president chooses the people.”
#فرنسا تختار رئيسها على دورتين.. في حين تـحسم #انتخابات العرب قبل الدورة الأولى لصالح رئيس يقوم يعد ذلك باختيار الشعب.
— Deema Yac (@DeemaYac) May 7, 2017
#انتخابات_الرئاسة
Another tweeter resorted to sarcasm, saying: “I feel sorry for the French who still elect the president by themselves, they don’t have parliamentary blocks that take their vote from them, and elect [the president] in their place.”
مساكين الفرنسيين بعدهم بينتخبوا رئيسهم بأنفسهم
— كلمة حرة (@kalimahorra1) May 7, 2017
وما في كتل نيابية تصادر صوتهم وتنتخب عنهم ! #فرنسا
The Arabic-speaking world is undeniably plagued by a lack of political freedom. The Economist’s 2016 Democracy Index saw a map of the region swathed in the red and orange of “authoritarian regime”. In fact, only Tunisia and Israel were marked in the green of “democracy”.
It is unsurprising, then, that this election - flawed as it is - has most Arabs green with envy. Still, they might not be so jealous if Islamophobic Le Pen takes the reigns of a country that is seven-and-a-half per cent Muslim.
