What the programmes would change, measure by measure
Twelve candidates on the same 118 levers.
Compare two programmes head to headThe effect on eight typical householdsThe 12 candidates’ pages
| Candidate | Income | Pensions | Taxes and finances | Public services | Transition | Institutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Le Pen32/57 | 3/9 key levers addressed | 4/5 key levers addressed | 9/13 key levers addressed | 5/13 key levers addressed | 5/10 key levers addressed | 6/7 key levers addressed |
| Raphaël Glucksmann47/57 | 5/9 key levers addressed | 2/5 key levers addressed | 12/13 key levers addressed | 12/13 key levers addressed | 10/10 key levers addressed | 6/7 key levers addressed |
| Édouard Philippe29/57 | 3/9 key levers addressed | 2/5 key levers addressed | 7/13 key levers addressed | 7/13 key levers addressed | 5/10 key levers addressed | 5/7 key levers addressed |
| Jean-Luc Mélenchon55/57 | 8/9 key levers addressed | 4/5 key levers addressed | 13/13 key levers addressed | 13/13 key levers addressed | 10/10 key levers addressed | 7/7 key levers addressed |
| Gabriel Attal39/57 | 5/9 key levers addressed | 3/5 key levers addressed | 11/13 key levers addressed | 8/13 key levers addressed | 8/10 key levers addressed | 4/7 key levers addressed |
| Bruno Retailleau37/57 | 7/9 key levers addressed | 2/5 key levers addressed | 7/13 key levers addressed | 9/13 key levers addressed | 7/10 key levers addressed | 5/7 key levers addressed |
Summary by area
| Candidate | Income | Pensions | Taxes and finances | Public services | Transition | Institutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Le Pen32/57 | 3/9 key levers addressed | 4/5 key levers addressed | 9/13 key levers addressed | 5/13 key levers addressed | 5/10 key levers addressed | 6/7 key levers addressed |
| Raphaël Glucksmann47/57 | 5/9 key levers addressed | 2/5 key levers addressed | 12/13 key levers addressed | 12/13 key levers addressed | 10/10 key levers addressed | 6/7 key levers addressed |
| Édouard Philippe29/57 | 3/9 key levers addressed | 2/5 key levers addressed | 7/13 key levers addressed | 7/13 key levers addressed | 5/10 key levers addressed | 5/7 key levers addressed |
| Jean-Luc Mélenchon55/57 | 8/9 key levers addressed | 4/5 key levers addressed | 13/13 key levers addressed | 13/13 key levers addressed | 10/10 key levers addressed | 7/7 key levers addressed |
| Gabriel Attal39/57 | 5/9 key levers addressed | 3/5 key levers addressed | 11/13 key levers addressed | 8/13 key levers addressed | 8/10 key levers addressed | 4/7 key levers addressed |
| Bruno Retailleau37/57 | 7/9 key levers addressed | 2/5 key levers addressed | 7/13 key levers addressed | 9/13 key levers addressed | 7/10 key levers addressed | 5/7 key levers addressed |
Quiz Do you really know the candidates? Ten questions on their careers or pick a candidate
57 levers, 6 candidates.
The effect on eight typical households →Compare two of these candidates head to head →LeverMarine Le PenView page No programme releasedPositions taken from statements17/50 costedRaphaël GlucksmannView page No programme releasedPositions taken from statements8/64 costedÉdouard PhilippeView page No programme releasedPositions taken from statements10/41 costedJean-Luc MélenchonView page Programme, 70 pp.New edition announced for 6 November 202633/104 costedGabriel AttalView page Online programme13/63 costedBruno RetailleauView page Online programme18/70 costed
Income and work
Net monthly minimum wage for a full-time job. Set by the State, it is uprated at least every 1 January. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher SMIC.Not addressedincrease: €1,600 net within two years (2025 plan, not reconfirmed in 2026) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: SMIC raised to €1,700 net (public statement by the candidate)other change: Priority to wage progression above the SMIC, no amount given (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Bruno Retailleau.
Income supplement paid by the family allowance funds (caisses d'allocations familiales) to low-income workers: amount, eligible groups, method of calculation. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher in-work benefit or open to more households.Not addressedNot addressedNot addressedNot addressedNot addressedother change: Replaced by an incentive income, reduced by 30% of earnings in workNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Raphaël Glucksmann, Édouard Philippe, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Gabriel Attal.
Minimum period of work, over a reference period, required to receive unemployment benefit. Direction rule: the upward arrow means longer work period required (more restricted access).Not addressedNot addressedNot addresseddecrease: Repeal Macron's eligibility rules; entitlement from the first day of workp. 36increase: Continuation of the 2024 reform: 8 months of work to open entitlementincrease: June 2024 rules applied, recharging of rights raised to 9 or 12 monthsNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Raphaël Glucksmann, Édouard Philippe.
Maximum period during which a jobseeker can receive unemployment benefit, depending on age and work history. Direction rule: the upward arrow means longer benefit period.Not addressedincrease: Repeal Macron’s unemployment insurance reform (document of the candidate’s party or movement)decrease: 12 months maximum for under-50s, « comme l’Allemagne » [“like Germany”] (public statement by the candidate)increase: Repeal Macron's unemployment insurance reformsp. 36decrease: Continuation of the 2024 reform, read as 15 months of benefits at mostdecrease: June 2024 rules, negotiated terminations compensated for 6 months at mostNot addressed: Marine Le Pen.
Weekly working time beyond which hours become overtime. It has been 35 hours since the Aubry laws. Direction rule: the upward arrow means longer statutory working time.Not addressedNot addressedother change: 2 more hours a week, by company agreement (€1,000 a year at the SMIC) (public statement by the candidate)decrease: 32 h in arduous or night-work jobs, then by agreement; 35 h « rétablies » [“restored”]p. 34other change: 4-day week where possible, with no decrease in monthly hoursother change: Working time negotiated by company or sector, with no reference to the 35 h (public statement by the candidate)Not addressed: Marine Le Pen, Raphaël Glucksmann.
Revenu de solidarité active (RSA, minimum income): amount, eligibility conditions, and hours of activity or support required of recipients. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher amount or relaxed conditions.decrease: Solidarity benefits reserved for foreigners who have worked five years (document of the candidate’s party or movement)increase: PS programme: unconditional RSA, paid automatically (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: Autonomy guarantee at the poverty line (€1,216 for a single person)p. 30Not addresseddecrease: RSA replaced: €300/month, €550 with 15 h of training or job-seekingNot addressed: Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal.
Benefits paid to families from the second child: universality, means-related adjustment, payment from the first child. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher allowances or open to more families.decrease: Family allowances reserved for French nationals (national priority) (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedincrease: Single allowance of €350 a month from the first child, tapering (public statement by the candidate)unchanged: Rejects reserving family allowances for French nationals (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedother change: €240/month per child from the first, if five years of workNot addressed: Raphaël Glucksmann, Gabriel Attal.
Care for young children: nursery places, public or private nurseries, childminders, support for families, enforceable right. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more public or subsidised childcare.Not addressedincrease: Public early-childhood service, enforceable right to childcare (encoding being checked) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: Public early-childhood service, 500,000 childcare places in 5 yearsp. 21creation: Savings account for crèches, 200,000 professionals trained by 2030other change: Micro-crèches aligned with MAMs (childminder centres), with no new spendingNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe.
Care for dependent older people: care homes (EHPAD), home help, staff, and funding (autonomy branch of social security, out-of-pocket costs). Direction rule: the upward arrow means more public resources for old age.increase: Stronger support for family carers (2024 RN programme) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)increase: A Grand Âge (old age) law, more staff in care homes (EHPAD), better-paid jobs (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: 10,000 places a year in public care homes (EHPAD) for 5 years; new funding modelp. 42Not addressedNot addressedNot addressed: Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau.
Pensions
Age from which one can claim one's pension. It does not guarantee a full-rate pension, which also depends on the contribution period. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher legal age.decrease: Return to 62, 60 for those who started work before 20 (public statement by the candidate)decrease: 62 after repeal of the 2023 reform, no return to 60 (public statement by the candidate)increase: 65, gradually (public statement by the candidate)decrease: 62 first, then a return to 60 (public statement by the candidate)abolition: Abolish the legal retirement age in favour of a contribution period (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Minimum age of 63, with a 7% reduction per year
Number of years of contributions required to receive a full-rate pension, without reduction. Direction rule: the upward arrow means longer required period.decrease: 42 years of contributions, reached gradually (public statement by the candidate)unchanged: PS programme: 43 years of contributions, reduced according to job arduousness (document of the candidate’s party or movement)increase: 45 years, gradually (public statement by the candidate)decrease: 40 years of contributions for a full-rate pension at 60p. 38other change: Contribution period only, with a genuine penalty and a genuine bonus (public statement by the candidate)other change: Automatic full rate at 65, even without all the quarters
Minimum pension guaranteed to a person with a full career, often expressed in euros or as a share of the SMIC (minimum wage). Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher minimum.Not addressedNot addressedNot addressedincrease: Full-career pensions at least at SMIC levelp. 38Not addressedNot addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Raphaël Glucksmann, Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau.
Annual uprating of pensions: in line with inflation, with wages, freeze or under-indexation, depending on the amount of the pension. Direction rule: the upward arrow means uprating more favourable than inflation.unchanged: Against de-indexing pensions from inflation (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressedincrease: Index pensions to wagesp. 38decrease: 2028 freeze year on benefits, small pensions spared (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Raphaël Glucksmann, Édouard Philippe, Bruno Retailleau.
Capped 10% reduction applied to pensions before income tax is calculated: maintained, lower cap, flat amount or abolition. Direction rule: the upward arrow means larger allowance.unchanged: Pensioners' 10% tax allowance kept, flat-rate allowance rejected (RN) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedNot addressedNot addressedNot addressedNot addressedNot addressed: Raphaël Glucksmann, Édouard Philippe, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau.
Taxes and public finances
Income tax scale: number of brackets, rates, and distribution of the burden between households. Direction rule: the upward arrow means heavier tax.decrease: Income tax abolished for under-30s, below a ceiling (public statement by the candidate)increase: Differential contribution on the highest incomes (document of the candidate’s party or movement)decrease: No income tax for 3 years after a birth (middle classes), €3,000 above that (public statement by the candidate)other change: Income tax schedule with 14 brackets instead of 5p. 27unchanged: No tax increases (general position, not specific to income tax) (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Bruno Retailleau.
General social contribution (CSG), levied on almost all income: rate, progressivity, possible merger with income tax. Direction rule: the upward arrow means heavier CSG.Not addresseddecrease: Lower the CSG on wages, funded by large inheritances (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedother change: Make the CSG progressive with 14 bracketsp. 27Not addressedNot addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau.
Single rate applied to dividends, interest and capital gains on securities, tax and social levies included: maintained, increased or return to the income tax scale. Direction rule: the upward arrow means heavier levy on capital income.decrease: Flat tax (PFU) cut from 31.4% to 30% (public statement by the candidate)increase: PFU raised to 34%, end of the wiping out of unrealised capital gains (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: Abolish the flat tax, tax capital like labourp. 27unchanged: Flat tax maintained, refusal of any rollback (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Édouard Philippe, Bruno Retailleau.
Reductions, tax credits, allowances and exemptions that depart from the general rule: capping, abolitions, evaluation. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more tax expenditures or more advantageous ones.Not addresseddecrease: Abolish ineffective tax expenditures, with no list (encoding being checked) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)decrease: Abolish tax expenditures before any tax increase, with no list (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Trim the main tax expenditures (CIR, Dutreil, exemptions…) for €22bn (public statement by the candidate)unchanged: Do not increase the taxation of life insurance (public statement by the candidate)decrease: End over 5 years of the corporate tax exemption for social landlordsNot addressed: Marine Le Pen.
Subsidies, tax credits and exemptions granted to businesses: amount, conditions, commitments in return (jobs, climate, dividends). Direction rule: the upward arrow means more aid.Not addressedother change: Redirect the €211bn of public aid to businesses (public statement by the candidate)decrease: €50bn less in « improductives » [“unproductive”] subsidies, in exchange for €50bn in taxes (public statement by the candidate)other change: Make aid to large companies conditional, repayment if breachedp. 39creation: Create a productivity tax credit to spread AI in businesses (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Bruno Retailleau.
Combating tax, contribution and benefit fraud: inspection staff numbers, sanctions, expected revenue. Direction rule: the upward arrow means stronger action.increase: VAT paid at source, against fraud estimated at €26bn (public statement by the candidate)increase: PS programme: more staff and tools against tax fraud (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: Priority to fighting tax fraud, all resources releasedp. 28Not addressedincrease: €9bn expected from fighting fraud: 5 tax and benefits fraud, 4 socialp. 12Not addressed: Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal.
Taxation of wealth: real estate wealth tax (IFI), return of a tax on all assets, or a tax on very large fortunes. Direction rule: the upward arrow means heavier taxation of wealth.other change: IFI replaced by a tax on financial wealth (public statement by the candidate)increase: Tax the largest fortunes (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedincrease: Climate ISF (€10bn) and Zucman tax above €100m (€15bn) (public statement by the candidate)unchanged: No return of the wealth tax (ISF) (public statement by the candidate)unchanged: Against the Zucman tax, listed among the left’s « chantages » [“blackmail”] (LR, 2025) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressed: Édouard Philippe.
Tax paid on what one inherits or receives as a gift: allowances, scale, exemptions (life insurance, businesses, farmland). Direction rule: the upward arrow means heavier duties.increase: Pacte Dutreil conditional on ten years of production in France (public statement by the candidate)increase: Tax the top 1% of inheritances; Place publique: end of the Dutreil pact (encoding being checked) (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Against more inheritance tax; gift ceilings raised for 3 years (public statement by the candidate)increase: Everything taken above €12m inherited, €150,000 exempt; €20bn expected (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Against any increase on inheritance; lifetime gifts made easier (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Cut inheritance tax as far as possible (public statement by the candidate)
Value added tax, paid on consumption: standard rate and reduced rates on certain products. Direction rule: the upward arrow means heavier VAT.decrease: Reduced VAT on energy: motor fuels, electricity, gas, heating oil (public statement by the candidate)increase: End of VAT exemptions for polluting transport (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedother change: Reduced VAT on essentials, financed by a « TVA grand luxe » [“top-luxury VAT”]p. 28unchanged: Rejects an employer-side social VAT, prefers cutting employee contributions (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Édouard Philippe, Bruno Retailleau.
Standard rate of the tax paid on company profits, and reduced rate for small businesses. Direction rule: the upward arrow means heavier tax.Not addressedother change: PS programme: corporate income tax made progressive, in favour of SMEs (document of the candidate’s party or movement)unchanged: No tax increase for businesses, « qui payent déjà trop » [“which already pay too much”] (public statement by the candidate)increase: Progressive IS, from the current SME rate up to 33% for large companies (public statement by the candidate)unchanged: Corporate income tax kept at 25%, no rollback (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Bruno Retailleau.
General government deficit that the programme targets at the end of the five-year term, as a percentage of gross domestic product. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher targeted deficit.decrease: Public deficit below 2.5% of GDP in 2032 (public statement by the candidate)other change: Deficits cut over five years by a « contrat de stabilité » [“stability contract”], no target (document of the candidate’s party or movement)decrease: Golden rule on deficits by referendum, deficit at 2% of GDP in 2032 (public statement by the candidate)other change: No % target; €125bn adjustment by 2032, deficit at 5% in 2027 (public statement by the candidate)unchanged: Deficit below 3% of GDP in 2032, then balance in 2037 (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Deficit below 3% from 2031 (2.8%), 2.2% of GDP in 2032
Targeted change in total public spending (State, social security, local authorities), in volume or as a share of gross domestic product. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher public spending.decrease: Public spending brought below 50% of GDP by the end of the term (public statement by the candidate)Not addresseddecrease: Restore the public accounts by cutting spending rather than raising taxes (public statement by the candidate)increase: €81.7bn of new spending from 2027 (amending finance act) (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Spending decrease: no spending is taboo, all administrationsdecrease: « Grand coup de frein » [“Slamming the brakes”] on public spending, with no tax rises (public statement by the candidate)Not addressed: Raphaël Glucksmann.
What the programme plans for public debt: repayment, ring-fencing, buyback or cancellation by the central bank, restructuring. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher targeted debt; ↓: debt reduced.decrease: Debt brought down from 121% of GDP in 2027 to 112% in 2032 (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Debt reduction path over five years (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addresseddecrease: Cancel French debt held by the ECB; €25bn to reduce it in 2027 (public statement by the candidate)unchanged: No use of French people’s savings to repay the debt (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Primary surplus from 2030, debt falling after its 2030 peakNot addressed: Édouard Philippe.
Public services
Maximum number of pupils per class in primary school that the programme commits to respecting. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more pupils per class.Not addresseddecrease: Fewer pupils per class in primary school, after pay, no target (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Reduce class sizes where necessary, with no numerical target (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Below the European average of 19 pupils, nursery and REP schools firstp. 22decrease: Fewer than 20 pupils per class in primary schoolNot addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Bruno Retailleau.
Increase in teachers' pay promised during the five-year term, as a percentage. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher pay.Not addressedincrease: Pay rise first, no amount (public statement by the candidate)increase: +20% in average pay over the five-year term (public statement by the candidate)increase: Catch-up for the index point frozen since 2010, no figurep. 22increase: +€200 net per month, up to +€500 mid-career (public statement by the candidate)increase: +€135 net at the start of a career, around +€300 mid-careerNot addressed: Marine Le Pen.
Rules for entering higher education after the baccalauréat: allocation platform (Parcoursup), selection, places available. Direction rule: the upward arrow means stricter selection.Not addressedother change: Rethink Parcoursup through a consultation (document of the candidate’s party or movement)other change: Parcoursup « ne marche pas comme ça devrait » [“doesn’t work as it should”], no specific reform (public statement by the candidate)abolition: Access without selection, end of Parcoursupp. 24other change: Reduce mass enrolment in higher education, shorten initial studiesincrease: Selection for university through an overhauled ParcoursupNot addressed: Marine Le Pen.
Targeted research and development spending, public and private, as a percentage of gross domestic product. Direction rule: the upward arrow means greater research effort.Not addressedincrease: PS programme: R&D at 3% of GDP in 2030, of which at least 1% public research (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: More public investment in research, no figurep. 24Not addressedother change: Public research concentrated on seven strategic sectorsNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal.
Rules on where doctors set up practice across the country: freedom, incentives, or regulation in areas already well served. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more regulation of where doctors set up practice.Not addressedother change: Support for setting up practice, mixed practice, group care practices (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedcreation: Regulate where doctors set up practicep. 57unchanged: Against mandatory placement: the priority is the number of doctors (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Bruno Retailleau.
Resources for public hospitals: budget, beds, staff numbers and pay of health workers, activity-based funding model. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more resources for public hospitals.other change: Less administration in hospitals, more carers with patients (public statement by the candidate)increase: End of fee-for-service pricing in hospitals, better pay for carers (encoding being checked) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: €3bn more for hospitals and 10,000 care staff posts (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressedNot addressed: Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau.
Rights of patients at the end of life: assisted dying created by the act of 18 August 2026 (eligibility conditions, maintenance, extension or repeal), palliative care, advance directives. Direction rule: the upward arrow means assisted dying more widely permitted.unchanged: No repeal of the law, vigilance over abuses (RN spokesperson) (words of an associate of the candidate)unchanged: PS programme: assisted dying law (since passed), more palliative care (document of the candidate’s party or movement)other change: Jan. 2025, before the law: reluctant to write assisted dying into law (public statement by the candidate)other change: Right to die with dignity and palliative care in the Constitutionp. 18unchanged: Supports the end-of-life law finally adopted in July 2026 (public statement by the candidate)other change: Against the assisted dying bill, calls for a referendum (May 2026) (public statement by the candidate)
Capping of rents in certain cities: extension, maintenance or abolition of the scheme. Direction rule: the upward arrow means wider or stricter rent controls.Not addressedother change: Rent controls in areas of high housing pressure (document of the candidate’s party or movement)other change: Opposed to rent controls (public statement by the candidate)increase: Rent controls everywhere, downwards in large citiesp. 31Not addressedabolition: Abolish rent controlsNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Gabriel Attal.
decrease: Priority for French nationals in social housing, repeal of the SRU law (public statement by the candidate)increase: Higher annual social housing targets, no figure (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: 200,000 public housing units a year for five yearsp. 31Not addresseddecrease: End of SRU quotas: local targets in volume, none in low-pressure areasNot addressed: Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal.
Number of police officers and gendarmes, announced recruitment, municipal police, presence on the ground. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher staff numbers.Not addressedNot addressedNot addressedincrease: More targeted staff (finance, trafficking, mafias), forensic police doubledp. 33unchanged: Interior, Justice, Armed Forces, Education outside the 100,000 job cuts (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Raphaël Glucksmann, Édouard Philippe, Bruno Retailleau.
Prison places, prison overcrowding, minimum sentences, short sentences, sentence adjustments and alternatives to imprisonment. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more prison places or heavier sentences.Not addressedother change: Against prison overcrowding: tailored sentences and renovated prisons (encoding being checked) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)increase: Minimum sentences for the most serious offences (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Binding prison regulation mechanism against overcrowdingp. 32increase: Abolish the sentence enforcement judge, build prison places (public statement by the candidate)increase: Mandatory minimum sentences for the most serious offencesNot addressed: Marine Le Pen.
Number of public employees, value of the public sector pay index point, civil service status and use of contract staff. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher staff numbers or pay.decrease: Fewer public employees, retirements not replaced, no figure (public statement by the candidate)increase: PS programme: pay rises for public employees, tenure for contract staff (encoding being checked) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)decrease: One retirement in three not replaced (750,000 retirements expected) (public statement by the candidate)increase: Index point +10%, unfreezing written into lawp. 38decrease: Cut 100,000 posts in the State and local authorities (public statement by the candidate)decrease: 400,000 retiring staff not replaced, for €25bn of savings
Public radio and television: funding, governance, merger of companies, possible privatisation. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher public funding.decrease: Privatisation of public broadcasting (2024 RN programme) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)other change: Strengthen public broadcasting and media independence (encoding being checked) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedcreation: Introduce a dedicated, universal and progressive broadcasting levyp. 14Not addresseddecrease: €2.6bn of savings on culture and media, public broadcasting includedp. 6Not addressed: Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal.
Transition and economy
Target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as a percentage of their 1990 level. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more ambitious emissions reduction target.Not addressedunchanged: −55% emissions in 2030 and −90% in 2040, European targets (document of the candidate’s party or movement)other change: « Décarboner au maximum » [“Decarbonise as much as possible”], no numerical target for 2030 (public statement by the candidate)increase: −65% in 2030 (reference year not specified)p. 47unchanged: Meet the 2030 target: 5% decrease per year, against 1.8% todayNot addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Bruno Retailleau.
Number of homes renovated each year to reduce their energy consumption, according to the programme's target. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more subsidised renovations.other change: MaPrimeRénov’ replaced by a zero-interest loan, with no numerical target (public statement by the candidate)increase: MaPrimeRénov’ relaunched and simplified, no quantified target (document of the candidate’s party or movement)other change: Climate action focused on freight, renovation and industry (public statement by the candidate)increase: At least 700,000 homes insulated a yearp. 50increase: « Rénovation thermique massive » [“massive thermal renovation”], no annual numberabolition: MaPrimeRénov' abolished (€2bn), a « relais » [“successor”] announced without detailp. 6
Number of new nuclear reactors the programme plans to order or build. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more reactors.Not addressedother change: Build new units on time, no number (document of the candidate’s party or movement)increase: 8 EPRs on top of the 6 already planned, i.e. 14 (public statement by the candidate)abolition: Nuclear phase-out, EPR projects abandonedp. 50increase: Secure the 14 EPRs, then aim for one reactor per year (public statement by the candidate)increase: 8 EPR2s more than the first 6, if their construction goes wellNot addressed: Marine Le Pen.
Development of wind and solar power: acceleration, maintenance, moratorium or halt. Direction rule: the upward arrow means faster development.abolition: End of subsidies for intermittent energy sources (public statement by the candidate)increase: Multi-year investment plan in renewables (document of the candidate’s party or movement)unchanged: Develop renewables, with no numerical target (public statement by the candidate)increase: 100% renewable energy in 2050, with sufficiency and efficiencyp. 50increase: Accelerate renewables, with technological neutrality (public statement by the candidate)decrease: No more solar or offshore wind tenders, existing contracts honoured
Future of reactors in service: extension of their lifetime, closures, or gradual phase-out of nuclear power. Direction rule: the upward arrow means longer lifetime, reopenings; ↓: closures, phase-out.Not addressedunchanged: Ensure the safety of existing nuclear power plants (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedabolition: Phase out nuclear power and plan the dismantling of sitesp. 50Not addressedincrease: Extend power plants to 80 years, horizon set from the outsetNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal.
How the electricity price is set and France's place in the European electricity market. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher prices; ↓: lower prices.other change: Break with European electricity pricing rules (words of an associate of the candidate)decrease: Lower prices, part of the bill at production cost, 2024 tax cancelled (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addresseddecrease: Regulated tariffs at production cost, energy price freezep. 50other change: Electricity around €75/MWh, under €50/MWh for exposed industry (public statement by the candidate)other change: Contract for difference between EDF and suppliers, CRE reference priceNot addressed: Édouard Philippe.
Farmers' income: guaranteed minimum prices, regulation of margins, or other support tools. Direction rule: the upward arrow means farm income better guaranteed (floor prices, contracts).Not addressedcreation: Remunerative floor prices, end to circumventions of EGalim (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedcreation: Floor prices, ban on sales at a lossp. 51creation: Indexed floor prices (milk, meat, cereals), 3- to 5-year contracts (public statement by the candidate)increase: Share of raw materials ring-fenced in negotiationsNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe.
Position on the European Union's trade agreements, including the agreement with Mercosur: ratification, mirror clauses, rejection. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more agreements or openness; ↓: refusal, protections.decrease: Opposed to the EU-Mercosur agreement, « agression majeure contre l'agriculture » [“major aggression against agriculture”] (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Against the EU-Mercosur agreement, mirror measures on agricultural imports (document of the candidate’s party or movement)decrease: Protect the European market against China (quotas, technology transfers) (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Veto on new agreements (Mercosur included), repeal of those in forcep. 66decrease: Opposed to Mercosur, mirror clauses in all agreements (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Reciprocity clauses imposed in all trade agreements
Additional public investment announced, in billions of euros per year. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher investment.Not addressedincrease: More public investment, national and local, for the transition (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: €100bn of savings a year towards investment, €500bn in five years (public statement by the candidate)increase: €200bn AI plan, half public, half private, no annual pace (public statement by the candidate)Not addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Bruno Retailleau.
Everyday journeys: fares and free travel on buses, trams, metros and TER regional trains, season tickets and passes, metropolitan RER networks, on-demand transport and services in rural areas. Direction rule: the upward arrow means cheaper public transport or wider service.increase: Free trains for 18-25 year-olds at off-peak hours (2022 statement) (public statement by the candidate)increase: Ticket climat: single fixed-fare pass, first for young and precarious people (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedincrease: On-demand public transport outside dense areasp. 49Not addressedNot addressedNot addressed: Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau.
Institutions, sovereignty, society
How MPs are elected: current majority voting system, full or partial proportional representation. Direction rule: the upward arrow means larger share of proportional representation.creation: Proportional representation; the 1986 system deemed « un moindre mal » [“a lesser evil”] (public statement by the candidate)creation: Immediate proportional representation, preferably by regional constituencies (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addressedcreation: Assembly elected by proportional representationp. 12Not addressedunchanged: Hostile to proportional representation for legislative elections (LR chair, June 2025) (public statement by the candidate)Not addressed: Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal.
Article 49.3 (adoption of a law without a vote, unless there is a motion of censure) and other changes to the Constitution, up to a new Republic. Direction rule: the upward arrow means greater executive powers over Parliament.other change: Only the people may amend the Constitution, without MPs or senators (public statement by the candidate)decrease: Investiture of the Prime Minister and constructive no-confidence vote, end of Article 49.3 (document of the candidate’s party or movement)other change: Against extending the Article 11 referendum; revise via Article 89 (public statement by the candidate)abolition: Abolish Article 49.3 and the other « votes forcés » [“forced votes”]p. 12other change: Major institutional reform decided by the French; Article 49.3 not addressed (public statement by the candidate)other change: Constitutional pact put to referendum from autumn 2027 (public statement by the candidate)
Age from which one can vote, set at 18, the age of majority, since 1974. Some propose 16, for all elections or for local elections only. Direction rule: the upward arrow means higher voting age.Not addresseddecrease: Voting at 16, probably only in local elections (ambiguous sentence) (document of the candidate’s party or movement)Not addresseddecrease: Right to vote at 16p. 13Not addressedNot addressedNot addressed: Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, Bruno Retailleau.
Conditions for issuing residence permits, labour immigration, regularisations, quotas voted by Parliament. Direction rule: the upward arrow means more open labour immigration.decrease: €1,000-a-year tax on each non-European employee hired (public statement by the candidate)increase: Regularise undocumented workers (public statement by the candidate)creation: Immigration halved, quotas, family reunification suspended (public statement by the candidate)increase: Regularise workers, students and parents; 10-year card as standard permitp. 63creation: Admit fewer: points-based system, reduced family reunificationcreation: Quotas for visas and residence permits set by law
Reception and examination of asylum applications: procedure, time limits, place where applications are lodged, removal of rejected applicants. Direction rule: the upward arrow means broader access to asylum.decrease: Right of asylum « durci » [“tightened”] by constitutional referendum (RN president) (words of an associate of the candidate)increase: Right to work from registration of the asylum application (document of the candidate’s party or movement)decrease: Safe countries voted yearly, end of asylum for life; suspended in Mayotte and Guyane (public statement by the candidate)increase: Fully guarantee the right of asylum, every case examinedp. 63Not addresseddecrease: Asylum applications examined outside the borders, after constitutional revisionp. 11Not addressed: Gabriel Attal.
Relationship with the European treaties and rules: deepening, renegotiation, primacy of national law, exit. Direction rule: the upward arrow means deeper European integration.decrease: Net EU contribution cut to €5bn in the next financial framework (public statement by the candidate)increase: Federal leap: qualified majority instead of veto, own resources increased tenfold (public statement by the candidate)increase: Deepen Europe towards « souveraineté européenne intégrale » [“full European sovereignty”] (public statement by the candidate)other change: Concerted break with the treaties (plan A); programme applied regardless (plan B)p. 65increase: Prepare the « États-Unis d'Europe » [“United States of Europe”] (public statement by the candidate)other change: Set aside EU law outside treaty powers, « ni un Frexit » [“nor a Frexit”]
Targeted defence effort, as a percentage of gross domestic product, and timetable for reaching it. Direction rule: the upward arrow means greater defence effort.increase: Defence effort of at least 3% of GDP by 2030 (RN amendment) (words of an associate of the candidate)Not addressedincrease: LPM « de la massification » [“of massification”]; 250,000 reservists, 50,000 volunteers a year (public statement by the candidate)other change: Military spending « pas la priorité de notre temps » [“not the priority of our time”] (public statement by the candidate)increase: Continue and step up the rearmament under way since 2017Not addressedNot addressed: Raphaël Glucksmann, Bruno Retailleau.
* encoding being checked; ‡ encoding contested by the candidate’s team; — not addressed.
p. 14: page of the programme; stmt: public statement by the candidate, outside a written programme; assoc.: words of an associate, which do not formally commit the candidate; party: document of the candidate’s party or movement, distinct from a presidential programme.
Direction of change, relative to current law: increase; decrease; unchanged; abolition of a scheme; creation of a scheme; change of another kind, or uncertain direction.
12 candidates, 118 levers, 770 positions recorded, 222 costed; 9 of them being checked (*), updated on 21 October 2026.
A count, not a score: a short programme is not a flaw in itself. No programme released: Marine Le Pen, Raphaël Glucksmann and Édouard Philippe; positions taken from their statements.
By default, the top six in the latest poll, with or without a published programme; 6 others are in the grid and can be added with “Candidates shown”.
How to read these amounts. These are static costs and revenues, with no feedback effect, over a full year: nothing on growth, employment or the revenue that economic activity would gain or lose. A higher net cost does not on its own make a worse policy, nor net savings a better one: each programme rests on an economic model (demand-led stimulus, lower compulsory levies, consolidation of the public accounts…) that the cost schedule does not settle. GDP itself measures a volume of activity, not well-being or the usefulness of what is produced. Economic models and feedback effects.