explainers
Explainers
Explainers on institutions and public practice: the facts, each referred to its primary source, then the arguments in the debate, each attributed to those who make them. The editors draw no conclusion.
Local authorities and the State: powers, local finances and decentralisation
Municipalities, départements, regions, prefects: who does what, grants and local taxes, the 2027 effort, a European comparison and the twelve candidates' positions.
Finance, banking and money: the ECB, public debt, banks and the candidates' proposals
Who creates money, the ECB's role, public debt and borrowing rates, banks, savings, a European comparison and the twelve candidates' positions.
The Constitution of the Fifth Republic compared with nine European countries
The 1958 text, its powers and how it has been used (49.3, censure motions, revisions, referendums), compared with nine European countries, and the reforms debated.
Justice and police: resources, results and the candidates' proposals
Budget, court delays, prisons, police numbers, recorded crime, a European comparison and the positions of the twelve candidates.
Laws, elections and parties: representative democracy in France
How a law is made, who decides between Parliament, the government and the European Union, how people vote, how campaigns and parties are funded, and the debates.
Budget 2027: €54bn, €43bn or €28bn of effort? What the figures measure
The 2027 draft budget covers the presidential election year: three measures of the effort, the forecasts, the legal framework and the arguments put forward.