Brattberg and Vimont on the French Presidential Election

The French presidential elections have captured attention around the world, with the populist firebrand Marine Le Pen facing off with political newcomer Emmanuel Macron. As the final round of voting approaches, Tom Carver is joined by Erik Brattberg, director of Carnegie’s DC-based Europe Program, and Pierre Vimont, a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe in Brussels to discuss France’s rising frustration with “politics as usual” that has led to such a riveting contest.

Erik Brattberg is director of the Europe Program and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. He joined Carnegie from the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, where he was the director for special projects and a senior fellow.

Pierre Vimont is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe. During his thirty-eight-year diplomatic career with the French foreign service, Pierre Vimont served as French ambassador to the United States from 2007 to 2010, ambassador to the European Union from 1999 to 2002, and chief of staff to three former French foreign ministers.