France: social problems dominate the election campaign

French voters want concrete answers to the country’s pressing problems, Le Monde writes:

“According to the latest Ipsos poll, the most worrying issues for the French people are economic, financial and social. In their view, things need to change as quickly as possible in these areas. The challenges have therefore been clearly identified: to reduce the government’s budget deficit, as well as public debt and government spending. The polls show that citizens are aware of the efforts that need to be made but would like to see a more even distribution of these burdens. … The candidates have been warned: on these three issues, which are already at the heart of the election campaign, the bar has been set high: their answers must be neither vague, nor unrealistic, nor imprecise.”