Lessons for topic Culture

Did you know that French presidential elections are held every five years, and that the president can serve up to two consecutive terms? Let’s explore the French electoral process by looking back on the 2022 elections and learn some key vocabulary along the way. 

As in any election, a French presidential race centers around une campagne électorale (an electoral campaign): 

Vous le disiez... on rentre en campagne électorale.

You were saying... we're entering an electoral campaign.

Caption 62, Banlieues françaises jeunes et policiers, l'impossible réconciliation? - Part 5

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In 2022, twenty presidential candidats (candidates) entered the race, compared to eleven in the previous elections:

Ce qu'il faut savoir, c'est que cette élection de deux mille vingt-deux va avoir vingt candidats.

What you should know is that this twenty twenty-two election is going to have twenty candidates.

Captions 13-15, Lionel L Les élections présidentielles: Mode d'emploi

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With that many candidates, some candidatures (candidacies) struggled to obtain even one percent of the votes:

C'est-à-dire que beaucoup de candidatures ont peu de chances d'obtenir plus d'un pour cent.

That means that many candidacies have little chance of obtaining more than one percent.

Captions 22-23, Lionel L Les élections présidentielles: Mode d'emploi

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The 2022 election was a close race between Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron. For one électeur macroniste (Macronist voter), it was a matter of compromise:

Pour cet autre électeur macroniste, ancien socialiste convaincu, il faut aussi dépasser les clivages traditionnelles.

For this other Macronist voter, a former diehard socialist, it's also necessary to move beyond the traditional divides.

Captions 31-32, TF1 Info Réélection d'E. Macron : la réaction des Français

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Note that in French, voter is a verb meaning "to vote," while the noun for "a voter" is un électeur (masculine) or une électrice (feminine)—NOT "un voteur."

Électeurs (voters) made their choice by placing un bulletin de vote (a ballot) in une urne (a ballot box). The use of the term urne (literally "urn") hearkens back to Ancient Greek times, when voters deposited a white or black pebble into two receptacles. Today, the urne is a transparent ballot box:

Une mission loin d'être évidente à entendre ceux qui hier ont glissé un bulletin Marine Le Pen dans l'urne.

A mission far from easy, based on the words of those who yesterday slipped a Marine Le Pen vote into the ballot box.

Captions 7-8, TF1 Info Réélection d'E. Macron : la réaction des Français

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At the time this video was made, President Macron had not quite finished his premier mandat (first term) and still had some important duties to fulfill:

Ça, c'est dans le cadre du mandat actuel, hein, du premier mandat d'Emmanuel Macron, qui n'est pas encore tout à fait terminé.

That is within the framework of the current term, right, of Emmanuel Macron's first term, which is not quite finished yet.

Captions 115-117, TF1 Info Réélection d'E. Macron : la réaction des Français

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After two rounds (tours) of voting, Macron defeated Le Pen with a 59% majority of the votes in April 2022. He expressed his gratitude and hope for the future:

Pour un président sortant, je sais ce que ça représente à la fois de confiance le premier tour et au deuxième tour et puis d'obligation qui m'incombe maintenant de continuer à avancer.

For an outgoing president, I know what this means, both in terms of trust in the first and the second round, and also of the obligation that falls to me now to continue moving forward.

Captions 92-94, TF1 Info Réélection d'E. Macron : la réaction des Français

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Soon after the vote counts were confirmed, le Conseil constitutionnel (the Constitutional Council) ratified the results of the elections:

Concernant son nouveau, son second mandat, d'abord mercredi, le Conseil constitutionnel doit proclamer officiellement les résultats de cette élection,

Regarding his new, his second term, first on Wednesday, the Constitutional Council must officially proclaim the results of this election,

Captions 118-120, TF1 Info Réélection d'E. Macron : la réaction des Français

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In May 2022, une cérémonie d’investiture (an investiture or swearing-in ceremony) followed:

Et ensuite il y aura jusqu'au treize mai, grand, grand maximum pour organiser une cérémonie d'investiture.

And then they'll have until May thirteen, at the very, very latest to organize an investiture ceremony.

Captions 121-122, TF1 Info Réélection d'E. Macron : la réaction des Français

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A few weeks later, the president appointed his cabinet:

C'est après cela qu'Emmanuel Macron devrait probablement nommer un nouveau premier ministre et un nouveau gouvernement.

It's after that that Emmanuel Macron should probably appoint a new prime minister and a new government.

Captions 123-124, TF1 Info Réélection d'E. Macron : la réaction des Français

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Now that you have familiarized yourself with the French electoral system, be sure to follow the upcoming presidential elections in April 2027. In the meantime, check out some other Yabla videos on past elections. Thanks for reading!

Attitudes toward money are deeply tied to the culture, values, and history of a country. While in some cultures, money is an open topic of conversation, in France, it is often seen as taboo. In her videos The Most Taboo Question in France, Nelly explains the reasons behind French people’s reluctance to talk about money. 

As Nelly explains, l’argent (money) is un tabou (taboo) in France: 

Et je vais t'expliquer dans cette vidéo pourquoi l'argent est un tabou chez nous les Français alors que nous n'avons pas beaucoup de tabous.

And I'm going to explain to you in this video why money is a taboo among us French people, even though we don't have many taboos.

Captions 20-22, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 1

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Nelly mentions several reasons for this. Here is the first one:

La première, c'est que l'argent est symbole d'inégalité.

The first is that money is a symbol of inequality.

Captions 38-39, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 1

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Indeed, l’égalité (equality) is highly valued in France:

Or l'égalité est une valeur très importante dans notre république.

Now, equality is a very important value in our republic.

Captions 40-41, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 1

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After all, Liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity) is the national motto of the French Republic. This motto, which represents core republican values, is inscribed on French coins and on public buildings:  

D'où la devise Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.

Hence the motto Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.

Caption 42, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 1

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These values have been firmly entrenched since the 1789 French Revolution, a time when French people fought for equality and sought to redress the injustice of la richesse (riches/wealth) concentrating in too few hands: 

Le peuple en avait marre. Il était lassé d'être dominé par la noblesse qui était beaucoup trop attachée aux richesses alors que le peuple avait faim.

The people were fed up. They were tired of being dominated by the nobility, who were far too attached to riches while the people were hungry.

Captions 57-60, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 1

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This explains why French people prefer not to flaunt their wealth, lest it create jealousy:

Les personnes qui ont de l'argent préfèrent ne pas s'en vanter, ne pas dire qu'elles ont de l'argent pour ne pas créer de jalousie.

People who have money prefer not to boast about it, not to say that they have money so as not to create jealousy.

Captions 72-75, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 1

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The second reason why people don’t like to étaler leur richesse (flaunt their wealth) is the influence of religion, which encourages la modestie (modesty):

Et une des valeurs de la religion catholique, c'est la modestie.

And one of the values of the Catholic religion is modesty.

Captions 6-7, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 2

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N'étale pas tes richesses.

Don't flaunt your wealth.

Caption 9, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 2

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The third reason is linked to un système éducatif (an education system) that is designed to offer equal opportunities for all:

Notre système éducatif en France est fait pour donner la même chance à tout le monde et gommer les inégalités.

Our educational system in France is designed to give everyone the same opportunity and wipe out inequalities.

Captions 15-17, Français avec Nelly The Most Taboo Question in France - Part 2

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Finally, here is an old French adage that encompasses traditional attitudes about money:

L’argent ne fait pas le bonheur. 

Money doesn’t buy happiness. 

And yet, some French people, like Isabelle in this video, play des jeux de grattage (scratch-off games) religiously:

Alors à chaque fois qu'un nouveau jeu de grattage apparaissait, elle devait l'essayer.

So every time a new scratch-off game came out, she had to try it.

Captions 3-4, Mère & Fille L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur

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Barbara asks her mother what she would do with tout cet argent (all that money):

Ah ouais ? Et si tu gagnes, tu vas faire quoi de tout cet argent ?

Oh yeah? And if you win, what are you going to do with all that money?

Captions 5-6, Mère & Fille L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur

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So while it is not good form to discuss money in France, it is perfectly fine to ask someone what they would do if they won the lottery!