Elections in France: ‘In the current world context, Latin America can be one of our best allies’

The Franco-Dominican Eléonore Caroit passed through Argentina as part of her campaign to be a deputy for the French community of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Few political careers must have gotten off to a stranger start than Eléonore Caroit (37). It is that the Franco-Dominican lawyer who recently passed through Argentina as part of her campaign to be a deputy in France for the French community of Latin America and the Caribbean has actually already won her seat once in June 2022. However, in In January of this year, that election was annulled due to “technical problems,” and new elections must be held in April.

“It is important to clarify that the election was annulled by the Constituent Convention of France due to technical failures related to electronic voting. It is clarified that it was for this reason, and there was no suspicion of irregularities, ”explains Caroit in an interview with Clarín during a break in the schedule of activities that he had in Buenos Aires.

Caroit is the candidate of Renaissance, the party of current President Emmanuel Macron. In the canceled election, he obtained 57.42 percent of the votes, and now he will compete again in the elections, in which it will be possible to vote electronically between March 24 and 29, and in person on Saturday, March 1. April. In the event of a second round, the electronic vote will take place between April 7 and 12, and the face-to-face vote on April 15.

Caroit is the candidate of the party of the current French president, Emmanuel Macron. Photo: AFP

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Throughout the seven months that she held her position as a deputy in the French National Assembly (ANF), Caroit was vice-president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly. From that place, she affirms that she is notorious as Latin America is gaining a place of increasing importance for France.

“France has to understand that, in the current geopolitical conditions determined by the war in Ukraine, Latin America can be one of its best allies. There is a great history of connection between France and the region and, as a deputy, my objective is to strengthen that link”, explains Caroit, while pointing out that she sees opportunities for cooperation in the field of sustainable production and the preservation of the environment.

“There are many interesting projects in the region to produce energy and food in a way that is more friendly to the environment. There is also potential to generate agreements for the protection of the oceans. Several countries in the region, such as Peru and Chile, have taken measures in this field, and France is also seeking to position itself in this regard,” Caroit details.

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Caroit, who was born in Paris and raised in the Dominican Republic, acknowledges that France has not always recognized the importance of the region.

“For historical reasons, French foreign policy has always tended to privilege ties with African countries. And although France has always valued Latin America, I believe that it never finished valuing the possibilities and the strategic importance of the region. During the Macron government, due to the issue of the pandemic and other global crises, the relationship was even more distant, ”he explains.

In this sense, Caroit points to an advantage that the relationship between Latin America and France has.

“France’s relationship with its former colonies has not always been easy. It’s a complex link, and I think efforts are currently being made to try to heal those wounds. The advantage over Latin America is that, with few exceptions, France has no colonial history in the region. Faced with the manipulation that the extreme right makes of the issue of migrants, the perspective of French emigration to this region and the history of their presence can serve to take another look at the issue.

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