Streckenbeobachtungen in der „France périphérique“ – ein geographischer Kommentar zur ersten Runde der Präsidentschaftswahlen 2017 in Frankreich

This geographical commentary examines the socio-political and infrastructural dynamics of France périphérique—a concept popularized by geographer Christophe Guilluy—through the lens of the 2017 French presidential elections. The text highlights the growing divide between prospering metropolitan areas and marginalized rural regions, where declining infrastructure (e.g., railway networks) and economic neglect fuel disenfranchisement. In Mediterranean Southern France, this manifests in periurbanization, vegetation encroachment, and heightened wildfire risks due to the intermingling of settlements and flammable landscapes. Politically, voters in France périphérique increasingly support populist candidates like Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, perceiving them as the only voices addressing their abandonment by traditional elites. The overlap between railway disuse and Le Pen’s electoral strongholds underscores the spatial correlation between infrastructural decline and protest voting. The author argues for institutional reforms, such as electoral system adjustments and reinvestment in public infrastructure, to mitigate the alienation of peripheral France and prevent a potential democratic crisis.