This was the year France dodged a Marine Le Pen-shaped bullet. Again | Jonathan Meades

Campaign posters during French elections become pavement palimpsests that exist to be defaced - hence Le Pen in a hjiab

• What was the image on your phone that defined 2022? Writers give their perspectives

This photo was taken on the Boulevard Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement in Paris on 15 April 2022, between the two rounds of the presidential election.

There is an immutable French tradition that, once every five years, Marine Le Pen is allowed out on day release to lose that election to an opponent she will cast as an insider", while blithely overlooking the dynastic engine that propels her - but only so far. No matter how much she dilutes her shtick with euphemism, it is obvious that the only people who vote for her are the people who vote for her.

Jonathan Meades lives in Marseille. He is crowdfunding for his megafiction, Empty Wigs

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.