ABSTRACT
The French 2012 presidential election was marked by the emergence of Twitter as a tool which appeared, in the eyes of commentators, to be the main innovation of the campaign. Twitter was especially promoted by the candidates' teams and the media, who made 'real time' a new imperative in the media coverage of the campaign. The volume of publication activity varied with key moments that marked the activities of the candidates in social networks. The entry into the campaign is signalled by mass conventions in which candidates give speeches on their programmes: those of François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy triggered considerable posting activity on Twitter. Activists and, more broadly, the supporters of candidates invaded the space of debate on Twitter. During the campaign, the political Twittersphere is mainly structured by the publishing activities of supporters and of political institutions, but it is also a forum that provides structure.
