The scientific article is devoted to the political stand-off in the French society on the eve of general elections in 2017. First of all, the author reveals major “confrontation lines” in modern France on the basis of actual French sources and press materials (including the newspapers “Le Monde” and “Le Figaro”). The author actively uses such party and electoral sources as texts of presidential programs of leading candidates. In this article the author tries to demonstrate that the current high level of political tension and confrontation in the French Republic has complex reasons and is largely caused by the negative attitude of the most part of the French society towards the results of the domestic policy of the current President François Hollande taking office since 2012. The author identifies four main poles in modern French politics - left (Left front, Socialist Party), centrist (movement En marche), right (first of all the political party the Republicans) and extreme right (National front) - between which the political struggle is carried out and intensified. At the same time the author also emphasizes the tough personal competition between the leading candidates in the struggle for the Elysee Palace: Marin Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron, François Fillon, Benoît Hamon and Jean-Luc Mélenchon. In this article the author shows that the conflict between the main political forces in France takes place on the vital issues of social, economic and internal political life of the Fifth Republic, and is also reflected in tough discussions on the features of European and international policy of Paris. The author also indicates in his article that confrontation takes place within the left and right spectrum of French politics. Deepening and strengthening of internal political contradictions in France in 2016-2017 also occurs in the backdrop of serious social and economic crisis in the society and the ambiguous reaction of the French to the increasing immigration. All these tendencies combined pose a potential threat to the stability and integrity of the Fifth Republic.