Political consulting in France: strategies, methodologies, innovations

Introduction. Political consulting methodologies, successfully tested by foreign spe-cialists, serve not only as models but also as guidelines for action, sources of ideas, and a basis for the development and further transformation of political life in Ukraine. The relevance of this research is determined by the importance of political commu nication in Ukraine and the challenges of shaping its culture. The achievements of French political consultants will undoubtedly enrich domestic practices of electoral communication and stimulate innovation and improvement. The purpose of the study is to conceptualize the electoral experience of prominent French political consultants in order to assess the feasibility of applying their tested strategies in the national context.The chosen research methods include the historical-critical approach, content analysis, comparative analysis, as well as systematization and generalization. Research results provide: systematized information on the development of political consulting in France; a holistic understanding of models and methods of consulting in the political sphere and election campaigns during the Fifth French Republic; knowledge of political consulting in France as a process that requires strategic decision-making and rationally designed tactics. Conclusions. The time-tested and well-proven electoral strategies of both leading figures and young professionals in French political consulting represent more than accumulated experience. They are worthy models for study and, at the same time, potentially adaptable frameworks of political communication that may find modern applications through mediatization and digitalization in Ukraine’s electoral processes. Keywords: political consulting; electoral strategies; electoral technologies; innovative models of political consulting.