howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Ive been watching some of this on French TV as well, and the stations are almost saturated with it...even more saturation than they have here at election time. As the linked feature says there, Sarkozy is not having a good week...its all gone terribly 'horribilis'. The new rising wave, Francois Hollande, is running extremely well in the polls and it doesnt seem to be a flash in the pan either. It is stable. As he is the socialist candidate I would normally be pleased with such a situation..but what concerns me is that it might bring about a change in EU thinking. At the moment Sarkozy works very well with Merkel and if anyone can fix the dodgy euro wide economics the feeling is that they have a better chance than most.
Could Hollande work with Merkel? There are already differencies so where would that leave the rest of us. Merkel has already endorsed Sarkozy in the election, a situation that did not please Hollande..saying she shouldnt interfere with internal politics.
The other candidates in the election are essentially no hopers...like Marine le Pen...daughter of the infamous father. Although she is polling moderately well.
It is very similar to the US Republican election in some ways...in that the vote of the peripheral candidates could influence the final outcome. Therein lies the main hope for an ever increasing and seemingly bad humoured Sarkozy. The voter had expected a rally from Sarkozy but so far it hasnt happened. So...Brace yourself for a new French leader.
Yes interesting what you say there Howard about taxing the rich...brings instant popularity in France. They are bleating here about 50%..try 75% !!
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
Of course it is entirely correct to rail against foreign interference in internal political matters.
Merkel and ALL other democratically elected heads of governments have their regular Waterloos.
Frightfully undemocratic, IMHO, to seek to insist on a stringent two-party system here and, as stated above, just plain wrong to seek to impose such on other democracies.
The plain truth of taxation rates and prosperity is that during the time when 'the American Dream' was realisable (the fifties-sixties) tax went up to 95%. [I miss out the technical term, 'marginal rate' or some such]
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i have been following this over the past 2 weeks and both the leading candidates have come out with an eye catching new policy by the day, no great depth from either of them.
paul raises the subject of the relationship between merkel and sarkozy, not sure when she is up for election but i would expect a change of leader when it happens.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
oh dear,looks like blue dave might lose a strange bed fellow.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
A scandalous attempt to court the Le Pen vote. Shame on him.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
they must have the same problem in france that the main parties have here.
ukip eat into the blue vote and the sandal wearers do the same to the reds.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
more enoch powell treand i see.
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Yes I saw this on France 2 last night. Interesting...over there the PM or equivalent doesnt just pop on TV for a few pre ordained soundbites as they do here, no this programme rambled on from roughly 7.30 to 10.15....almost three hours. Sarkozy was questioned by a whole stream of people..journalists etc...they change periodically during the programme but the interviewee stays in place for all that time, so considerabe alertness and stamina required.
Unfortunately I cant undestand most of it but I manage to cypher bits of it. I didnt watch it all myself I hasten to add.
Yes with Le Pen running in third place and showing something like 16% in the polls...you can to some extent understand the shameless move.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the french far right comes across more respectable than our far right hence the high poll ratiing.
our far right looks like a mix of bouncers and people banned from football grounds.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
Because in France they don't have PC police looking out for every 'racist', 'sexist' or otherwise 'discriminatory' utterance by their politicians. A much more healthy climate than ours, where respectable people are hounded out of their professions by do-gooding ideologues.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
that might play a small part peter but our far right have never found out how to present themselves as political parties rather than splinter groups as shown by the tiny share of the vote they get.
Guest 683- Registered: 11 Feb 2009
- Posts: 1,052
"UP CLOSE, the most unnerving thing about Marine Le Pen is not her obsession with Islam, her populism or her divisive politics—but the way she oozes charm. With a ready laugh and unaffected manner, this steely politician deflects awkward questions with an easy grace that makes her a rarity in French politics. The newish leader of the far-right National Front is an intriguing study in how to make extremist politics marketable—and in doing so, perhaps to reshape French party politics". - The Economist
Don't let respectable clothing or imagery deflect from the underlying message.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
doubt if michael foot would agree.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Sadly she has far more credibility than she deserves. I would have a real problem if I was French as the centre-right are just to wedded to big government as, of course, are the socialists. There is no real market orientated major force there that I would feel comfortable with and for that reason cannot get interested in their politics.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
shes not bad looking though,but if you like her politics dont vote for her.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
sarkozy is sounding a bit desperate here even threatening to pull out of the schengen agreement.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/11/nicolas-sarkozy-french-elections-2012Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
It will be interesting to see if this mega rally has any impact on the polls. It was a major event, a major play. If it doesnt then Sarkozy is all but lost. Howard speaks of desperation, and indeed its true. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, famed model, was hurled into the camera limelight over the past few days in a blatant effort at populism. The jaded Sarkozy needed a psychological boost and he got it in the shape of Carla Bruni...his missus, who up til now has preferred the quiet life. But anything that makes Sarkozy look good is being used at the moment.
Francois Hollande responded with his own media female who is a presenter on Direct 8 and very popular in France..sadly her name is unpronounceable and I can never remember it. Although I think I wrote it down before somewhere.
So the battle for the female vote is on bigtime. I dont think either Sarkozy or Hollande are hugely charismatic so the women might have a bigger role to play as we get nearer poll deadline....with coverage in national magazines and so forth.
In the meantime in the darkest hour of his ever deeper desperation, Sarkozy lurches to the right.
