L' Election Présidentielle 2007 / French Presidential Election [R]

[Nanbawan]

Who is he?

Yeah, the hunters party. On a broader perspective, they also advocate -at least from their POV - for rural issues and the rural way of life.

[Nanbawan]

[url]h
"Le ministre de l’Emploi, Jean-Louis Borloo, a accordé mardi son soutien à Nicolas Sarkozy pour l’élection présidentielle du mois prochain."



Il aura résisté longtemps le bougre ! :D

On the other hand, I think Azouz Begag will support Bayrou ; it's true he already had words with Sarko during the riots and concerning the former interior minister views on minorities and Banlieues.

[ilv2]

hmm, i remember reading some comments where Begag was claiming that Sarko had "changed" or "transformed"; and that he was prepared to support him as a future president.

[AfrcnHrbMan]

So what do you think boys? Does Sarko have it or what?

[Pierre-Henri]

Impossible to tell. Many french people are sick of the big mess that is France today. Fore example : another SNCF strike in Alsace, yipee ! Who cares about passengers ? Who cares that the SNCF loses 10 billions € every year ? Give them more ! Plus, the Marseille harbour (also public) is still on strike, paralyzing the economy in the area. Education nationale is following its humdrum routine, with its bimonthly strike.

Public unions are turning everyone crazy. They are too cretinous to understand this, but their blatant selfishness and stupidity is fueling the right wing like never before. Many taxpayers will vote Sarkozy, and even le Pen, out of sheer exasperation.

However, Sarkozy is still frightening many democrats. His nationalism and complete lack of scruples is somewhat scaring. As someone said, if he's elected, the risk to see major riots in France is real.

So, if the left wins, and if Royal does what she says, the socialists will have to give more money to the public unions, leading France to complete bankruptcy. If the right wing wins, and if Sarkozy does what he says, the unions will blockade the country, and the ghettoes will burn.

However, I guess it will be like usual : none of them will follow their program, and France, without helmsman, will continue its slow drift toward bureaucratic fossilization and ruin.

(and yes, I'm in a gloomy mood).

[guignol]

Yeah, the hunters party. On a broader perspective, they also advocate -at least from their POV - for rural issues and the rural way of life.with two factions, one on each side of the loire...

north: the CPCJ
chasse, pêche, calva & jeu de boules

south: the CPPP
chasse, pêche, pastega & petanque

[guignol]

too bad this fellow is so old... the only true présidentiable we have imo...

http://www.lefaso.net/IMG/jpg/Aime_Cesaire2.jpg

"Le miracle d’une parole entendue par tous, quelle joie"

aimé césaire

[Anthony]

(and yes, I'm in a gloomy mood).

There is a cliché among American history teachers and professors that "When France sneezes, Europe catches cold" (in reference, of course, to those minor dust-ups in 1789, 1830 and 1848). So please use a tissue. Also, take your Airborne.

[Pierre-Henri]

"Le miracle d’une parole entendue par tous, quelle joie"

aimé césaire


You remind me my Phd. Oh, the good time I spent with his poetry... Why can't we be students the all life through :( ?

[Anthony]

You remind me my Phd. Oh, the good time I spent with his poetry... Why can't we be students the all life through :( ?

Because someone has to work and pay taxes. And produce things.

[Douai]

"Gare du Nord: Baroin dénonce «l'exploitation politique», Royal pointe «l'échec» de Sarkozy"

http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/politiques/elections2007/_files/file_243986_104717.jpg

"Le nouveau ministre de l'Intérieur déclare qu'il poursuivra «la politique de fermeté impulsée depuis 2002». Ségolène Royal déplore qu'un «simple contrôle puisse dégénérer en un affrontement aussi violent»."

http://www.liberation.fr/actualite/politiques/elections2007/243986.FR.php

[Nanbawan]

Impossible to tell. Many french people are sick of the big mess that is France today. Fore example : another SNCF strike in Alsace, yipee ! Who cares about passengers ? Who cares that the SNCF loses 10 billions € every year ? Give them more ! Plus, the Marseille harbour (also public) is still on strike, paralyzing the economy in the area. Education nationale is following its humdrum routine, with its bimonthly strike.


I don't have the figures but I think there has been far less strikes in France those last years compared to what it used to be.

Concerning the budget, hopefully if Royal is elected, someone competent will be named in this area ; there are little chance that the Socialist program will be applied anyway. Now social spending and running on deficit is only a bad thing per se when there's no return whatsoever. You have to bear in mind that too much austerity can also strangle an economy ; so in the end, the main problem is not only to spend or not to spend but to invest the best way you can.

And that's actually the burden of responsability if the Left has the victory...Social spendings why not, but if they botch the whole process of actually empowering people and just spread the bucks (with empty pockets) for pure symbolic purposes, the grief towards politics from the French people will only widen leaving the path to chaos or/and strengthening the idea that only dire conservative rule will save the day...Brrr...

I don't think that France is sinking. From a socio economical perspective, it's certainly somewhat stranded and the tragedy is that despite the best intentions in the world, many people are finding it harder than ever and yes, the social divide is widening. has our social model failed ? Yes and no ; combined to the french mentality, it can be viewed as a burden with respect to the so-called globalisation challenges, so it might prevent people from getting richer but compared to the situation in other countries, it's still an existing protection from getting into dire poverty even if there are no miracles.

Anyway, beside some principles and ways, is there really a French social model enforced by the book ? I don't think so, I'd tend to be prudent with the existence of words and the existence of the reality they're supposed to describe. Let's keep the best of those basic principle. There's nothing that wrong with wanting to provide a good social protection, but politicians should stop hiding behind words and weathering concepts. The main problem with France is not the definition of its famous social model but more simply the way the country has been governed. We don't need a revolution, just an evolution in governance. Given our assets, some slight and right adjustements where there need to be some would do a world of difference for a start.

And since it's a forum, I'll state my personal conviction. My conviction is that screwing the base, the values, the principles which France claimed to defend in its mind and unfortunately not it the way policies were run would be a fatal error. And doing so in thinking that utter allegeance to a 'clé en main' policy for globalisation competitiveness is an illusion. Appealing maybe, but that's also what illusions are made about. Everybody talks about change, changing for the sake of changing is another discourse to cower behind ; going with the flow is another way of not taking responsabilities. Yet, there are changes, adjustements to be made in order to meet social and economical imperatives.

One of the reason why the French came to distrust change to a point of seeming to adore sclerosis is that many times in the past they felt those modifications were made at their expense, and only that. This so-called conservatism goes in pair with a broader political distrust. They won't trade the hard fought social benefits for nothing. Of course, it sounds counter productive but it's only natural if what the politicians have to say is just : "C'est la vie !"

There are needed reforms because some laws, some texts are not up to date anymore and if one thinks about papers and bureaucracy, their strict application is a burden more than anything which leads to effects that are the opposite of the original goal. Though, like I said before, even if those reforms have to take place for the sake of efficiency, for the sake of offering more opportunities, the main goal should remain to provide a real benefit for the citizens while preserving our best principles, not just comply with globalisation standards. The French would be more keen on changing what's really wrong if someone proves he can be trusted on carrying such reforms.

In short, it's not because we need to modify some stuff about the way our society works for its own sake that we have to bin everything it was about in the first place. And I think that's what our compatriots seem to want.





And I realise my post sounded like a political discourse...

[guignol]

"Le nouveau ministre de l'Intérieur déclare qu'il poursuivra «la politique de fermeté impulsée depuis 2002». Ségolène Royal déplore qu'un «simple contrôle puisse dégénérer en un affrontement aussi violent»."sarko was bad enough, but in a way you could feel sorry for him... a little man with a little dick on a power trip. but this baroin? a solid gold slaphead.

quelle tête a claques çui-là!

[guignol]

You remind me my Phd. Oh, the good time I spent with his poetry... Why can't we be students the all life through ?Because someone has to work and pay taxes. And produce things.oh, but you can, you can! i work, pay taxes, and produce "things" (if you can call automobiles things), and i still consider myself a student. i've learned to speak german (after a fashion) through courses here at work, birdwatching through meetings at a local park, ballet through my daughter, and have developed into a fair amateur plumber through necessity at home.

when you stop learning it's time to die. that may seem obvious, but start counting the living corpses around you... people who think bach is something terriers do!

[Anthony]

oh, but you can, you can! i work, pay taxes, and produce "things" (if you can call automobiles things),

Well, I am a lawyer, all I produce is misery.

when you stop learning it's time to die. that may seem obvious, but start counting the living corpses around you... people who think bach is something terriers do!

Very true -- I'll be Bach, see you in a minuet.

[Douai]

Interview with Sarkozy on France 3:
http://jt.france3.fr/1920/

[Douai]

"L'UDF Hervé Morin dénonce les "bidouillages permanents" dans les sondages"
http://medias.lemonde.fr/mmpub/edt/ill/2007/03/29/h_9_ill_889665_par438270.jpg
"Dans les sondages, il y a toute une série de bidouillages permanents" et les instituts "tordent un peu les chiffres", a dénoncé Hervé Morin, membre de l'équipe de campagne de François Bayrou, jeudi 29 mars sur Canal+. L'UDF alimente la polémique sur les enquêtes d'opinion, qui semble avoir encore de beaux jours devant elle."
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-823448,36-889651,0.html

"Le PS dénonce le "décalage croissant entre les chiffres du gouvernement et la réalité"
"Alors qu'une nouvelle fois, des fuites orchestrées annoncent, avant la parution des chiffres officiels, une baisse du chômage, le PS tient à dénoncer fermement le décalage croissant entre les chiffres dont se targue le gouvernement et la réalité du chômage", ont déclaré Martine Aubry et Jean-Marc Germain, chargés des questions sociales au PS, dans un communiqué, jeudi 29 mars. "La baisse du chômage n'est pas avérée durant le quinquennat", assurent-ils."
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-823448,36-889633,0.html

[guignol]

hervé, get a life... :rolleyes:

i suppose there's no santa claus either? :eek:

[Pierre-Henri]

What ? Polls are a scam ? I'm shocked, really shocked ! Never, never, never I would have imagined such a thing. You mean that when IFLOP says "XXX is up by 0.12 % (Poll made thanks to a panel of 3 persons)" they are not serious :rolleyes: ?

Personally, I rely on much serious things :p :

http://www.astrotheme.fr/images/f_bayrou_carte.jpg

[Breakwood]

What ? Polls are a scam ? I'm shocked, really shocked ! Never, never, never I would have imagined such a thing. You mean that when IFLOP says "XXX is up by 0.12 % (Poll made thanks to a panel of 3 persons)" they are not serious :rolleyes: ?

Personally, I rely on much serious things :p :

http://www.astrotheme.fr/images/f_bayrou_carte.jpg

Hell that's probably more excact than polls.

If the Quebec provincial elections taught us anything, it's that polls are vastly over-rated in predicting elections. (That and that the PQ is a dead party)