Info and comments about French presidential elections

[Haltickling]

There is a second ballot in the French presidential elections now, between the two strongest competitors of the previous ballot: Jacques Chirac (Gaullists RPR) and Jean-Marie LePen (National Front).

As a French friend remarked, his people now have the choice between the plague and cholera. Chirac seems to be deeply involved in a multi-billion-dollar corruption scandal. He even overruled the otherwise independent justice system when a judge wanted to investigate the corruption suspicions, ordering the police to obstruct the investigation and finally forcing the charges to be dropped.

LePen is an ultra-nationalist, xenophobic and racist to the core. He is also anti-semitic, but his main targets are the Arabian and African immigrants, as well as the European Union. He was even evicted from the European Parliament for physically assaulting a female delegate, and his diplomatic immunity was revoked.

I was shell-shocked when I heard that these two men received the biggest number of votes, and I immediately e-mailed my French friend. Here's what he said:

This was mainly a protest election against the present government with Prime Minister Jospin (who scored third, therefore is out of the second ballot). But when we heard about the actual results, the French people reacted just as shocked as you. Right now, there are protest marches in all French major cities, telling in no uncertain terms that this is a thorough shame for the French people.

Talking with many friends and even completely unknown people in the streets, I found that many French are just waking up from a bad dream. Most of them are not interested at all in politics, which is also confirmed by the low participation of only 28.8% of voters. This is the price for political indifference now. But I've spoken to no one who actually wants LePen as President. Even the socialists and the communists support Chirac now, an unprecedented event in history.

Luckily, the present surveys are predicting less than 20% for LePen in the final ballot. I'm not at all happy with Chirac, but with LePen, I couldn't live here any more.

Please be sure that the vast majority of French DO NOT WISH A RACIST AS PRESIDENT! If that really happens, the French Résistance will be reborn!

My thought on that: Some people actually must have voted for LePen (about 16% of the actual voters, which equals 4.6% of the total voters). It is also part of the general swing to the extreme right here in Europe, and I'm afraid that I have to take back some of my support for Europe which I brought up in the anti-semitism threads. I'm sad, very very sad. This election is a thorough shame for Europe. I will watch French politics very closely now.

Nevertheless, this is not the place for bashing whatever foreign people in general.

 

[sushi854]

Will we see the 6th Republic soon?

Could France be facing a constitutional crisis? It's hard to tell, but I would assume that the majority of French voters will now jump on the Chirac bandwagon. Hopefully the prospect of an extremist president will drive them to the polls in droves. As we have seen, the French voters' attempt to make a point has come back to bite them in a scenario made quite possible by the French election system. If Chirac wins, it will be interesting to see how the elections for National Assembly go in a few (I think) months. If not, then I say "viva la résistance" for the sake of Europe amd the rest of the world, although I can't imagine the French actually electing that guy.

 

[qjakal]

France...

Good thing I got my digs in early on the other French thread, hmmm? Now everyone will be jabbing at them, and I will be able to sit back righteously and watch, vindicated and triumphant...lol. Seriously though, this is why you have a "layered" system of government, so that one bad leader won't be able to (theoretically) run the country into a shambles unchecked by other governing bodies... 😡 Q

 

[Strelnikov]

That's the advantage the French and US systems of government have over parliamentary systems: the Legislature has to go along, or nothing happens. We survived Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton. The French will survive LePen, if he's elected.

Strelnikov

 

[Deleted member 2452]

one good thing about lepen

you know what kind of guy he is up front! he wears his predjudices on his sleeve. he's been honest about how he feels and thinks.
can this guy chirac say the same?
i think it will be a disaster for france if lepen gets elected, but,it would mean the end of the e.u., which a lot of people want anyway.
steve

 

[dig dug dog]

Dear Hal,

QUOTE: "I'm afraid that I have to take back some of my support for Europe which I brought up in the anti-semitism threads. I'm sad, very very sad."

I sincerely respect the fact that you are willing to revise your thoughts in light of new insights and information. That is a rare and precious quality.

BTW, a Jewish woman who lives in my city and is originally from France wrote an article here describing her recent conversation with a dear friend who still lives in France. Things are VERY dark there for the Jewish community. People are very scared.

dig dug dog