The French Presidential Election

Today is the "2eme tour" of the French presidential election. The Frenchman and the Bambina are both French, we have spent the last five years living in France, and although we now live in Italy, our home is immersed in French books, radio, television and newspapers. So although I cannot vote, as I am not a French citizen (yet!!!!), I kind of feel like France is my second country.

So for the past 2 months, we have been glued to French radio and television (thank you satellite TV), following Segolène Royal and Nicholas Sarkozy on the campaign trail. The Frenchman agrees with virtually every idea put forward by Nicholas Sarkozy, the right wing candidate, but, in true French form, says that he voted for the Trotskyist candidate in the first round and Madame Royal in today's second round. He says that Nicholas Sarkozy is corrupt (so take it to the judge), power hungry (aren't they all?), too close to the media (and yet, the Frenchman had no problem voting for François Mitterand, who prevented the press from reporting about his illegitimate daughter living in social housing for free). He doesn't like Segolène Royal, either. Says she is méchante and admits that her proposals lack substance. But he could not bring himself to vote for Nicholas Sarkozy.

I would have voted for Sarkozy but that is no surprise to the Frenchman. He knows that if I had the right to vote we would probably cancel out each other's vote in every election. I watched the televised debate last Wednesday between Royal and Sarkozy. The first proposal that Royal came up with was that every female fonctionnaire should be accompanied home at night. Has she lost her mind?

Madame Royal's only solution to the questions of pension reform, retirement, and the 35-hour workweek, was that she would have to consult with the partenaires sociaux. After hearing her repeat for the umpteenth time that she would have to as the partenaires sociaux, I had to ask myself, are we supposed to be electing her, or the partenaires sociaux? At least Sarkozy has concrete solutions to offer.

I also feel that Segolène Royal had the chance to offer real reform and modernization to the French Socialist Party and she let the opportunity pass by, hanging on to the same old 1960s labour rhetoric and no new ideas for real economic and social reform. After all, why is Nicholas Sarkozy the one proposing affirmative action, school choice, better access for handicapped children to public schools, and an opposable right to childcare?

In the end, whatever the French decide, they will get the government that they deserve!