Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Andrew Hearne on February 3, 2012 at 16:31

ha ha Celeste, nice one that but it's way too early to tell and don't believe a word of the opinion poles - they haven't got a clue! the UMP and Sarkozy are more than capable of launching a full on all out offensive nearer the time - I think they're saving their bullets for the moment. And anyway I'm not too sure that things would be any better under Hollande - Ségolène's the only one who can tell us what that's like :-O ;-D

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Permalink Reply by Ben Mongoose on February 3, 2012 at 17:39

LOL. Made a comment like that not long ago on the site of "Libération"; think it stayed there for about 1 second. They don't have any sense of humor these socialist

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Permalink Reply by Brian Milne on February 3, 2012 at 20:16

dead right, French psephology is so inept, given the rest of the social sciences tend to be so good, that there is no poll worth looking at. Sarko needs to catch 'Ollande on a down moment, move in a talk DSK, Ségolène and all the rest of that scientific putting down and he will walk it.

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Permalink Reply by celeste vogel-dillon on February 3, 2012 at 18:08

Ben , that sounds like the GOP's in the States LOL ---- I just think Sarkozy is so arrogant -- he might just pull it off --- but can Merkel do the same in Germany?? There does not seem to be much difference between the candidates ---- although i think it would be a mistake to underestimate Marine le Penn ---- and more especially because the French are so fed up of the amount of foreigners( non-EU nationals) being allowed into the country

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Permalink Reply by Christa GIMBLETT on February 3, 2012 at 19:17

It's not necessarily just non-EU foreigners they don't fancy. Be careful what you wish for.

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Permalink Reply by celeste vogel-dillon on February 3, 2012 at 20:58

you could be right there Christa--- but I do think that depends on the foreigners  that come here -- whether yo want to integrate and explore french culture or just live in ones own world .

However when it comes to politics I think it is the same in most European countries and in the states --- they, the candidates, all have their history !!!! DSK , Hollande, Sarkozy , Aubry , Le Penn etc, etc --- I just find it interesting as this is the first time I have experienced French Politics at work

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Permalink Reply by Brian Milne on February 3, 2012 at 21:18

Celeste, I have for one reason or another spent many years in Germany and speak their language as well as Englisch (ooops), so read lots of things like Der Spiegel as much as English or French. Merkel is so popular there that the opposition with weak leadership may not even rely on its own 'support' and she will walk through again. There is never a certain bet though...

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Permalink Reply by Ben Mongoose on February 3, 2012 at 22:56

But to be honest I think this kind of "pendulum politics" is one of the worst things that can happen in a democracy. Pendulum in the sense of governments that threaten to alter each election between very well defined opposites in the political spectrum. 

As for Germany: they need to form coalitions since it is very rare that one party will get more than 50% of the votes. This will have a mitigating effect on the political programs so Merkel might indeed pull it off the next time.

But then again, as a Dutchman I'm a real advocate of proportional representation and not of the French nor the UK system. Whatever you might think of Le Penn or Bayrou, even if in the first round a substantial minority vote for them, these votes will be put aside in the second round... 

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Permalink Reply by barbara deane on February 4, 2012 at 9:10

will a change of bossman make a difference to what happenzs to the country?

You may think so but even if the director general has good intentions....AND DO THEY KNOW HOW TO INSTIGATE THEM. And who will listien?

Not exactly a political statement but just the facts of life.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Milne on February 4, 2012 at 10:10

Ben, exactly the point with the 'pendulum' notion. Let's all take turns doing things not very different from the other. We might as well give up voting and appoint a management committee... Without real political extremes and agendas that re politically 'fought' over and with proportional representation we get just a few steps closer to representative government. But better that than the nowhere and nothing politics of the present moment.

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