Tuesday, March 27, 2007

[segie and sarko again] the pendulum swings slightly her way

Segolene Royal, the French Socialist presidential candidate, gained two points on Nicolas Sarkozy as she said she wanted to "reconquer'' patriotic symbols from the "far right and the National Front.''

Saying that all citizens should know the national anthem and hang a French flag at home echoed themes emphasizing values she'd struck earlier in the campaign. Early proposals called for a return to compulsory military service for unruly teenagers and mandating education for parents of troubled youths.

Values such as order and parental authority "are as important as political issues,'' Roland Cayrol, director of Paris-based polling company CSA, said in interview. ``It was important for Segolene Royal to go back to those themes.''

I don't consider myself an expert like Croydonian, say, on the subject of the French Presidential race and yet I've been following it as you have. Seems to me that voters would like to have Segolene - she's pretty for a start and that goes a long way in France. People admire how she looks in a bikini at over 50.

If her policies weren't so loony and if she hadn't made such gaffs, she'd possibly be viable. Sarkozy is not liked. One of my clients is a French interpreter and she spends considerable time in the country. This was her feeling from speaking with French academics but on the other hand, there does not appear to be a viable alternative just now.

Sarkozy doesn't appear to have done anything terribly wrong lately. It seems to be his connection with the UMP and I wonder if Chirac's 'kiss of death' has cost him the two points. I wonder if Chirac knew this all along. I wonder a lot of things.

Stealing Sakozy's patriotic ground might turn out to be a good move.

5 comments:

  1. You may have hit the nail on the head as to how Presidential (or any other) elections could be handled in the future. "People admire how she looks in a bikini at over 50." Perhaps all candidates could be required to have a "bikini round" where the women strut about in bikinis and the men in their speedos. We could all have a good laugh; it's more than we get now from the whole lot of them.

    WM

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  2. They say behind every great man is a great woman, can the same be said for Segolene? I read at the weekend that her partner was cheesed off that she had been selected to run for the presidency instead of him. Not sure if it is just the press doing some much stirring.

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  3. I read this too, Lady Ellee. Winfred - it might be an idea. By the way, keep your eyes peeled tomorrow evening.

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  4. Coincidentally I just wrote a little about Sarko at my blog. But it is important to recall that it isn't a 2 horse race, there is also Bayrou who will win according to current polls if he can get to the run off stage.

    FWIW we did see pictures of Sarko in his swimming togs (though not bikini) last summer.

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  5. L'Ombre, I saw that photo and he didn't look half bad [not that I'm a judge, of course]. Your piece is indeed a worthy read on the Segie/Sarko/Bayrou thing.

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