French presidential campaigning
My apologies to those of you teaching the Advanced Placement course and trying to get details on 6 countries properly arranged in students' memories. But indulge us old teachers who taught about French politics between 1986 and 2005. When I read this report from the Washington Post I was reminded of my fascination with French presidential politics. And what delicious irony: the Socialist Party candidate is named Royal!And for those of you unconcerned about teaching about France, you could compare how the French presidential race is shaping up to the upcoming election in Nigeria or even the early stages of the Russian "race."
See
- Rule of Law in Nigeria (once again)
- Regionalism in Nigeria
- Olusegun Obasanjo chicken farmer?
- Rule of Law in Nigeria
- Nigeria's Presidential Candidates
- Managed Elections
- Russian Presidential Candidates
- Media and Politics in Russia
- Discouraging political competition in Russia
Le Pen Joins Volatile Race For French Presidency
"Jean-Marie Le Pen, the anti-immigration politician who stunned France and the world by finishing second in this country's 2002 presidential contest, formally placed his name on this year's ballot Wednesday, adding new uncertainty to an increasingly volatile campaign.
"Barely six weeks from the April 22 vote, the French election has become close and unpredictable. The two longtime front-runners -- Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, candidate of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement party, and Socialist Party nominee Ségolène Royal, who is vying to become the first female president of France -- are facing a challenge from the surging campaign of François Bayrou of the Union for French Democracy.
"Polls indicate Bayrou is sapping support from both Sarkozy and Royal and has transformed the election into a three-way contest. In a survey published Sunday by the weekly newspaper Journal du Dimanche, Sarkozy was favored by 28 percent of the respondents, Royal and Bayrou by 23 percent each, and Le Pen by 13 percent...
"The volatility of the French campaign in its final weeks is a reflection of increasing voter frustration with the two candidates who have been leading the race for months -- Sarkozy, 52, and Royal, 53.
"Pollsters and political analysts say many voters are afraid of Sarkozy and his tough stands on such issues as immigration and law and order, and are concerned about gaffes by Royal suggesting she may not be up to the job of president.
"Bayrou, 55, has in the past worked with the country's ruling bloc, inheritor of the nationalist mantle of Charles de Gaulle. Bayrou made a previous run for the presidency and is now attempting to capitalize on the disillusionment with the candidates offered by the two largest parties.
"Bayrou has portrayed himself as an alternative for voters unhappy with the personalities or politics of Sarkozy and Royal. He has said he favors business reforms and reduction of the French debt, yet would maintain the country's strong social services network. He has said he would include people from all major parties in his cabinet.
"But voters have been drawn to him less for his policy positions, which often are amorphous, than for his image as an honest, straightforward politician...
"Of all the candidates, Le Pen has the most fiercely loyal followers, many of whom will not admit their support to pollsters. That is one reason why Le Pen's opponents view his candidacy with such concern; he usually wins a higher percentage of votes than surveys initially indicate.
"Although he was a lone wolf in the 2002 campaign, denouncing immigration and espousing protectionist social and trade policies, many of his views became part of mainstream political debate after violence and arson swept the country's suburban slums, populated largely by immigrants and their French-born offspring, in the fall of 2005.
"But many French are appalled by what they consider to be Le Pen's racist and anti-Semitic views..."
posted by Ken Wedding @ 9:10 AM
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