French Presidential Election

[Sobieski]

See www.lemonde.fr for coverage of the first round of the French Presidential election.

It seems that Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal have been the top two vote getters and will face off in the second round. Personally, I was hoping that Le Pen might make it to the second round like in 2002. But, as it looks like that won’t be happening, I guess that I will have to settle for Sarkozy.

 

[aimee]

 

[aimee]

Nicolas Sarkozy is ahead in the polls…I hope he wins…better for France and US.

 

[Sobieski]

Nicolas Sarkozy is ahead in the polls…I hope he wins…better for France and US.

Sarkozy wants the government to fund the construction of mosques. :banghead:

But… some of Le Pen’s ideas just aren’t realistic at this point. Like wanting France to leave the EU. Such would not be constructive. So maybe Sarkozy will not be that bad for France.

 

[rlg94086]

I agree Sarkozy would be the best choice for France…it looks like it may be a run-off between him and Royal:
abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200704/s1903728.htm

Conservative leader Nicolas Sarkozy has finished first in the opening round of France’s presidential election and will meet Socialist rival Segolene Royal in a run-off vote, initial returns show.

With just over 80 per cent of the vote counted, Mr Sarkozy had 30.7 per cent of the vote, Ms Royal was in second place on 25.17 per cent and centrist Francois Bayrou was third with 18.4 per cent.

Far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, who stunned France by coming second in the 2002 election, looked set to finish a distant fourth with around 11.05 per cent.

The initial returns were in line with four television polls.
As expected, no one won an absolute majority, so the top two candidates will go forward to a second-round ballot on May 6.

I think Sarkozy’s chances are pretty good versus his socialist opponent.

 

[rlg94086]

Here’s a bit about Royal:
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070422/ap_on_re_eu/france_royal_1

Yet her gracious smile and talk of harmony belie a steely will and a tendency to scold people she disagrees with. She’s full of contradictions that make her hard to pin down.

A feminist, Royal has never married the father of her four children, Socialist Party boss Francois Hollande, but her progressive views are blended with traditional values. As a junior minister, she gave teenage girls access to the morning-after pill at school, but also campaigned against girls wearing thong underwear that is visible in class.

Early in the race, Royal spoke admiringly of British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s policies seeking a middle ground between socialism and free market economics, then came out with a traditional Socialist platform, pledging to raise the minimum wage nearly 20 percent and offer 500,000 subsidized youth jobs.

I especially like this little gem…

She stumbled repeatedly on foreign affairs, at one point declaring that France should emulate China’s justice system.

Now, how can the french electorate pass on that suggestion?

[sign]I don’t think she has a chance[/sign]

 

[Dale_M]

How much of an influence will the Iraq War have on the run-off election?

Last fall, Sarkozy made a high-profile visit to Washingon. “A lot of people in France were shocked by Sarkozy going to see Bush,” says Socialist Party stalwart Gilbert Roger. If Sarkozy had been president of France in 2003 when plans were being laid for the invasion of Iraq, which President Chirac opposed, the outcome might have been different for the French, Roger suggests: “They know that their own children could have gone to Iraq if he had been president then.”

msnbc.msn.com/id/18261512/site/newsweek/page/3/

 

[rlg94086]

How much of an influence will the Iraq War have on the run-off election?

msnbc.msn.com/id/18261512/site/newsweek/page/3/

Both candidates opposed the war, so I don’t think it will influence things much. The fact that Sarkozy visited with the president of the United States should be a good thing for his election.

 

[Catholig]

See www.lemonde.fr for coverage of the first round of the French Presidential election.

It seems that Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal have been the top two vote getters and will face off in the second round. Personally, I was hoping that Le Pen might make it to the second round like in 2002. But, as it looks like that won’t be happening, I guess that I will have to settle for Sarkozy.

I don’t really know who is who in French Politics, however I hope (and will pray) that France gets a good president.

Catholig

 

[aimee]

Sarkozy 30.42%

Royal 24.73%

Bayrou 18.33%

Le Pen 11.34%

Does this mean a run off?

 

[aimee]

Does anyone know Monsieur Sarkozys mailing address?

 

[Catholig]

Does anyone know Monsieur Sarkozys mailing address?

Tu peux parler francais avec lui?

Catholig

(I’m only a french 1 student so forgive any mistakes)

 

[aimee]

Tu peux parler francais avec lui?

Catholig

(I’m only a french 1 student so forgive any mistakes)

With help from translator…I’d like to send him a note…perhaps there won’t be too many française (language) erreurs:blush:

does this sound right?

Bonne chance dans l’élection presidental?

 

[MikeWM]

Sarkozy 30.42%

Royal 24.73%

Bayrou 18.33%

Le Pen 11.34%

Does this mean a run off?

There’s always a run-off between the top two in a ‘second round’ - so, yes.

Mike

 

[Sobieski]

Yes there will be a runoff, as no candidate got 50% of the vote in the first round.

I see that Le Pen only got 11%. This result is very disappointing to me. Most likely he lost some votes to Bayrou and Villiers.

 

[aimee]

There’s always a run-off between the top two in a ‘second round’ - so, yes.

Mike

I wasn’t sure how they handled it in France:shrug:

 

[Catholig]

With help from translator…I’d like to send him a note…perhaps there won’t be too many française (language) erreurs:blush:

does this sound right?

Bonne chance dans l’élection presidental?

I don’t know, but I realize that my original text wasn’t great. I mean’t to say “Could you speak french with him”, however I only know “can”. So I said “Can you speak french with him” (or at least I hope I did ).

In any case I don’t know. That looks pretty good, the only thing I’m unsure about is that presidental might have an e on the end (presidentale) because élection is feminine.

Catholig

 

[Catholig]

I wasn’t sure how they handled it in France:shrug:

As I understand it the “second round” isn’t necessary, however it has become a bit of the traditon, no one winning the first round.

Catholig

 

[aimee]

I don’t know, but I realize that my original text wasn’t great. I mean’t to say “Could you speak french with him”, however I only know “can”. So I said “Can you speak french with him” (or at least I hope I did ).

In any case I don’t know. That looks pretty good, the only thing I’m unsure about is that presidental might have an e on the end (presidentale) because élection is feminine.

Catholig

Thanks…I’ll work on it…

If I receive a response I’ll post it…

 

[Benedictus]

I see that Le Pen only got 11%. This result is very disappointing to me. Most likely he lost some votes to Bayrou and Villiers.

Most likely people just didn’t want to vote for a hate-filled, zenophobic, war criminal who is so far off the deep end that a scuba tank wouldn’t help him.