Sexy Centrists
I don't usually pay too much attention to international politics, but the Globe had a good article on the French presidential election, and the shocking rise of François Bayrou from obscurity. With the run off system they have, the victory of this bland yet bold centrist is certainly possible.
The article also goes on to talk about sexycentriste.com, which seems to be a cross between an online dating site and an official campaign website.
Like I said, an interesting read.
The article also goes on to talk about sexycentriste.com, which seems to be a cross between an online dating site and an official campaign website.
Like I said, an interesting read.
Labels: France
posted by calgarygrit at
3:29 p.m.
8 Comments:
I had no idea France was this fucked up.
His policies are fiscally conservative but socially liberal, a combination that has become commonplace in other countries but is novel, even radical, in France.
Huh??
This is like when they visit some nutty planet on Star Trek, where everyone commits suicide on their 60th birthday, or people refuse to acknowledge biological gender, or they put you to death for stepping on the flowers -- you're left going, "Guys, come on, surely you can invent something more believable than that."
But maybe those writers weren't so crazy after all.
What a delightfully odd read - thank you so much for putting it up.
By
Jacques Beau Vert, at 5:25 p.m.
Yah I read this story yesterday, very interesting. I think I saw a poll that showed that Bayrou was favored in a run-off against both Sarkozy and Royal.
By
Dan McKenzie, at 6:06 p.m.
SOCIAL DEMOCRATS!
QUELLE HORREUR!
(Seriously, Jason, not everybody is going to agree that the two are even compatible, yet alone a preferable choice.)
By
Demosthenes, at 7:59 p.m.
I'm not the only one in the world who would find it astounding that a G-7 country would find the idea "novel" or "radical".
By
Jacques Beau Vert, at 9:34 p.m.
I don't know if I buy that particular point. The French right is made up of two parties RPR/UMP/whatever Chirac wants to call it, and the UDF - which HAS elected a President, Valery Giscard D'Estaing, who ran things from 1974-1981. He lost in his re-election bid, arguably in part because of Chirac, so there has been bad blood between the Chirac right and the VEG right.
It is hardly the case, however, that fiscal conservativism plus social liberalism is foreign in France. Indeed, it is hard to define most French presidents on a simple left-right spectrum because they are often pragmatic, and shift a great deal. Chirac has been both a dirigiste and a neoliberal, depending upon what he had for breakfast.
By
french wedding cat, at 9:40 p.m.
neither Chirac nor Sarkozy is a US-inspired neocon. saying that would be an insult to neocons. like me.
but yes centrists can be sexy. certainly.
By
Steve L., at 5:10 a.m.
Jason; It does seem a tad odd to call that "radical". It do think it would be very interesting to see this guy win.
By
calgarygrit, at 12:51 p.m.
CG,
Radical as Giscard d'Estaing's win for the Presidency in 1974. This is about to happen. The collapse of Chirac's attempt to revive the dirigiste state and Royal's swing to the left.
Lesson learned from Canada? Watch the ADQ win a majority in Quebec. Not suggesting it can happen, but the possibility exists.
By
Anonymous, at 9:45 p.m.
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