Pave: Final Thoughts On The Recent Election

Le jour 14 de Sarko

Where to elect there is but one, 'tis Hobson's choice—take that, or none.

Thomas Ward,
England's Reformation (1688)

Many of our friends and correspondents have expressed dissatisfaction with the French presidential election, starting with our hostess (also see here). Not unlike 2002 -- but with ruin threatened by the left this time -- the choice given was between whole lies and half-lies. The French sensibly chose half-lies to complement the half-truths of discours politique français.

But there were many goods that the election wrought.

1. The French left is spent.

The French left, that hodgepodge of socialists, communists (in their many varieties: Marxists, Leninists, Stalinists, Trotskyites, Maoists, et al.), and greens, polled 10 points less in aggregate than 2002.

2. The Parti Socialiste is spent.

The best shot the PS had at the presidency since 1981 fizzled, and it fizzled on a platform of traditional Socialist gobbledygook (scil., Ségo's 100-point pacte presidentiel).

LEADING SOCIALIST SEES ANOTHER ELECTION DEFEAT

SAINT PRIEST, France May 29, 2007 (AFP) - A leading French Socialist on Monday expressed hope that the party will not suffer too heavy a defeat in the coming parliamentary elections that could kill off any chance for renewal.

Former finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn made the candid admission during a campaign swing through the Lyon region ahead of the June 10-17 elections.

... The opposition Socialists remain in disarray, reeling from their third consecutive defeat in presidential elections and bitterly divided on how to modernize the party.

During the campaign, the left, realizing it lacked the appeal of new ideas, attempted to advertise itself as a heretofore unknown center. Alas, this simple trick didn't fool enough voters. Today, without license for murder, mayhem, and mischief -- the traditional polemics of the French left -- the left finds itself with no means to establish its ideas. It is a political vis mortua.

On the one hand, items one and two are goods. On the other hand, an opposition without strong competing ideas cannot hope to unseat the party in power. And a party in power without viable political competition eventually becomes the party of the state.

3. Le Pen is spent.

LE PEN VOWS TO STAY ON
AS FAR-RIGHT NATIONAL FRONT LEADER
PARIS May 24, 2007 (AFP)

M. Le Pen, who in trying to broaden his base by saying anything that might snag a vote, managed to attrite the Front National vote by some 6 points (11% vs. 17% in 2002). His daughter, Marine, waits in the wings with schemes to modernize the FN. Postponing her elevation to the party leadership hurries along the FN's political demise.

4. The French electorate has been goosed.

In both presidential rounds there were record high voter turnouts (1er tour 83.8%, 2e tour 85.5%). So even if the electorate doesn’t understand the issues confronting France, at least it is aware there are issues.

And last -- but certainly not least:

5. Jack is out.

PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC BOWS OUT OF FRENCH POLITICS
PARIS March 12, 2007 (AFP)

It is still an open question whether Jack will be brought to justice for graft (and this) -- his larger crimes have the sanction of national policy. The embarrassing thing about spent politicians is how they cling to the feeblest hope -- the ghost of a shade of the most improbable imagining -- to stay in office. Jack was nothing if not spent and the longer he fought this reality the more ineluctable it became.

So now he will occupy himself harmlessly with his "foundation" "devoted to saving the planet and relieving poverty". That's right. "Saving the planet" no less. [Snort.] More like organizing fancy dress dinners and garden parties as tax write-offs to defray Jack's humanitarian lifestyle.

Ask yourself this question, who is better placed to alleviate poverty in Africa, President Jack or citizen Jack?

Before you answer, consider what President Jack, with all the powers and resources of France at his disposal, did for Africa. [Pause. A finger is raised, drops. Pause.] Well, there was the much bruited "air-ticket solidarity levy", which proposed to tax Africa into prosperity. France introduced the measure at an international conference in Paris in March 2006, where she applied her considerable influence. A dribble of nations immediately signed up. In addition to France, out of the 90+ nations attending, these giants of airline travel embraced the Jack tax: Brazil, Chile, Cyprus, Congo, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Madagascar, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Norway -- later Gabon too was won over to the French vision.

Then there was what President Jack pointedly didn't do:

BLAIR VOWS TO BREAK UP CAP* FOR AFRICA'S SAKE
June 19, 2005 (Guardian)

CHIRAC ENJOYS HIS VICTORY OVER UK REBATE DEAL

PARIS December 18, 2005 (AFP) - Chirac, who had led the assault on the rebate, managed to fend off Blair's counter-attack on EU agricultural subsidies from which French farmers benefit. Those subsidies -- which account for a third of EU spending -- will remain, though will be subject to a later review. ... Le Parisien reported: [Jack] "won the match against Tony Blair on the British rebate without yielding on the (EU) common agriculture policy."

Hé ! Papa Afrique, merci !

[Hat tip: Reader James L]

Perhaps citizen Jack, after saving the planet, can spare Africa a nod.

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* Common Agricultural Policy. The European Commission maintains a Web page of Member State Web sites providing information on beneficiaries of CAP payments. Guess what middling squarish country to the east of Britain -- receiving the largest CAP allocation (17%) -- is missing? Go on. Guess.

PFFT (What is this?): Goods not to be overlooked 4 | Rayonnement français 1½

Posted by Damian at May 29, 2007 10:00 PM