Leftist candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon told a post-vote rally that they must unite together on May 6 to beat the incumbent president, without mentioning Hollande by name. Socialist contender Hollande has already received the endorsement of Green candidate Eva Joly.That could have been predicted and, indeed, was by all. Similarly, Bayrou's supporters will now move over to Sarkozy.
Given M. Hollande's promises to wreck the French economy it is not surprising that, according to Reuters, has worried investors. Undoubtedly, they are hoping that what, according to a reader of this blog who has been watching developments carefully, was an 8 per cent swing to left-wing parties in general, will, in a fortnight's time, turn into a victory for Sarko. Not that the economy under his guidance has been doing all that well and not that he had brought in any of the necessary reforms but, perhaps, if he does snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, he will have had a nasty fright.
Sarkozy has been to France pretty well what Berlusconi was to Italy, without the being a successful businessman part. Promised much, darling of the markets etc then the reality a self obsessed personality cult style of showbiz government, ducking the difficult (ie important) issues, become a laughing stock on the global stage.
ReplyDeleteI hope he loses.
Hollande is a socialist of course I wouldn't ever support a socialist, but Sarkozy is also a socialist.
France is institutionally socialist and has been since Colbert. The only reason it hasn't collapsed before is because its substantially rural economy has been underwritten by the Ruhr for the last 60 years.
Bring it on I say, and let the Euro collapse with it.