French Election: Nicolas Sarcozy or François Hollande
Apr 13th, 2012, 07:59 PM
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French Election: Nicolas Sarcozy or François Hollande
Who is your candidate? Is Nicolas Sarcozy the George W. Bush of France? François Hollande is certainly not Barack Obama. What are your thoughts? Is there a third candidate that is a viable candidate?
Apr 14th, 2012, 03:37 AM
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Sorry but isn't it bad enough that the lounge if full of US politics without bringing French politics into the Europe forum.
Apart from people who live in France do you think many people on the forum know anything about the candidates (you forget Marine Penn) or really care?
Apart from people who live in France do you think many people on the forum know anything about the candidates (you forget Marine Penn) or really care?
Apr 14th, 2012, 01:16 PM
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Oh, come on. A little political discourse is a sign of democracy. Don't censor my free speech.
Frankly, I am not a fan of Sarcozy, but I don't know much about Hollande either and what I know is not too impressive.
Frankly, I am not a fan of Sarcozy, but I don't know much about Hollande either and what I know is not too impressive.
Apr 14th, 2012, 02:02 PM
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All you ever wanted to know about Hollande:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollande
I also think that this thread belongs in the Lounge.
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollande
I also think that this thread belongs in the Lounge.
Apr 28th, 2012, 04:48 PM
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All I know is what I heard today on Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me. Sarkozy cut the cheese!
Yep! That's right, read it for yourselves:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/09/...iet-of-cheese/
I wouldn't think he had a rat's chance on a cat farm after that
Yep! That's right, read it for yourselves:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/09/...iet-of-cheese/
I wouldn't think he had a rat's chance on a cat farm after that
Apr 28th, 2012, 04:57 PM
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OK, I'll bite.
I've had something of a conversation with my friend who lives in Paris.
It has been a difficult decision - but Sarkozy won out for her - for reasons which are too complex to go into here. Besides which, they are her personal reasons and I don't feel it necessary to reveal someone else's personal feelings.
Cowboy: your link's first sentence is
"La Hollande est une ancienne province des Pays-Bas."
Are you sure this is what you wanted to link to? Maybe this is the link you wanted?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Hollande
I've had something of a conversation with my friend who lives in Paris.
It has been a difficult decision - but Sarkozy won out for her - for reasons which are too complex to go into here. Besides which, they are her personal reasons and I don't feel it necessary to reveal someone else's personal feelings.
Cowboy: your link's first sentence is
"La Hollande est une ancienne province des Pays-Bas."
Are you sure this is what you wanted to link to? Maybe this is the link you wanted?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Hollande
Apr 28th, 2012, 06:36 PM
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My sister lives in France and is also a citizen of that country.
She told me various times that since Sarkozy has been in power the country economy went downhill.
I dont know too much about Hollande..
She told me various times that since Sarkozy has been in power the country economy went downhill.
I dont know too much about Hollande..
Apr 28th, 2012, 07:50 PM
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Fer cryin out loud, it is on the Lounge now, as it this was topic going to post was going to molest the other French threads.
Marine Le Pen recieved 18% of the vote. A frightening result and most her supporters will vote for Sarkozy in the run-off.
I am guessing she had the support of Le Renard Nouvelles.
The concern is the word Socialist. But many mainstream economists think it is just wrong and catering to the right to have austerity during a recession. Even Hollande is proposing zero percent of the GDP by 2017. But in the midst of all the eocnomic chaos in the EU jobs are what are needed.
Marine Le Pen recieved 18% of the vote. A frightening result and most her supporters will vote for Sarkozy in the run-off.
I am guessing she had the support of Le Renard Nouvelles.
The concern is the word Socialist. But many mainstream economists think it is just wrong and catering to the right to have austerity during a recession. Even Hollande is proposing zero percent of the GDP by 2017. But in the midst of all the eocnomic chaos in the EU jobs are what are needed.
Apr 28th, 2012, 10:01 PM
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Tentek : it is Sarkozy, not Sarcozy.
Aduchamp ! do you really think that French citizens watch a US TV channel to keep informed about French elections? BTW if you say Le Renard to a French person, he'll think detective stories. It is the name of a German TV stories which has been broadcast in Europe for several years.
Kismetchimera : You may not been aware that for the last few years the world economy - not just France's - has gone seriously downhill.
Aduchamp ! do you really think that French citizens watch a US TV channel to keep informed about French elections? BTW if you say Le Renard to a French person, he'll think detective stories. It is the name of a German TV stories which has been broadcast in Europe for several years.
Kismetchimera : You may not been aware that for the last few years the world economy - not just France's - has gone seriously downhill.
Apr 28th, 2012, 11:40 PM
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>>Marine Le Pen recieved 18% of the vote. A frightening result and most her supporters will vote for Sarkozy in the run-off.
I am guessing she had the support of Le Renard Nouvelles.<<
They may not. A fair proportion of them will vote against the kind of big business globalisation that Sarkozy is held to represent (which is also part of the appeal of Le Pen's strand of rightwingery); a fair proportion won't vote at all because of Sarkozy's failure, as they see it, to live up to the nationalistic appeal he made to them last time.
And there's no French equivalent of Fox News.
I am guessing she had the support of Le Renard Nouvelles.<<
They may not. A fair proportion of them will vote against the kind of big business globalisation that Sarkozy is held to represent (which is also part of the appeal of Le Pen's strand of rightwingery); a fair proportion won't vote at all because of Sarkozy's failure, as they see it, to live up to the nationalistic appeal he made to them last time.
And there's no French equivalent of Fox News.
Apr 28th, 2012, 11:46 PM
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By the way, a possibly more nuanced view of what's going on:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...-le-pen-voters
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...-le-pen-voters
Apr 29th, 2012, 12:56 AM
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easytraveller.. that link I posted was supposed to be a (lame) joke.
I guess 95% of Europeans outside of France are only mildly or not at all interested on who the French voters elect.
It would have probably been different if Le Pen got into the 2nd round. But otherwise it's a non issue or an occasional chatter at a party.
But few have the insight into French economy or society to make a meaningful comment if Sarkozy or Hollande would be better. Not my business anyway.
Just that "socialist" is not a label that is exceptional here. In other countries they are just called social democrats or labour but in real life politics it's the same. Some countries have socialists in addition to social democrats. There the socialists would be closer to what maybe Americans think of when they talk about socialists.
I guess 95% of Europeans outside of France are only mildly or not at all interested on who the French voters elect.
It would have probably been different if Le Pen got into the 2nd round. But otherwise it's a non issue or an occasional chatter at a party.
But few have the insight into French economy or society to make a meaningful comment if Sarkozy or Hollande would be better. Not my business anyway.
Just that "socialist" is not a label that is exceptional here. In other countries they are just called social democrats or labour but in real life politics it's the same. Some countries have socialists in addition to social democrats. There the socialists would be closer to what maybe Americans think of when they talk about socialists.
Apr 29th, 2012, 01:01 AM
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Le Renard Nouvelles is a $^%(#!ing joke.
The French press has already released a survey which indicates msot of Le Pen supporters will vote for Sarkozy. Of course her party does not align directly with others but he is closer.
The French press has already released a survey which indicates msot of Le Pen supporters will vote for Sarkozy. Of course her party does not align directly with others but he is closer.
Apr 29th, 2012, 01:26 AM
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>>But few have the insight into French economy or society to make a meaningful comment if Sarkozy or Hollande would be better. <<
Fair enough, but one doesn't have to be an expert economist (and who would admit to that these days?) to recognise that a victory for Hollande (who wants to renegotiate the latest eurozone fiscal stability treaty) would lead to some interesting times in Berlin and Brussels fairly quickly, whereas a victory for Sarkozy would lead to things carrying on as they are, at least until the Irish reject the treaty (still more interesting times in most of the eurozone then). Ultimately, the Germans will have to agree to some sort of stimulus for growth: with Hollande elected, it might happen more quickly and in a more orderly way.
Fair enough, but one doesn't have to be an expert economist (and who would admit to that these days?) to recognise that a victory for Hollande (who wants to renegotiate the latest eurozone fiscal stability treaty) would lead to some interesting times in Berlin and Brussels fairly quickly, whereas a victory for Sarkozy would lead to things carrying on as they are, at least until the Irish reject the treaty (still more interesting times in most of the eurozone then). Ultimately, the Germans will have to agree to some sort of stimulus for growth: with Hollande elected, it might happen more quickly and in a more orderly way.
Apr 29th, 2012, 02:29 AM
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>>But few have the insight into French economy or society to make a meaningful comment if Sarkozy or Hollande would be better. << (cowboy1968)
<<Fair enough, but one doesn't have to be an expert economist (and who would admit to that these days?) to recognise that a victory for Hollande (who wants to renegotiate the latest eurozone fiscal stability treaty) would lead to some interesting times in Berlin and Brussels fairly quickly, whereas a victory for Sarkozy would lead to things carrying on as they are,>> (patrick_london)
*********
This is one of those times when I see both points of view simultaneously. Either that, or I'm going crosseyed...
At first Patrick I thought that one can hardly argue with your description as it is simply factual...'things going on as before' is the logical consequence of an incumbent winning the election.
But as pvoyageuse points out, economic management in an era of globalization is extremely complicated. Even within a country, just getting accurate data is very challenging. Once again last week, hundreds of analysts applied themselves to the task of estimating the rate of GDP growth in the US economy - and once again, measured against official figures (which themselves will be 'revised' in a month or two) they were wrong. The question then becomes, what exactly does "things going on as before" mean? We don't know, exactly, but stay tuned until NEXT week's figures are out....sort of.....
<<Fair enough, but one doesn't have to be an expert economist (and who would admit to that these days?) to recognise that a victory for Hollande (who wants to renegotiate the latest eurozone fiscal stability treaty) would lead to some interesting times in Berlin and Brussels fairly quickly, whereas a victory for Sarkozy would lead to things carrying on as they are,>> (patrick_london)
*********
This is one of those times when I see both points of view simultaneously. Either that, or I'm going crosseyed...
At first Patrick I thought that one can hardly argue with your description as it is simply factual...'things going on as before' is the logical consequence of an incumbent winning the election.
But as pvoyageuse points out, economic management in an era of globalization is extremely complicated. Even within a country, just getting accurate data is very challenging. Once again last week, hundreds of analysts applied themselves to the task of estimating the rate of GDP growth in the US economy - and once again, measured against official figures (which themselves will be 'revised' in a month or two) they were wrong. The question then becomes, what exactly does "things going on as before" mean? We don't know, exactly, but stay tuned until NEXT week's figures are out....sort of.....
