Ah, here's an interesting bit about Charles I of England dissolving parliament. Maybe that would work out.
No, here's the beheading section a little later. There has to be a better precedent.
Posted on 06/14/2004 7:01:04 AM PDT by Pikamax
Chirac's party goes into damage control after opposition wins EU elections
14 June 2004
France's ruling conservatives tried to put a brave face on EU election results Monday despite being trounced by the opposition Socialists amid widespread apathy and commentary that President Jacques Chirac was dealt yet another rebuff by voters.
Newspapers quoted several ranking members of Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) emphasising that their party's score, 16.6 percent, was higher than the 12.8 percent registered in the last European polls in 1999.
But the headlines concentrated on the Socialist victory in Sunday's elections -- and the low voter turnout.
"The PS (Socialist Party): the biggest party in France after those who stayed at home," the right-leaning Le Figaro titled its story.
The main opposition group won 28.9 percent of the ballots, against a record abstention rate of 57 percent, cementing its return to voter favour following March regional elections that saw it shunt aside the UMP to grab all but two of France's 26 regional assemblies.
Of the 78 European parliamentary seats allocated to France, the Socialists took 31. The UMP held 17 and its junior government partner, the center-right Union for French Democracy (UDF), won 11.
Socialist leader Francois Hollande told France Inter radio Monday that Chirac "should listen to what the voters have to say".
He again called for the resignation of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, whose unpopular economic and labour market reforms were blamed for the UMP defeat.
Raffarin, ruling over a reshuffled government since the March vote, has kept a low profile since the elections.
Alain Juppe, the head of the UMP and a close Chirac aide who is fighting a corruption conviction, claimed that while his party was not happy with its showing, "the Socialist party did not succeed in its attempt to organise a new punishment vote".
The left-leaning Liberation daily begged to differ, though, saying "the UMP loses the return match" after the regional polls.
"Despite record abstention, the result of the ballots is irrefutable for the policies of (Prime Minister) Jean-Pierre Raffarin," it said.
The newspaper predicted Chirac would ignore the electorate's message, but that it would eventually come back to punish him when he stands for re-election in 2007.
"By taking no notice of any elections... the head of state is undermining the electoral act itself. Jacques Chirac is digging up the ground under his own feet -- a politically tragic character, he remains his own gravedigger," it said.
The UMP's junior partner in government, the center-right Union for French Democracy (UDF), came in third place in the elections with 11.95 percent, although even that was not enough to give the UMP-UDF partnership a lead over the Socialists, especially when the latter counted their Greens allies.
The far-right National Front was fourth with 9.81 percent, up from 5.7 percent in 1999, giving a boost to its controversial leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and his eurosceptic policies.
The anti-European "sovereignist" right -- which in a major upset in 1999 won second place with 13 percent of the vote -- fell sharply. The Movement for France of Philippe de Villiers still won a little more than seven percent of the vote.
The Greens also lost ground, from 9.7 percent in 1999 to 7.3 percent this election. The Communists barely broke the five percent barrier needed to win seats, taking 5.2 percent, down from 6.8 percent.
EU imploding. I guess socialism isn't working for them either.
US GDP grows at about 5% for the last 12 months. EU GDP is growing at about 0.4%, with some countries showing negative GDP growth. Sigh, just too bad.
I believe these reforms are required as a part of the EU policy.
Looks like the French don't want their cushy lifestyles messed with.
The EU is destined for the ash heap IMHO.
I doubt Chirac will run for reelection in 07. And I find this extremely satisfying.....(grin)
Socialists never agree with snobby facists like Chirac.
He and his New World Order group in the U.N. known as EU
have been found out by the real Socialists, Communists, and Muslims, so his days are numbered, as is the whole of France and Germany.
Always thinking they are superior to the rest of the World,
Self serving rich wolves in sheeps clothing, unleash the terrorist and anti democratic stances, only to create
chaos, so they can gain control. This time the opposition has multiplied into defeat.
America is still the best Country in the World, so we must never let the EU undermine us like they have been doing, again!
Ops4 God Bless America!
how much will gas cost there when it hits 5 to 10 dollars a gal here??
Ah, here's an interesting bit about Charles I of England dissolving parliament. Maybe that would work out.
No, here's the beheading section a little later. There has to be a better precedent.
It's a backlash to Chiraq and his isolationist inaction.
Germany's Christian Democrats strongest party in EU elections
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1152915/posts
Posted by Michael81Dus
Schroeder's party licks wounds after EU, state election debacles
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1153196/posts
Posted by Pikamax
Skeptics Win EU Elections
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1153236/posts
Posted by RogerFGay
Radical Imams Trouble Europe
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1153043/posts
Posted on 06/13/2004 9:18:36 PM PDT by quidnunc
Portuguese police arrest 15 Arabs at Euro 2004 city
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1152249/posts
Posted by Azzurri
Eurobaloney on Iraq
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1153107/posts
Posted on 06/14/2004 2:19:30 AM PDT by kattracks
UN inspectors: Saddam shipped out WMD before war and after
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1151984/posts
Posted by freebilly
Well........... Just vote for Kerry or don't vote at all and we'll find out.
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