Posted on 04/23/2007 2:17:58 AM PDT by Cincinna
Nicolas Sarkozy, the conservative, and Ségolène Royal, the Socialist, won the first round of the presidential election on Sunday, setting up a classic left-right contest next month between two candidates with competing visions of how to govern France.
Whoever is elected will also usher in a new generation of leadership: For the first time, France will have an elected president who did not come of age during World War II.
With more than 99 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Sarkozy was leading with about 30.7 percent of the vote, and Ms. Royal had about 25.2 percent. François Bayrou, the centrist who vowed to plot a new, conciliatory way of governing, came in a distant third with about 18.4 percent.
A field of nine other candidates, including the far-right Jean-Marie Le Pen, who came in second in the first round in 2002, captured the remaining vote.
The balloting on Sunday was marked by high anxiety, sunny weather and an exceptionally
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The battle begins, and it looks like it will be hard and dirty.
The 2nd and final round will be held in two weeks.
All the polls have Sarko beating Royal by 7-8 points.
Sign up now for all the latest info on THE FRENCH ELECTION PING LIST.
People won't want to elect a commie woman President if they see they're takin' over.
Thanks for the ping. It will be an interesting couple of weeks.
Not at all.
Oh, wait--just like some of the conservatives around here. :D
Whether or not France will continue to exist is at stake.
If so, that means the Le Pen all along was a Socialist pretending to be far rightwing, so as to give the right a bad name while ensuring that no rightist ever won any office
Talk about sour grapes.
Disagree, though I see your point. IMO an example of a lousy socialista crashing her country into the ground is less useful to America - and by extension the free world - than a pro-American French president who has publically resolved to wash out the banlieus with a water hose.
The ‘left-right’ schema in France is meaningless, has been for decades. Le Pen is as much a collectivist and totalitarian wannabe as any politician could be. The reason he is labelled ‘rightist’ is because he is an ardent nationalist, whereas the various candidates of the ‘left’ have no use at all for nationalism.
I think everyone in France is a socialist of some sort with the “right” and “left” being some sort of philosophical ideas detached from the welfare state system that is eternal and unchanging.
It seems we may be headed that way in this country as well.
If it doesn't, will anybody besides the French and the Iranians even notice?
We think of being right as being limited government, low taxes, strong defense and family values. In France its probably just an anti Semite Socialist.
Interesting that “Socialist” is capitalized in the first sentence whereas “conservative” is not.
That seems to be already decided. The Mohos are too large a voting population now and their desires must be considered. That population will only grow, and not slowly. France can continue to exist only if it expels its Mohammedans and how likely is that?
I would guess it's more about Le Pen's views on the Jooos. Sarko has a Jewish heritage from his mother's side.
It is proper English. Royal is from the Socialist party. Sarkozy’s is not named the “Conservative party” but he certainly would be a conservative in the French political spectrum.
But, I expect the racaille to test Sarkozy early in his term, trying to provoke a tough response that further radicalizes the suburbs.
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