As I expected, the French are very wary of concentrating power in one man.
Still a healthy majority, but nowhere near the Tsunami that the polls predicted.
Posted on 06/17/2007 11:53:01 AM PDT by Cincinna
- President Nicolas Sarkozy's right wing party won a clear majority to carry through reforms in France's legislative election Sunday but failed to get a widely predicted landslide.
The Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) secured 319-329 seats in the 577-member National Assembly, 30-40 seats fewer than the old parliament, according to projections issued after polls closed in the decisive second round.
Sarkozy's party had been expected to score a "blue wave" landslide after his stunning presidential election win in May. But amid a low turnout, the Socialist Party made a surprise comeback, increasing from 149 to 202-210 seats, according to the projections.
Economy Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said the government had scored a "historic success" in becoming the first ruling party since 1978 to maintain a National Assembly majority. The UMP had 359 seats in the old assembly.
But Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande highlighted his party's gains. "The blue wave that was announced and was set to sweep did not take place," he said. He said the left's showing would mean there will be "diversity and pluralism" in the new parliament.
The Socialists had warned voters of a huge UMP majority in parliament would lead to a dangerous concentration of powers and turn the legislature into an annex of Sarkozy's presidency.
In the final straight of the campaign, the Socialists focused their attacks on a proposal by Sarkozy's government to consider raising value-added tax to finance rising healthcare costs.
One month after taking over from Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy had asked for a strong majority in support of his campaign pledge to modernise French government, kickstart the economy and toughen up crime and immigration laws.
A special session of the new parliament will open on June 26 to examine the first bills to reduce taxation, encourage overtime, grant universities more autonomy, tighten immigration and toughen sentences for repeat offenders.
Sunday's vote was marked by low turnout as French voters -- heading to the polls for the fourth time in two months -- cast the last ballots in an election season that has ushered in a new era of politics.
Sarkozy, the 52-year-old son of a Hungarian immigrant, has appointed a broad-based government in which prominent leftist Bernard Kouchner is foreign minister. He also appointed the first woman minister of North African origin, Rachida Dati, who is justice minister.
More politicians from the left and from minorities were expected to be appointed to junior ministries following Sunday's result, as part of Sarkozy's vaunted policy of openness.
Hit by the defeat of its presidential candidate Segolene Royal, the Socialist Party -- which has failed to win a presidential race since Francois Mitterrand stood down in 1995 -- is struggling to chart a course for renewal.
Royal, who remains the Socialists' most popular politician, set her sights on the party leadership after Hollande, who is also her partner, said he would step down -- but she faces opposition from powerful party rivals.
Turnout at 5:00 pm, an hour before the first polling stations closed, was was 49.58 percent -- slightly higher than in the first round -- suggesting final participation would be similar to last week at around 60 percent.
Participation fell well short of the huge turnout of close to 85 percent in the presidential elections, as French voters show signs of election fatigue.
Other than the Socialists, the Communist Party and Green picked up a handful of seats between them, while the far-right National Front had none.
Francois Bayrou, who formed a new centrist party to build on his strong third-place showing in the presidential elections, was likely to be the only deputy for his Democratic Movement.
Surprise! At the first opportunity to do something constructive, the French choke. Go Sarko.
I'd tend to agree.
I wonder how many seats were gained by the Merlot Party -- or the Brie Party -- or the Crushed Rose Petal Party.
It is not a landslide. UMP and allied Right were predicting a 400-450 lead. It never msterialized.
IMO, only the reluctance to concentrate power in one man stopped it. The PS played on it, and the message resonated.
Voter turnout was a little over 50%... very low for France. Turnout in the Presidential a month ago was 85%.
Socialists are like cockroaches, they are always there to come back and mooch.
Merlot is a variety of Grape, not a wine. There is no Merlot Wine in France.
They won
We won!
Did I buy a bottle of grapes yesterday?
yitbos
Sarkozy is not a perfect man.
But he sure is a strong leader.
Thank you, Cincinna, for your posts and for daily promoting the core values true civilization is derived from.
Western civilization will not surrender or hide in shame.
Regards from Sweden.
Sarkozy is not a perfect man.
But he sure is a strong leader.
Thank you, Cincinna, for your posts and for daily promoting the core values true civilization is derived from.
Western civilization will not surrender or hide in shame.
Regards from Sweden.
The “left” have to find something, anything positive to say for their side. Saying that Sarko didn’t get the clear majority that was originally predicted is saying something positive for the “left” only, because everything involving the “political left” is the only thing that’s considered as important to the leftist elitists all over the world.
Kind of surprised it was important to make note, but Merlot is actually the family of grape of which Bordeaux is an example. If you still believe it is important for people not to label wine by this name, feel free to contact the many vinyards and bottlers that do. ;-)
(What is it about wine that makes such things so seemingly important?)
What’s in a name? What would a rose called by another name smell like? What would a Merlot called by another name taste like?
Wines in France are named after their place of origin; while wines in N. America (among other places) are usually named for the variety of grape. Merlot wine is produced in France — it is one of the varieties blended into red Bordeaux (or Claret to Brits, such as James Bond).
Thank you for the clarification.
Most French wines are a blend of grape varieties. Most American wines are not as complex.
Red Bordeaux or, as you point out, called Claret by the Brits, are considered the world’s finest wines.
I will lift a glass of Champagne tonight to celebrate the victory of the Right in France. A victory, yes, but almost as important, the defeat of the Left, the Socialists, extreme Left, and the Extreme Right, National Front.
As of 11:10 PM, GMT, partial results were :
- Communist Party : 6 seats
- Socialist Party : 169 seats
- Radical Party : 6 seats
- Green Party : 4 seats
- UDF/MoDem : 3 seats
- Nonaligned candidates : 6 seats
- Divers Droite : 12 seats
- UMP : 276 seats
A little under 100 seats are not yet officially gained or lost, mostly in Paris, Lyon and Marseille.
A party or coalition needs 289 seats to have a majority. There’s no doubt the UMP will have a clear majority - just not as comfortable as expected. UMP strategists blame the debate over the VAT for having given talking points to their adversaries.
Thanks for posting the actual numbers.
Not as great as we hoped, but a very strong majority.
I think the VAT (Value added tax)is one small element.
I think people had second thoughts when the polls showed Sarko’s party getting a close to 500 votes, a virtual Tsunami.
The French, IMO, are reluctant to concentrate power in one man or one party.
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