Posted on 09/25/2011 6:35:02 PM PDT by Cincinna
A coalition of conservative parties that support Nicolas Sarkozy appeared Sunday to have lost its majority in the upper house of France's parliament, a major political setback for the president eight months ahead of next year's presidential election.
The opposition Socialist Party, together with other left-leaning movements, won a large chunk of the 170 seats in the Senate that were up for re-election, according to preliminary results. Although balloting was still under way Sunday evening in some of France's overseas territories, the left, which hasn't dominated the Senate in the past 50 years, claimed it would control at least 175 seats in the 348- seat chamber
"For the first time, the Senate will undergo a change of political power," said Jean-Pierre Bel, head of the Socialist group in the upper house. The ruling party of Mr. Sarkozy, the UMP, didn't challenge Mr. Bel's claim. "The left tide is real and stronger then I had anticipated," Senate Speaker Gérard Larcher, a UMP member, said in a speech. Government spokeswoman and Budget Minister Valérie Pécresse told RTL radio that she "regretted" a political defeat.
Although Mr. Sarkozy's ruling coalition has a majority in the lower house, the National Assembly, which has final say on new legislation, a hostile Senate, relying on filibuster tactics for example, could make it more difficult for the president to push through new policies. In particular, Mr. Sarkozy's plan to enshrine budget discipline in France's bylaws, a constitutional change that requires support from two-thirds of all lawmakers, appears in jeopardy now that left-leaning parties that have opposed the measure control the Senate.
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Putin rising?
Sarkozy in decline?
Berlusconi hounded?
Europe is not going in the right direction.
Although the Senate has a very minor role in French politics, the dramatic electoral shift doesn’t auger well for Sarko and the Right.
The election is seven months away, so nothing is written in stone, but there is no joy chez Sarko tonight.
OTOH, the Socialists are rejoicing- boozing and dancing in the streets.
Not so fast! Their party is splintered, the entire left is fractured, and they really don’t have a good experienced candidate.
In these difficult times, may well be the devil you know versus the devil you don’t know.
But, perhaps by a hard-right coalition?
Frankly, I think Sarkozy has been disappointing. But it certainly looks as if things are about to get much worse.
I suppose one explanation is that the EU is in such a deep economic mess that there’s nothing any of them can do. Merkel and Sarkozy have tried to turn things around, but it may no longer be possible to do anything, short of dissolving the EU and starting over.
Meantime, the left will try to fix it by rioting and burning cars.
” OTOH, the Socialists are rejoicing- boozing and dancing in the streets.”
As they are here, but Obama is at 36% approval rating, and dropping like a stone.
“. . .doesn’t auger well for Sarko and the Right.”
The rest of the world is getting less socialist and the French are going the opposite direction?
Is there some larger context here?
” I suppose one explanation is that the EU is in such a deep economic mess that there’s nothing any of them can do. Merkel and Sarkozy have tried to turn things around, but it may no longer be possible to do anything, short of dissolving the EU and starting over. “
They brought it on themselves, and we are on the verge, in many ways here.
The Eurozone’s debt crisis is sinking Sarkozy. Unfortunately, the Socialists answer is to just continue the same policies that lead to the crisis in the first place.
Keep us posted Cincinna....I don’t often respond but read everything you post. I am very much interested in Sarkosy’s Mediterranian Group which may very well be taken under the European Unions wing after all the skuttle butt awhile back.
Seems the Eu has changed their policies for Northern Africa in order to accomodate Sarkosy’s Group. Which if they do this will entail the nation’s of the former Roman Empire. Interesting to follow but not much out there about it yet.
The sheeple of Europe have found out that they will lose their precious social benefits. They, like the left in the US, do not understand the meaning of the phrase "There is NO MORE MONEY". The will be war.
Thanks Cincinna.
Just remember the name Marine LePen, and you’ll see that French are indeed ready to start the dirty work needed to fix their problems.
I’m guessing you wouldnt support Sarko for re-election in 2012.
Who then? The neo-fascist anti-American anti-Semite anti-Israel Marine le Pen? The Socialist candidate, Aubrey or Hollande, both believers in the supremacy of the State over individual rights and liberty?
Two sides of the same totalitarian coin.
Obama is at 43% but who’s counting.
The Election is 14 months away.... don’t count your chickens.
It is very difficult to win re-election in a bad economy, debt crisis, and massive unemployment.
Judging by French standards, Sarko is a conservative. He has been an innovator trying to shake France loose from the Statist system wntenched since Louis XIV. He has tried to eliminate the 35 hour work week, institute a plan of “work more, earn more” wherein extra hours are not taxed. He has put an end to the loathsome practice of Muslim prayers blocking entire portions of Paris.
He is constrained by the system from speaking out on social issues, but he has shown support for religion and spoken out about the Judeo-Christan values that are the underpinning if Western society.
I’m certainly not willing to count him out at this point 7 months before the Election.
I hope so, the Senate election returns don’t look promising for the UMP.
“In these difficult times, may well be the devil you know versus the devil you don’t know.”
We can hope for that in France but not the USA
Sarkozy may be replaced by the even more right (at least by French standards) le Pen
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