Posted on 05/02/2007 3:47:23 PM PDT by Cincinna
FRENCH CANDIDATES WRANGLE OVER JOB CRISIS IN TELEVISION DEBATE
May 2, 2007 (AFP)
Right winger Nicolas Sarkozy and socialist Segolene Royal held tense exchanges over employment and the 35-hour working week in a televised debate Wednesday seen as crucial for the French presidential campaign.
Seated on either side of a two-metre (six foot) table, disagreements between Sarkozy, who finished first in the opening round, and Royal repeatedly flared into moments of ill-restrained hostility.
Four days before the election, more than half the country's adult population was estimated to be watching the two hour confrontation which was dominated by the economy.
Dressed in a dark suit and tie, Sarkozy repeated his promise to cut the number of public employees -- prompting accusations from Royal that he would endanger health, education and the police.
He said he would ensure full employment in France in five years by "freeing the forces of labour", and said the 35-hour week -- introduced by the last socialist government -- was killing employment. France currently has one of the highest unemployment rates in western Europe.
"She (Royal) still thinks that you have to share out the work like pieces of a cake. Not a single country in the world accepts this logic, which is a monumental mistake," he said.
Royal, wearing a black jacket and white blouse, countered with a promise to create 500,000 youth jobs, funded from existing training and unemployment budgets. She questioned Sarkozy's citation of an economic think-tank that said his programme would benefit the economy more than Royal's.
This prompted Sarkozy to ask: "Why do you treat anyone who is not of your opinion with irony, even with contempt?".
On several occasions, to Sarkozy's proposals, Royal retorted with the remark: "What a pity you didn't do that during your five years in government".
Televised debates have been held between the finalists in every French election since 1974 -- except in 2002 when Jacques Chirac refused to meet far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Both the Sarkozy and Royal camps know that their encounter could be crucial in determining the choice of millions of uncommitted voters.
Nearly seven million people chose defeated centrist Francois Bayrou in the first round on April 22, and the second-round campaign has focussed on capturing his electorate.
The debate was watched in screens in cafes and bars across the country -- though there was competition from an important European cup football match.
"Everything she says touches me, it's all true," said David Zeymour, a 43-year-old grocer at a bar in central Paris. "I voted Sarkozy in the first round, but now frankly I've changed my mind. I'm 100-percent behind Segolene. Sarkozy is scary."
"He's staying cool. She's more aggressive, she's trying to block him, but lucky for him he's giving good answers," said Jean-Philippe Girbal, the 35-year-old cafe owner.
The pair have faced each other only once before in a debate. Just before the 1993 legislative elections they had an ill-tempered exchange in a television studio, a clip of which has been circulating on the Internet.
Campaigning for the second round ends on Friday at midnight. On Thursday the two candidates hold their last rallies, Royal in the northern city of Lille and Sarkozy in Montpellier in the south.
The latest opinion poll released by IPSOS on Tuesday gave Sarkozy 53.5 percent of the vote against 46.5 percent for Royal. A total of 87 percent said they had made up their mind.
In the first round, Sarkozy got 31.2 percent of the vote and Royal 25.9 percent. Le Pen got 10.4 percent.
On Tuesday Le Pen urged his 3.8 million voters not to vote for Sarkozy or Royal. Bayrou has not issued an endorsement for either candidate.
Giscard d'Estaing, who took part in two televised debates with Mitterrand in 1974 and 1981, said the head-to-head between Sarkozy and Royal would be the "decisive ... high-point of the campaign".
In the 1974 debate Giscard d'Estaing coined the phrase "You do not have a monopoly on the heart", which was seen as giving him the edge. He went on to win by a very small majority.
FRANCE'S ROYAL ACCUSES SARKOZY OF 'POLITICAL IMMORALITY'
French Socialist Segolene Royal launched a stinging attack on right-winger Nicolas Sarkozy in a crucial presidential debate on Wednesday, accusing him of "political immorality."
Reacting to comments in which Sarkozy called for handicapped children to be guaranteed a place in school, Royal said that he had "reached a pinnacle of political immorality".
Royal accused his governnent of dismantling Socialist education measures on handicapped children, accusing him of exploiting the issue, "with a tear in your eye."
Sarkozy, who remained calm throughout the attack, retorted sharply: "I would never have spoken to you this way" -- to which Royal fired back: "Because I don't lie."
Wrapping up the explosive exchange, Sarkozy said: "I don't question your sincerity, don't question my morality... You lose your temper very easily."
Four days before the election, more than half the country's adult population was estimated to be watching the televised confrontation, seen as crucial to the outcome of the election.
I believe Sarkozy is either an immigrant or the son of immigrants. I think he’s Hungarian.
Sounds like she borrowed that line from John Kerry.
Yeah... but what exactly do they “win”?
Brilliant.
Just as a random aside, I liked this remark:
When one makes of Kurdistan a European problem, one will not have advanced things.”
Very insightful.
Any way to get the video of this debate? I have several French speaking students and I can undestand lots too.
I would love to see this.
Some new polls just out for Thursday, May 3 2007:
Ipsos/Dell POLL
Sarkozy 53,5% (=)
Royal 46,5% (=)
IpsosPOLL:
48% think it would be better if Sarko gets elected président, only 34% think Royal would be better .
There is a link to the Debate Video at
http://www.france24.com/france24Public/fr/nouvelles/monde.html
There is also a link to their material in English. Hope this helps.
Please...a link for the debate. C-SPAN does not have it yet.
I believe it is more than 8%. Some areas have a 25-40% rate among the under 25 age group.
France gets about 80% of their power from nuclear.
Please check the post right above yours for the link
Sarko’s mother is French. His father was a Hungarian refuge from Communism.
Wait till you get a load of Royale’s “husband” — Hollande - leader of the socialists—he flatly states: I hate the rich! A great little video
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3046584673503742204&q=sarkozy+royale+debate&hl=en
I wish Sarko could run for President here too.
Royal’s “partner” and father of her four children is Francois Hollande, president of the Socialist Party. He was the one who wanted to be the candidate.
He famously said, “I hate the rich”.
Sarko brought up the quote during the debate, and quoted Hollande on many things, asking Royal if she agreed with him. He is, after all, the the head honcho of the Socialist Party, she is only their candidate.
France gets about 80% of their power from nuclear.
Doesn’t that make Royal’s 17% statement ridiculous?
Thanks, elenil21
The clip is great. I recommend it to everyone. In French,with big English subtitles, Hollande is debating with the current Minister of Defense, Michele Alliot-Marie, a strong supporter of Sarko
New from The Tocqueville Connection:
BLAIR PRAISES FRENCH RIGHT-WINGER SARKOZY
PARIS, May 2, 2007 (AFP)
- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a French magazine interview to be published Thursday he had learned to like and respect Nicolas Sarkozy, the right-wing frontrunner for the presidency.
Asked to speak out in favour of one of the two candidates — Sarkozy or his Socialist rival Segolene Royal — the centre-left leader told Paris Match “that is the decision for the French people. That is your election.
“Look, I am in a special position I have not met Segolene Royal and I obviously know Nicolas Sarkozy well,” he said.
“We have worked closely together on a number of issues. So I got to know him well and I liked him very much and respected him very much.
Asked what he appreciated in the former interior minister, Blair replied: “He is decisive, he is clear.”
“I noticed when we had a difficult situation we needed to resolve when he was the interior minister and the whole business to do with... clandestine immigration, I just found him very open and very helpful.
Sarkozy has been attacked at home for what his critics say is a hard-line approach to immigration issues.
Blair described himself as a “fan” of France, saying the country “has a tremendous opportunity to play a big role on the world stage to get its economy really moving.”
Arguing that France and Britain shared “the same values”, he said it was “essential for young people that Britain and France have a common future” within Europe.
Switching briefly to French, Blair commented on the left-right divide saying “Everybody now wants to find another way, because we know that it’s impossible to be split between the ideologues of left and right.
“For us in Britain it was very important to combine prosperity and social justice,” he said, arguing that it was impossible in today’s world “to protect jobs through more regulation”.
Despite their age difference and much-reported clashes on the European stage, Blair said his relationship with the 74-year-old President Jacques Chirac was “better than was often written” and that he would keep “a lot of respect” for the outgoing leader.
Sarko seems the right choice for France.. but Ms.Royal looks very pretty in that pic :)
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