Having Monarchist sympathies is pretty stupid but hardly a major sin compared to the sins of the other people that ran for French President.
I can find no references to Villiers or his party being anti-Semitic. Might you be confusing him with Le Pen?
I found this old thread. where Villiers in fact condemns Le Pen.
I'm well aware that most of the what is referred to in the European media as the "Far-Right" is in fact closer to Nazism than American Conservatism. Le Pen is in that category. So is the British National Party. I've gotten pretty sick of having to tell people the BNP are in fact leftists and racists. I told this one guy and he was like "oh thanks I didn't know that". A week later the same guy was again posting favorable things about them spreading his ignorance to everyone who read his posts.
It does not seem to me that De Villiers and his party are like that or that they aren't more fiscally conservative than the UMP. I dislike their protectionist stance but Movement for France appears to be the closest thing France has to a conservative party. Too bad it's a small party mostly nonexistent outside it's stronghold region.
I see nothing in Villiers background that would lead me to believe he's inherently anti-American and anti-semitic. As for the allegation that he's “xenophobic”, this sounds like a standard talking point of the left to demonize anyone who is outspoken against uncontrolled immigration and aliens not assimilating into western culture. He's certainly not a neo-NAZI nut like Le Pen.
Sarko’s idea of being “pro-American” was to spend much of 2008 drooling over Obama and claiming if Americans elected Obama it would “vindicate” his overtures to America. I must say I prefer him being “anti-American” in that he's now discovering the truth about our current communist regime in America.
Sucking up to the local royal family seems rather trendy with European right-wing parties, which sort of make sense since since much of it has with preserving the roots of their culture and their “historic traditions” their country was built on. The same isn't true in the USA, though ironically I've noticed a lot of conservatives who feel the need to lecture people about how we're a “Republic” seem to sympathize with alot of outdated monarchy's conventions in Europe.
90% of the time I would prefer a Republic over a monarchy, but of course there are some exceptions. Iran was much better off under as a free nation with a figurehead royal family that sympathized with Americans, than an Islamic Republic under the Ayatollah with crooked elections (some freepers claim “Islamic Republic” is an oxymoron, I disagree, that's like saying McDonald's can't serve McChicken since they're known for ground beef. You can have any kind of government you want in a Republic, including a religious dictatorship in some cases)
Now that I think about it, France might be one of those exceptions as well. A good case can be made that France was more productive and a better ally in world affairs when it was a Kingdom rather than any of its five “Republics”. Think about it. The French Kings openly assisted Americans in war and peace, whereas the French Presidents give only lip service. During our revolutionary war, King Louis XVI selflessly donated massive amounts of French aid to the cause of the American patriots, a move that was the right thing to do but was very unpopular with the French people. It eventually lead to his undoing as France couldn't afford to pay their own bills and the Americans success in overthrowing George III inspired the French people to overthrow their King as well.
If the French monarchy was restored, one of three disputed royal families would reign: 1) Prince Louis, Duke of Anjou (Legitimist), 2) Jean Christophe, Prince Napoléon (Bonapartist), or 3)
Henri, Comte de Paris, Duc de France (Orléanist). Prince Louis de Bourbon is a quite gentleman and a faithful sponse who ahbors easy divorce. I believe someone like Prince Louis would probably bring far more dignity and class to France as head of state than Sarko the horndog and his sleazy lady friends ever have:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Louis,_Duke_of_Anjou
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Louis_de_Bourbon.jpg
http://cdn.picapp.com/ftp/Images/5/f/e/5/25.JPG
So while I'm always in favor of free democratic (that's small “d”) rule, I can't say I'd object if the monarchy was restored in France as long as the people ultimately ruled and the monarch just represented France on their behalf. Our Republic has lasted over 200 years in America. France has had five tries and still can't get it right.
Does that make me a “monarchist”? In normal situations, no. But for France I'd sign on.
