French Elections: Nicolas Sarkozy & Ségolène Royal in Second Round Run-off

Source: Le Monde

Comments

[nlatane]

If the French are really interested in a definite break away from the past, they should vote Ségolène Royal. The vision for France now should be defined by socialist policies.

After the "scandales des immigrés" of the last two years, and the continual civil unrest that is the fallout of this discontent in an unjust society, the french will be making a humongous political error if they voted for Sarkozy.

Sarkozy's own pronouncements about minority groups are provocative to say the least. Any French president whose right-wing policies promise the perpetual maltreatment of a section of the population, should be rejected. He cannot be a president that unites the present deeply fragmented society.

Ségolène must win this decisive second ballot. She needs only appeal to the centrist voters of François Bayrou to give her about 43.57% over Sarkozy and his racist votes from the Nationalists of 41.75%. If she could manage to mop up the votes of the undecided voter, she will emerge the winner.

France needs a political ideology which favours social responsibility. There is a culture of contempt from the immigrant population due to the institutionalized discrimination that continuously keep them out of the concours of national issues. The only way individuals could become responsible would be by giving them the power to control their own lives, by a widespread socialist agenda. This means jobs and social integration. That is what their so-called NATIONAL IDENTITY IS, a gateway to economic revolution.

Thank God Le Pen got a severe beating.

SÉGOL IS WHAT FRANCE NEEDS TO SOLVE ITS HUGE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC PROBLEMS.

[Ginzu]

I cannot agree more with you!!!
:)
Go Sego!!!

[Nga Adolph]

Dear Dibussi,
We are all aware of the political,economic and social influence France has over its former colonies thanks to the 'skeletal organisation'called 'la Francophonie'.French politics, whether we like it or not has a direct bearing on its former colonies.François Mitterand(the Socialist),heralded this when he declared in the heat of the civil unrest in the 90's that an anglophone could never become president in Cameroon.If we go by popular talk.All French presidents after de Gaulle,persued the policy of 'rapprochement'with its former colonies.Here,we have a set of young presidential aspirants,Sarko and Sego(in their fifties),who are of an entirely different generation?Is it possible that with any of them in power,French policies towards Africa,will be a complete break away from the policies of their predecessors who were die hard Gaullist or is french policy towards Africa 'institutionalised' and thus unchangeable?Though,when asked which french statesman he admires most,Sarkozy falls for de Gaulle.I think,dear Dibussi,that a write up should be made to analyse the possible french foreign policy(vis a vis Africa),in the eventuality that one of these two comes to power.

Nga Adolph,
Leuven(Belgium).

[SJ]

There will be no break with the past in French policy regarding Africa coming from the metropolitan center: Paris, France. Why? History and the present.

Mitterand, a socialist who came with so much promise of a break with the Gaullist African tradition did not do so. The moment his Minister of Cooperation, Jean Pierre Cot, began his reforms, under the influence of the francafrique dictators led by Omar Bongo, who do play a role in financing French political parties, Mitterrand was compelled to replace him. Any reforms of the evil Gaullist policies by Jean Pierre Cot have been shelved ever since. By the time Mitterand, the socialist, left office, he was declaring that because France will not be the same without Africa and thus "should never abandon her African ambitions." And of the genocide in Rwanda that he supervised along with his son Jean Christophe Mitterand, the socialist Mitterand had this to say: "In places like that, a genocide is not important."
Sego Royal will be no different.

As for Sarkozy, he's an unrepentant Gaullist and quite possibly as racist as Charles De Gaulle was, if not more so. On a private visit to France just a few weeks ago, Sarkozy went to pay his respects to the Doyen if Francafrique, Omar Bongo. Africans should therefore have no illusions what Sarkozy's Africa policy will be. There will be no rupture. See Bongo-Sarkozy video here:

http://www.agoravox.tv/article.php3?id_article=17253

Any change of French policy towards Africa will have to be earned by guts and glory; the type that Gbagbo and the Ivorian patriots have displayed in the past 5 years. Change will only come from Africa's resistance.

[Ateh Eugene]

French policiies towards Africa is geared towards protecting french interests in Africa (cheap source of raw materials). These policies may be given a cosmetic face change, but one thing is certain, The french and not Africans would stand to benefit from any shift in policy as long as there is an increasing demand for cheap raw materials in a more competitive world.
We, "Africans" and not the French have the burden to carve out the way forward.

[Sokari]

Pambazuka News: Review of African Blogs

[Ma Mary]

Do Africans need more suffering before they wake up and throw the French out of Africa? In which case, let them serve up Sarkozy. As the other commentors have pointed out, it will be the same policy regardless of whom becomes President of france, except that one would be served disguised while Sarkozy's will be raw. Raw is better.