Will Melenchon split the left ?
Will the old slick fighter pull out all the stops and come through at the last minute ?
Will the green spectacled green Eva Joly do better than Marine le Pen.....it would be good to think so, but Le Pen seems to have tried to offer a more acceptable face than her father.....still frightening stuff though.
Was it left or right supporters who defaced likely winner, "affable socialist" Francois Hollande's poster in Trebes yesterday ?
All the candidates.....interestingly, only the Communist candidate's poster includes any information about policies....the others go with image and sound bites....oh well.
Hello Janice:
ReplyDeleteLike you, we are fascinated by the elections of other countries, particularly those in which we have a stake, so to speak [you in France, we in Hungary]. Is it that we are, whatever, always observers and do not have to accept any responsibility whatever the outcome?
You images of the candidates are brilliant - such colourful posters!
I think you have something there J & L...observers without responsibility, although recognising the potential impact of the extreme right does make me fear for the future. J.
DeleteThank you for your take on the upcoming French elections. It is always interesting to compare what outsiders conclude versus what the actual outcome is! I find it interesting when in England to read what the English political commentators have to say about American elections -- sometimes there is an insight that has the benefit of being an outsider -- and just as often it is evident that there is a definite lack of understanding of the American psyche.
ReplyDeleteIt does get complicated doesn't it. The added difficulty here is that my French isn't really good enough to understand all the innuendo and sub text of French reports of what is going on. I shall persevere. J.
DeleteLike here in Spain, you will have the national vote - and then, probably even more interestingly, the local, provincial vote, I assume. Here, the right got in at national level. Andalucia is historically left wing but the right too the region in the national vote.
ReplyDeleteJust a few months later and the provincial vote swung further left and we now have a joint alliance between the United Left (UI) and the Socialist Party (PSOE, rather charmingly pronounce 'pesoy', who are about as left as New Labour.) As yet, all we really know is 'el crisis' will dictate everything that happens for the foreseeable future.
I look forward with interest to see what happens in France. I think we can all do without 'slick' for a while. Are any of them honest? Axxx
Who knows ? I think it amusing the way Holland is described everywhere as affable. I haven't got enough of a handle on the local situation to make any sensible comments....when my French improves.......J x
DeleteAs the others say, it's always fascinating to watch the electoral process from the outside in another country. I wonder which two posters will be plastered everywhere after Sunday's first round?
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying it all, and reading the Broad's comment (and others) has made me think about the outsider viewpoint. I remember getting very involved in a local US election battle in 1984, but actually not having a vote did make a difference. Even though I worked for the campaign, I was still " the outsider".( ..despite the Mondale/ Ferraro national disaster....the local Democrat won, so we partied anyway.)
DeleteAs for posters.... I wonder if new ones will appear after Sunday,or just more of the existing batch.
Fascinating to see the posters, Janice, and read the comments of others. As others have said, it is interesting to observe from afar without an immediate connection to the winner, though in this global economy and climate we now all live in, it does make a difference who wins where and what around the globe.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, indeed, and I'll be eager to see what comes next.
I also think that when you choose to spend considerable time in a country...and we are planning on being here for 6 months of the year, whilst not having a vote or voice, it feels important to want to be comfortable with the regime in power. However....I will be spending 6 months of the year in England with a regime that makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable....and I do have a vote there ! J.
DeleteYou are truly a global citizen, Janice. One of the more satisfying things I have done in my life was being a voter registrar, especially when I was able to register high school students coming of voting age.
DeleteIt's been a lacklustre campaign - except for the rabble rouser Melanchon and his rallies - with not a policy in sight except Le Pen's policy of French first, which, if you are an immigrant is what happens already anyway!
ReplyDeleteIt seems as if the Presidential election is an also ran...all the parties seem to be positioning themselves for the forthcoming elections to the National Assembly.
This does seem to sum it up Fly. I am interested in what you say about positioning for elections to the National Assembly.Perhaps there will be more oomph in campaigning after Sunday. J.
DeleteIsn't it amazing for us (from the UK) to see the exact same posters displayed wherever we live in France.
ReplyDeleteI wondered about that Gaynor....so maybe the interesting thing is which ones get defaced in which areas. J.
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