Sabine Herold
Sabine Herold, whom I interviewed in Paris last year, is running for office -- something she insisted at the time she wasn't going to do, at least not soon. (via Captain Ed) Here's my article, for those who missed it the first time.
The most interesting thing about this will be simply to see how many votes she gets. She seemed to have no idea herself when we talked, and was mostly interested in organising things behind the scenes with Liberte Cherie, and with their new outgrowth, the political party Alternative Liberale. The encouraging thing about Sabine's change of mind is that it seems she's gained heart from the feedback to Alternative Liberale. But maybe she's seen enough to suspect she can actually win... though sensibly, she's not playing up her chances. Certainly she was angling more towards a business career when I spoke with her. I don't think she'd put that on hold to make a 'frivolous' run for office, she seemed far too focused for that.
As to whether she'd achieve something if she got in... well, that's the big question, isn't it? Anyone who tries to actually change anything in France at present gets beaten down by the system. If Nicolas Sarkozy becomes President, and tries to actually reform things, the unions will be out striking immediately, and unless he's prepared to be a French Thatcher, and actually smash the strikers, he'll be forced to back down once more. Curiously, though, Sarkozy is currently Interior Minister, making friends with all the police and security figures he'd need on his side if it did come to that...
UPDATE:
There's a lot of talk too about Ségolène Royal, as this article illustrates.
I think I know what Sabine would say -- you can't be serious. A Socialist who is not a Socialist? Then why be a Socialist at all, if one doesn't believe in Socialism? And why this sudden discovery of conservatism? How convenient, just when French public opinion is swinging that way, to suddenly have a conversion, and rob Sarkozy of his landslide?
Sadly, I think this sudden surge in the approval ratings is just another sign of the French public's general unseriousness when it comes to reform. Yes, they want change, but they want it pretty-wrapped in safe, familiar Socialist colours so it doesn't look so scary. Sarkozy, at least, has been pretty consistent with his message.
One thing's for sure, I can't see the French military voting for Royal. Young troublemakers given compulsory military service? I'm sure the army will be thrilled to bits...
The most interesting thing about this will be simply to see how many votes she gets. She seemed to have no idea herself when we talked, and was mostly interested in organising things behind the scenes with Liberte Cherie, and with their new outgrowth, the political party Alternative Liberale. The encouraging thing about Sabine's change of mind is that it seems she's gained heart from the feedback to Alternative Liberale. But maybe she's seen enough to suspect she can actually win... though sensibly, she's not playing up her chances. Certainly she was angling more towards a business career when I spoke with her. I don't think she'd put that on hold to make a 'frivolous' run for office, she seemed far too focused for that.
As to whether she'd achieve something if she got in... well, that's the big question, isn't it? Anyone who tries to actually change anything in France at present gets beaten down by the system. If Nicolas Sarkozy becomes President, and tries to actually reform things, the unions will be out striking immediately, and unless he's prepared to be a French Thatcher, and actually smash the strikers, he'll be forced to back down once more. Curiously, though, Sarkozy is currently Interior Minister, making friends with all the police and security figures he'd need on his side if it did come to that...
UPDATE:
There's a lot of talk too about Ségolène Royal, as this article illustrates.
I think I know what Sabine would say -- you can't be serious. A Socialist who is not a Socialist? Then why be a Socialist at all, if one doesn't believe in Socialism? And why this sudden discovery of conservatism? How convenient, just when French public opinion is swinging that way, to suddenly have a conversion, and rob Sarkozy of his landslide?
Sadly, I think this sudden surge in the approval ratings is just another sign of the French public's general unseriousness when it comes to reform. Yes, they want change, but they want it pretty-wrapped in safe, familiar Socialist colours so it doesn't look so scary. Sarkozy, at least, has been pretty consistent with his message.
One thing's for sure, I can't see the French military voting for Royal. Young troublemakers given compulsory military service? I'm sure the army will be thrilled to bits...
5 Comments:
My wife is French and I've been watching the situation over there closely for years. Yes, it'll be very interesting to see first if Sarkozy actually wins and then what happens with the unions.
We're pessimistic.
Yeh I'd like to poll her, if you know whut I mean.
"Young troublemakers given compulsory military service," which makes their protests and smashing windows all the more efficient after they got out of service. And makes it easier for them to engage the police with their newly trained military tactics and use of weapons.
That's the kind of moronic thing you often here from civilians who think the military is the government's pet social engineering project -- rather than understand that its purpose is to, you know, defend the country.
As a former navy officer, I sure wouldn't have wanted to get stuck having to manage a bunch of incredibly inept, unmotivated, and disloyal jackasses who never willingly chose to serve. (Which is why military people oppose the draft.)
This is why I never believed all the talk that 'Bush will bring in the draft'. Even if he wanted to, he'd have a hell of a time getting it past all the senior military people who'd rather resign than see that happen. Looking at the increasingly high skills and remarkably high morale of the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan today, I can't see why anyone would want to mess with that, whatever the political expediency.
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