France General Discussion II: Living under Marxism

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Well, the favorite won at last. Don't know how the media will spin it though: "easy NKM victory", or "disappointing score"? At least she avoided the catastrophe of a second round...

This is actually a good result for her, although I don't think there was any polling. Nobody really cared or noticed to begin with, but some in the media had their usual jizzing over Bournazel, the latest incarnation of the "young rising star" which the media loves sooooo much (see also: 'la Droite forte' media circus/scam).

Le Monde (which is, don't get me wrong, usually a good newspaper with good articles) had some terrible article about Bournazel calling him the "espoir gaullo-bobo" because he's young, good looking, not really batsh**t insane and young. Did we mention that he's young? No? Yeah, he's young, guys. He ended up with 11%, barely more than the random Boutin dude.

I guess I could write something on why Paris has trended left if somebody wanted, but I don't really feel like it.

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There was a far more interesting mayoral primary in Lyon for the UMP as well, which I forgot about.

In the first round:
Michel Havard (deputy 2007-2012, leader of the opposition, filloniste, moderate) 40.34%
Georges Fenech (deputy, copéiste, Droite pop, tough-on-crime guy, big profile on fighting religious sects/Scientology) 35%
Emmanuel Hamelin (deputy 2002-2007, moderate Sarkozyst) 14.37%
Nora Berra (MEP, former secretary of state, filloniste, kind of tough-on-crime) 9.14%
Myriam Pleynard (random nobody) 1.13%

Hamelin, Berra and Pleynard have endorsed Fenech. So it will be a battle royale between filloniste vs. copéiste, centre-right vs. hard-right, Lyon establishment vs. Paris establishment...

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Horrible news day:

Neo-Nazi skinhead thugs brutally murdered a SciencesPo student and antifascist activist. Words cannot express how horrible and utterly disgusting/revolting this is.
http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2013/06/06/l-auteur-presume-de-l-agression-contre-clement-meric-interpelle_3425537_3224.html
http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2013/06/06/clement-meric-eleve-modele-tue-pour-ses-idees_3425609_3224.html

If this government had balls, it should immediately dissolve all fascist groups and lock up all of their thugs and murderers. Or better yet, immediate drone strikes on their hideouts. The far-right is a cancer which must be eradicated; yet the morons who run France (and other countries) are more interested in deporting poor African immigrants or locking up the Roma in concentration camps.

Acceptance of homosexuality down from 83% in 2007 to 77% in 2013, the sharpest decline (-6) of all countries surveyed.
http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/06/04/the-global-divide-on-homosexuality/

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Michel Havard defeated Georges Fenech 54-46 in the UMP primary in Lyon. So the more centrist and moderate option prevailed over the Droite pop/Droite fort hard right. The race will be a bit more competitive.

I should restart my guide, but in the meantime, here's a Paris poll:
Hidalgo (PS) 37% (-1)
NKM (UMP) 35% (+7)
Najdovski (EELV) 6% (-3)
Brossat (FG) 6% (-1)
de Sarnez (MoDem) 6% (-0.5)
UDI 5% (-0.5)
de Saint-Just 5% (-1)

Hidalgo (PS) 54% (-2)
NKM (UMP) 46% (+2)

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The UMP administrations in Versailles and Saint-Cloud have banned some film poster because *gasp* two men are kissing on the poster *gasp* the children oh my god.

Le Petit journal continues to be awesome and is having a field day making fun my new moronic UMP deputy, Fredo. Apparently he asked some stupid question about "nurses in Montreal" and everybody on the UMP benches had no clue what the hell he was asking. He also said that "he liked people" and other touchy-feely stuff, I've never heard somebody who speaks solely in platitudes (complete with soft touchy-feely voice) like him.

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Segogo has been running around in circles trying to get attention and she has tried every tactic to do so (criticizing the government, supporting the government 'in tough times', covert lobbying for a job, "writing" a book). Since June, she's been desperate to land some job - they gave her some plum post as VP of some investment bank thing, but she doesn't care because she wants something better. This time, her latest gig (book + critical of the government) seems to have work, since the media has picked up on her and she's been on every imaginable TV show to say that, no, the government is doing a fine job but, no, she's not actually lobbying to join Flanby's cabinet. Of course, Segogo will never join Flanby's cabinet since Valoche would blow a fuse and it would be a massive conflict of interest. I'm sure they could find her some job as MEP or senator.

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The bac is ridiculous, silly and stupid.

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The minister of the environment and energy, Delphine Batho (PS) was fired from the cabinet after saying that the 2014 budget sucked because her ministry suffers a lot from the austerity cuts (-7%). A lot of PS deputies are fairly sympathetic to her and EELV seems pretty (justifiably) pissed off.

It just goes to show how this government, among other horrible decisions, is paying lip service to the environment and doesn't give two sh**ts about it. Which explains, naturally, why Flanby was so eager to fire her while nobody did anything when Montebourg insulted Ayrault in cabinet.

http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/07/02/batho-critique-ouvertement-le-budget-de-l-ecologie-pour-2014_3440184_823448.html

She is replaced by Philippe Martin, PS deputy for the Gers.

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Yeah, pretty insane that they are firing the absolutely harmless Batho while keeping that annoying tool Montebourg.

Flanby can't really afford alienating the PS lefties anymore, given that they're pissed off enough as it is and would probably take quite badly to Montebourg's firing. On the other hand, Batho is a nobody, a former Royalist who doesn't have a power base within the party and no strong factional ties that I know of. She was the perfect scapegoat and victim for the government, which probably wanted to show that they're "tough" after the Cahuzac sh**tfest and the Montebourg scenes.

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Thing about Montebourg is that he clearly sees that he's nowhere near the peak of his career and he knows it. He'd explode if he was fired.

While this may be true, his aura and star has certainly faded a whole lot since 2011. Being in government, being perceived (rightly) as a reckless asshole and handling a thankless portfolio has hurt him a lot. For him, I dare say that his political career would be better advanced by being outside government where he could act like Segolene and freely criticize the government in thinly veiled terms. He's more controllable, I think, being in cabinet.

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Batho warned at the transfer of powers that she's gonna spill the beans on the circumstances of her firing at a press conf tomorrow afternoon.

Meanwhile, her replacement has basically confirmed that he doesn't care about the environment, saying there's more to it than a budget because he wants to "instill an environmental conviction" and cool stuff like that.

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Delphine Batho lashes out at austerity and the lack of collegiality in government, accuses the government giving in to powerful 'economic forces' and calls on the left to mobilize in favour of the environment. She's really pissed off.

http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/07/04/delphine-batho-met-en-cause-les-lobbies-economiques_3442514_823448.html

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"Un ministre, ça ferme sa gueule ou ça démissionne" Chevènement

On that basis, Montebourg should have been fired/resigned months ago.

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Nice lives up to its time-honoured tradition of racist and/or neo-fascist mayors. Today, Christian Estrosi (FNUMP) prides himself on beating up Romas, calls on mayors to revolt against them and says he will send a users' guide to beating them up.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2013/07/07/97001-20130707FILWWW00060-estrosi-dit-mater-les-roms.php

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Estrosi is a scumbag, but probably not the worse among the little Alpes-Maritimes UMP clique. Right now it's Ciotti who appalls me the most, though that might change.

Well, Ciotti and Estrosi are basically one and the same. I'm not sure if Ciotti is still Estrosi's pawn, but that certainly used to be the case. That horrible department produces a whole bunch of repulsive FNUMP-type morons. If I had to choose, my vote for the 'worst of the 06 clique' would undoubtedly go to Lionnel Luca, who is basically a fascist (also a racist, homophobe and colonialist). In making such lists, it would also be wrong to omit one Michèle Tabarot.

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UMP misogynistic war on Cecile Duflot continues, resorts to trashing her bf and leads to her crying: http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/07/16/a-l-assemblee-le-tweet-anti-14-juillet-du-compagnon-de-cecile-duflot-refait-surface_3448526_823448.html

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When you think the right (not the far-right, the "moderate right") couldn't sink any lower, well, here you have it: Gilles Bourdouleix (UDI), deputy/mayor of Cholet (49) said that Hitler didn't kill enough 'gens du voyage'...

http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/2013/07/23/01002-20130723ARTFIG00273-hitler-et-les-gens-du-voyage-les-politiques-condamnent-unanimement-le-maire-de-cholet.php

So, yeah. Hopefully somebody takes it upon themselves to murder this Nazi scumbag.

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but he was framed amirite gais?

lol French people.

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Kind reminder to our True Leftist mates about who the great Panzergirl really is: http://blogs.mediapart.fr/edition/pole-emploi-mon-amour/article/260613/marine-le-pen-tombe-le-masque-sur-la-societe-quelle-imposera-si-elle-est-elue

In other news, the CNIP has been kicked out of the UDI and Adolf Hitler-Bourdouleix will be sitting as a NI.

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Senate adopted an amendment banning beauty pageants for children under 16. On a party-line vote, the UMP, UDI, RDSE, Greenies and NI voted in favour, the SRC and Commies voted against.

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Sarko is considering returning next year instead of 2015.

I say he runs for mayor of Neuilly in 2014.

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Senators in a last-ditch fight to save their local jobs...

http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/09/19/les-senateurs-refusent-de-se-voir-appliquer-le-non-cumul-des-mandats_3480203_823448.html
http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/09/18/l-ultime-bataille-des-senateurs-pour-le-cumul-des-mandats_3479757_823448.html

They adopted an amendment allowing them to still hold one local executive office. The UMP, UDI, RDSE and 4 NI voted in favour, and 26 Socialist senators also voted in favour including the group's president (François Rebsamen). 51 Socialists, all Greenies and all Commies were the only ones who weren't grubby little dicks.

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Senators in a last-ditch fight to save their local jobs...

http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/09/19/les-senateurs-refusent-de-se-voir-appliquer-le-non-cumul-des-mandats_3480203_823448.html
http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/09/18/l-ultime-bataille-des-senateurs-pour-le-cumul-des-mandats_3479757_823448.html

They adopted an amendment allowing them to still hold one local executive office. The UMP, UDI, RDSE and 4 NI voted in favour, and 26 Socialist senators also voted in favour including the group's president (François Rebsamen). 51 Socialists, all Greenies and all Commies were the only ones who weren't grubby little dicks.

For laughs (in French): http://www.topito.com/top-justification-senat-cumul-mandats

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How about voting rights for resident foreigner in all local elections, eh Flanby?

Nobody cares about the voting age, I think, and I don't want 16 year olds voting because it would probably be terrible (I VOTE FN BKOZ DEY R KEWL). I suppose the FN might like to lower it, because Panzergirl seems to be big on promoting "young talents" (read: 18-year old idiots who parrot the FN party line).

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ROFLMAO. Yeah, they should definitely hold one office at a time. Any chance of a similar law for MNAs?

This whole debate is part of a government bill which would bar deputies, senators and MEPs from holding any local executive office. It's nothing too radical, because they could still be regional/departmental/municipal councillors (like many are). The National Assembly adopted the bill in July, 300 votes to 228.

For the record, the National Assembly vote was as follows:
SRC: 269 for, 4 against (3 MRC, and one PS dissident from the Nord who is a big cumulard), 10 abstentions (didn't look them up, but I think a few are cumulards too)
UMP: 189 against, 3 abstentions
UDI: 20 against, 10 abstentions
Ecolo: 17 for
RRDP: 4 for (Falorni, the Reunion Modemite, Giacobbi, some Lot PRG person), 10 against, 1 abstention (iirc, the PS suppleant for Sylvia Pinel, PRG deputy-turned-cabinet minister, who sits in the RRDP group as part of some deal)
GDR: 7 for, 3 against (2 DOM, and Patrice Carvalho, who seems like a paleocommunist from his general voting [anti-SSM])
NI: 3 for (Andrieux, FN), 2 against (MPF, NDA)

The government is using a 'procédure accélérée' here, so there will be only one reading by both houses, it will now go to a CMP which will likely find no compromise, so the National Assembly will just adopt its own version and tell the Senate to go f- itself.

I'll still hand it to Flanby and co for acting on this one. I, for one, had little hope that the RadSocs-reincarnated would actually act on this, and do so that quickly. Sure, it took a lot of confusing wheeling-and-dealing and public prodding, but they did it - there's at least one thing which this government has done which the right hadn't and wouldn't.