France General Discussion II: Living under Marxism

[big bad fab]

I'm bothered by the fact that we will be unable to compare anything between old and new constituencies...
And I hate PR: it's not fun AT ALL.

As for local reform, you can dream a lot, guys
Expect some Raffarin-like reforms...

[big bad fab]

The Légion d'Honneur has been exploited for political (and personal) purposes since its creation. Seriously, do right-wingers want us look back at Sarkozy's appointments ?

Lest we forget, Jean Charest is commandant de la Légion d'honneur. If a corrupt twat who has never done anything for France can have it, then I think EELV in its entirety can get it without there being any problem.

(and Luca would probably prefer to name some fascists instead, so...)

commandeur, not commandant

My grand-grand-father sent back his own after WW2, seeing how many had earned it without doing anything. And he didn't know that Johnny Hallyday would earn it too...
Well, he won his own by fighting during WW1 AND WW2...

[big bad fab]

Thanks

Oui, je suis français (d'origine italienne, mais je n'en parle pas un mot).

C'est vrai? Alors ça c'est incroyable! Bienvenue en tout cas.

Bien construit tes deux identités, Antonio
(it's a joke, of course)

[big bad fab]

I'd like to state that I warmly support Jérôme Cahuzac.

Nobody cares, I know, but, well, I've always supported politicians who want to do something, whatever their personal probity. At one point, moral corruption is the big thing, not financial one.
And I'm fed up with these medias that view themselves as "picking angels" or Archangel Michael or St.Peter just after your death...

BTW, the attack on Cahuzac is another sign that the leftist basis will soon enter into rebellion against Hollande.
Though he has dropped in polls, it's only among rightists, centrists and FN voters for the moment. But, soon, with civil servants and local public bodies which will be trounced and strangled (as they'd NEVER have been under Sarkozy... and IF Cahuzac is still here to make all the cuts needed...), let's expect a big disappointment and then a big rebellion from public TUs and even from some local socialist barons.

So, forward, Cahuzac and Mosco !

[big bad fab]

I won't despise Cahuzac because I don't despise Woerth
People want to have Saints in government whil they don't believe in God any longer: it's quite difficult

As for civil servants, just wait for 2013: it'll be very, very bloody...
Already, we see our everyday budgets being cut.

[big bad fab]

Sarko resigning immediately from the Constitutional Council. Is that a first for an ex-president?

Is the resignation definitive or can he recover his seat whenever he wants?

I'm not sure if it's possible to resign...

It is possible to resign, and it is possible to retake your seat. Apparently Vincent Auriol was the first and only to do both : resigned in 1960, returned in 1962.

You don't resign from the CC: you can only "not take part in its works and meetings", because former presidents are automatically members, by law or ex officio in a way.

Giscard took part in the CC only a long, long time after 1981.


Well, it's of course a very bad news for the UMP.
I predict that Sarkozy will try to create another movement, which will try to federate UMP, UDI and some other small things.
So as to not be obliged to contest the UMP primaries (the new rules of the UMP aren't very good for Sarkozy...) and to prevent Fillon (and Borloo or any small centre-right politician) from being a candidate.
And so as to steal some money from these parties, without having to repay for the debts he left (because he also left debts in the party in 2007 that weren't erased in 2012...).

Sigh... when will the rightist base understand that Sarkozy will kill the right and give Hollande a second term ?

[big bad fab]

Fun news of the day: some obscure article in a law passed by Poison Dwarf in 2010 allows me to vote for the European Parliament... in the Ile-de-France constituency

I envy you: being able to vote for Pécresse

[big bad fab]

The first round of the PS' "primaires citoyennes" for the munis were today, most notably in Marseille where it was a very hot and acrimonious 6 candidate race (naturally, it is Marseillais PS politics!). Apparently, PS senator Samia Ghali (from northern Marseille, and fairly pro-Guérini mafia clan) and PS deputy Patrick Mennucci (from central Marseille, pretty strongly anti-Guérini now) have qualified for the runoff, the defeated include Marie-Arlette Carlotti, a cabinet minister.

A few good articles for those interested (highly recommended):
http://www.slate.fr/france/78762/primaire-marseille-caselli-carlotti-ghali-mennucci-guerini
http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/10/03/samia-ghali-la-segolene-royal-de-marseille-bouscule-la-campagne-ps_3489347_823448.html
http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2013/10/09/a-marseille-le-sprint-final-des-candidats-a-la-primaire-ps_3492296_823448.html

Complete results are on the PS website (also for Aix, Béziers and Le Havre).
Mennucci hasn't won yet... as Caselli and Jibrayel voters will probably go to Ghali and as Masse voters may split.

Maybe some Gaudin supporters have voted for Ghali, hoping that she will explode during the municipal campaign

[big bad fab]

Very useful maps.

All the candidates, except Masse (who doesn't choose), are now behind Mennucci.

Well, it's a good thing for Ghali: she's now the "anti-system" and "anti-Paris" candidate... Quite funny for someone probably supported by Guérini (anti-system, eh ?...).

Jibrayel, Masse and most of Caselli voters will vote for Ghali, despite what their candidates say.

I'm more and more convinced she can win.

After all, Gaudin may be able to be reelected next March, as socialists will probably fight each other and as Ghali will probably lead a municipal campaign "à la Royal".

[big bad fab]

And Paris' PCF voted 57-43 in favor of 1st round lists with the PS...

They are a moribund party of moribund members under social liberal breathing assistance. Well... I'm not voting for this list either round.

Even though many young Communist leaders are more leftists (I mean socially liberal "gauchistes") than real communists, I think that there is something of a new landscape emerging in the "left of the left".
See Dieppe, where an EELV-PG list will fight against the PCF incumbent, supported by the PS.
See Rennes, with a PS-PCF list attacked by a EELV-PG-UDB list.
See also the Leonarda issue, with a split inside the PS between Lienemann, Hamon or Désir on one side, Kalfon (from the "Gauche populaire"), Royal or Le Guen on the other. Very interesting.

Old communists plus socialist apparatchiki, against red (Mélenchon-NPA), pink (Hamon) or green (EELV) "gauchistes", this may be the new split inside the left.
Of course, as the left of the left is as united and well-organized as the centre-right (whatever alliance MoDem and UDI may put forward...), there won't be a two-big-party left, with a social democrat wing and a leftist wing.

[big bad fab]

Mennucci 57.16%
Ghali 42.84%

24,037 voters.

It's a great result for Ghali. And a symptom of a problem of authority inside the PS: populism and disdain for Hollande and Ayrault aren't only outside the PS, in the popular electorate which has largely swung to the FN or dropped any idea of turning out; they are also inside some local PS organizations.

Of course, Gaudin is old, Mennucci is a better candidate than Ghali and a potential FN pressure on Gaudin may result in his defeat anyway. But, well, whereas I was very pessimistic for his reelection only weeks ago, he may win again, after all.

[big bad fab]

Guys, I'm back in French, en français dans le texte:
https://sondages2017.wordpress.com/