France General Discussion

[Hashemite]

http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2008/09/15/segolene-royal-revoit-sa-strategie-au-sein-du-ps_1095569_823448.html

After polls showed her performing poorly against Bertrand Delanoë, Ségolène Royal has announced that she may drop out of the race to become First Secretary of the PS (the election is on November 6).

She may drop out if her motion does poorly. She's not dropping out now.

Of course, I'd be sad if she dropped out. She amuses me.

Of course, she can't drop out right now. She needs to have a discussion with the social partners first (that's participative democracy, you know).

Ah, yes. Participative democracy.

She even changed the regional logo of Poitou to include that.



Funnily, the Poitou-Charentes Regional Assembly is certainly not participative democracy as long as she is President.

[PGSable]

The deadline for registering a motion is September 23. Ségolène Royal and her allies have agreed on a motion; if Royal does not lead it, Gérard Collomb will. (Interesting...)

Martine Aubry will be leading her own motion; when asked whether she would put her campaign "in the freezer" like Royal asked, she answered, "At a time when we must, to the contrary, give warmth to our people and to the party, I am not sure that the freezer would be the best solution," and that Royal "is simultaneously a non-candidate and a candidate. It doesn't make any sense anymore, or, rather, it makes too much sense." (Royal is definitely correct in saying that it's too early to be campaigning for 2012. Wasn't she the one who wanted the PS to select its 2012 nominee immediately after the election last year?)

Bertrand Delanoë is also leading a motion. He is, of course, the frontrunner. He has the support of François Hollande (Royal claims she would have liked for him to stay above the fray), and Jean-Marc Ayrault has endorsed him as well.

[Hashemite]

The deadline for registering a motion is September 23. Ségolène Royal and her allies have agreed on a motion; if Royal does not lead it, Gérard Collomb will. (Interesting...)

I regret supporting Collomb in March now.

Martine Aubry will be leading her own motion; when asked whether she would put her campaign "in the freezer" like Royal asked, she answered, "At a time when we must, to the contrary, give warmth to our people and to the party, I am not sure that the freezer would be the best solution," and that Royal "is simultaneously a non-candidate and a candidate. It doesn't make any sense anymore, or, rather, it makes too much sense."

For anyone who doesn't know, Aubry hates Royal with a passion.

Bertrand Delanoë is also leading a motion. He is, of course, the frontrunner. He has the support of François Hollande (Royal claims she would have liked for him to stay above the fray), and Jean-Marc Ayrault has endorsed him as well.

Alain Rousset (Aquitaine) and Jean-Yves le Drian (Bretagne), two Royalists in 2007, have also endorsed Delanoë.

[PGSable]

Pierre Moscovici and François Rebsamen have endorsed Delanoë; Julien Dray backs Royal, and Pierre Mauroy backs Aubry (as well as Fabius, if I understand correctly).

So there are six motions: Royal's (actually led by Collomb), Delanoë's, and Aubry's, as well three minor ones. The only declared candidates for first secretary are Delanoë and Benoît Hamon (a deputy to the European Parliament, who leads one of the minor far-left motions).

[PGSable]

UMP Senate primary results:
Gérard Larcher – 78 votes (51.3%)
Jean-Pierre Raffarin – 56 votes (36.8%)
Philippe Marini – 17 votes (11.2%)
Abstention – 1 (0.7%)

Larcher won on the first round with one vote more than needed for a majority. He will be the next President of the Senate.

[Hashemite]

Unemployment in August took a big boost, up 2.2%.

[PGSable]

Unemployment in August took a big boost, up 2.2%.

It's at the highest it's been since 1993.

[PGSable]

Rumors are spreading that, because of the recession, Sarkozy will form a new government, including former prime ministers Juppé, Villepin, and Rocard.

[Hashemite]

Oh dear. Not these 'rumours' again.

[Hashemite]

The Assembly has adopted the European/French version of the economic stimulus/bailout pack thingee.

Breakdown:

Assembly

UMP 190 in favour, 1 non-voting (Accoyer)
Socialist, PRG, MRC 102 abstaining, 7 in favour (one PS Hamon follower, 4 PRG, 1 Socialist from Wallis-et-Futuna, 1 GUSR), 3 against (Taubira, 2 very left-wing deputies from the Nord)
GDR (Commies + Greenies) 20 against, 4 abstaining (all 4 Greenies)
NC 23 in favour
NI, MoDem, DLR 4 in favour (2 MoDem, 2 MPF)

353 voting, 247 valid votes, majority of 124. 224 in favour, 23 against.

The Senate will vote tomorrow.

[Χahar]

And the PS takes the Fabien Roy approach.

[dead0man]

(this might have needed a new thread, but meh)

A movie dealing with the problems in the Paris suburbs is halted by problems in the Paris suburbs.  link

Filming of a new John Travolta movie on a deprived Paris housing estate has been cancelled - after rioting youths torched ten of the production’s cars and threatened crew.
'From Paris With Love' was meant to have highlighted social problems in the  grim suburbs which surround the French capital.
Jobs as extras and support staff were even offered to largely immigrant  residents who are plagued by unemployment and discrimination. 

But within days of arrived in Les Bosquets, a high rise estate in Montfermeil,  in the notorious Seine-Saint-Denis north of the capital, violence broke out. 

‘All ten of the vehicles set to be used in the film were burnt out and there were threats aimed at support crew,’ said a production spokesman.
‘There’s no now possibility of Mr Travolta or any of the other stars of the film operating in such a dangerous area.

'The scenes we were mean to do here will now be shot elsewhere.’

‘From Paris With Love’, which will also star British actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers, will be legendary French director Luc Besson’s last film. 

All those involved hoped the £30 million movie would draw attention to urban communities alienated from mainstream France.

Travolta, the star of numerous films including Grease and Pulp Fiction, in particular wanted to get as close as possible to an underclass which suffers some of the worst social problems in Europe.
He and his wife Kelly Preston arrived in Paris earlier this month, and were due  to spend the next three months living close to Montfermeil.
Film makers had been allowed into the area on two conditions - that local  people were used as extras, and that meals for the film workers were produced  by a local company.

Reacting to the cancellation, Montfermeil’s mayor Xavier Lemoine said: ‘I’m very sad for all residents who were due to take part in this production.’
Earlier this year, Mr Sarkozy's government unveiled an £800 million plan aimed at tackling social problems in run down estates like Les Bosquets, investing in job creation schemes, education and transport.

However, the former Interior Minister is best known for his reactionary  approach to trouble - invariably sending riot police into what he described as 'ghettoes', and calling lawless locals 'scum' who should be 'washed away with a  power hose.'

Responding to such emotive language and behaviour, former Socialist prime  minister Laurent Fabius said: 'We need to act on prevention, education,  housing, jobs ... and not play the cowboy.'

I feel bad for the people that live in these places, ya just know it's a small percentage of them that are asshats torching cars every night.  Are there still hundreds of cars a night burned in the suburbs?  I knew this was a big deal a few years ago, I had no idea it was still this bad.

[Hashemite]

The new major thing for today is the scandal caused by a bunch of "French" citizens supporting the Tunisian soccer team in yesterday's France-Tunisia game and them booing La Marseillaise.

All parties are very pissed. Mark this day. The PS agreeing with the UMP.

The government says they're going to take measures.

La France, tu l'aime ou tu la quitte, as the Viscount would say.

[Roma Caput Mundi]

They will suspend any games in which someone booes the Marsellaise.

IMHO,simply ridicolous.

[Χahar]

[Senator MaxQue]

The new major thing for today is the scandal caused by a bunch of "French" citizens supporting the Tunisian soccer team in yesterday's France-Tunisia game and them booing La Marseillaise.

All parties are very pissed. Mark this day. The PS agreeing with the UMP.

The government says they're going to take measures.

La France, tu l'aime ou tu la quitte, as the Viscount would say.

I thought than that was forbidden by the FIFA?

[Hashemite]

I don't know if the PCF actually took a stance on this.

[Hashemite]

Greenies of all stripes held a rally today before the EU elections next June. It included Daniel Cohn-Bendit, who decided to choose France over Germany; Jose Bove; Antoine Waechter, the centrist-leaning greenie and leader of the MEI; Cecile Duflot, the Greenies leader; and a few others including a few close to Nicolas Hulot.

They apparently want a "Europe-Ecologie" list for the next European elections over a quadrillion jokes all claiming to be Greenies.

Also, the death of Sister Emmanuelle, a great humanitarian. RIP.

[Hashemite]

More votes!

Vote on the Grenelle environmental legislation (in its entirety)

Breakdown:

Assembly

UMP 304 in favour, 1 non-voting (Accoyer)
Socialist, PRG, MRC 193 in favour, 3 abstaining (2 PRG, 1 nuclear energy lobbyist, a Socialist)
GDR (Commies + Greenies) 17 abstaining (3 Greenies, the rest are Commies), 4 against (all four orthodox Commmies), 1 in favour (François de Rugy, Green MNA for Nantes)
NC 23 in favour
NI, MoDem, DLR 5 in favour, 1 abstaining (Jean Lasalle)

551 voting, 530 valid votes, majority of 266. 526 in favour, 4 against.

Vote on the RSA (active solidarities revenue), a government fund for fighting poverty proposed by Martin Hirsch, a former leftie now in government.

Assembly

UMP 279 in favour, 1 against (conservative UMP MNA that likes the death penalty), 11 abstaining, 1 non-voting (Accoyer)
Socialist, PRG, MRC 177 abstaining, 3 in favour (2 PRG, 1 Aubry-Socialist), 3 against (2 PRG, 1 socialist)
GDR (Commies + Greenies) 16 against, 4 abstaining (1 PCR, 1 Martinican nat, 2 Greenies)
NC 21 in favour, 1 abstaining (Lagarde)
NI, MoDem, DLR 3 in favour (2 MPF, 1 DLR), 4 abstaining (Bayrou and his cronies, the annoying guy from Essonne who knows who he is).

The PS should join the Liberal Party of Canada in forming the Abstention Party.

[Χahar]

I don't know if the PCF actually took a stance on this.

I'll assume they did.

Abstaining again? The PS should elect Fabien Roy their leader.

[PGSable]

The big story now is the Wolfowitz-eqsue scandal involving IMF President Dominique Strauss-Kahn, PS.

I am convinced that the investigation will show that Dominique Strauss-Kahn did not abuse his power. [...] I am also convinced that this will not affect the IMF's market, which is very, very important at this time.

The Socialists are, for the most part, defending him.

Everyone recognizes that he is a great leader of the IMF.

When the truth has not yet been established, I do not want people throwing around accusations.

No comment on this story of which I know nothing and which seems to be part of his private life.

a private affair; the United States is not France.

(The French media typically doesn't report on politicians' sex scandals.)



Ségolène Royal, on the other hand, is clearly trying to eliminate him as a potential rival for 2012.

I hope he will be vindicated, because, if not, it would be a bother for France's reputation of seriousness and competence.

The French government is backing DSK. Sarkozy pushed for him to lead the IMF (in part because he was the biggest obstacle to re-election in 2012), and it would be yet another international setback for him if his appointee were forced to resign.

What I see is that, throughout this [economic] crisis, Dominique Strauss-Kahn proved that he was the man for the job. […] It is true that he showed that he was the right man to handle this situation.

The timing for this is bad. […] I wonder why this is brought up […] now that we most need Dominique Strauss-Kahn. […] I think there is illwill involved, but let's drop this illwill quickly so that the work can be done. […] a private, victimless affair, without prejudice and, apparently, without a plaintiff. […] There is an ongoing internal investigation; let's wait for the results. […] As for myself, I still trust Dominique Strauss-Kahn entirely, and I know that we need him. […] Dominique Strauss-Kahn is my friend. I know his talent. I know that it is imperative that such a man—that the leader of an institution with a specific role in putting our economic system back in order—be able to do his job entirely. […] That is the most important. The rest belongs to his private life.

And, for Arnaud Montebourg, it's crystal clear that the United States, Russia, and Egypt are conspiring against Strauss-Kahn. Let's give him the last word…

Either the IMF becomes the global policeman we need, or it doesn't, in which case the crisis will worsen. […] From this perspective, this type of sex story is not what we should expect from great countries such as Russia, the United States, and Egypt, especially regarding an important economic leader.

[Sibboleth]

I don't see how a French politician having a mistress is at all newsworthy.

[Hashemite]

I don't see how a French politician having a mistress is at all newsworthy.

Just that this one has an international post and is in the US.

The Socialists are, for the most part, defending him.

Everyone recognizes that he is a great leader of the IMF.

When the truth has not yet been established, I do not want people throwing around accusations.

No comment on this story of which I know nothing and which seems to be part of his private life.

a private affair; the United States is not France.

(The French media typically doesn't report on politicians' sex scandals.)

Ségolène Royal, on the other hand, is clearly trying to eliminate him as a potential rival for 2012.

I hope he will be vindicated, because, if not, it would be a bother for France's reputation of seriousness and competence.

Though they'd all be happy if this destroyed his chances for a 2012 run.

And, for Arnaud Montebourg, it's crystal clear that the United States, Russia, and Egypt are conspiring against Strauss-Kahn. Let's give him the last word…

Either the IMF becomes the global policeman we need, or it doesn't, in which case the crisis will worsen. […] From this perspective, this type of sex story is not what we should expect from great countries such as Russia, the United States, and Egypt, especially regarding an important economic leader.

lol

[PGSable]

France currently holds the European Union's six-month rotating presidency, which it is supposed to pass on to the Czech Republic on January 1. However, it seems that Sarkozy is pushing to extend France's presidency for at least another year (rather than pass it on to the Czech Republic, which would then pass it on to Sweden on July 1) due to crises such as the conflict between Russia and Georgia, the Irish referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon, and the recession.

Sarkozy wants to push the Czech Republic and Sweden aside because he believes that the presidency should be held by a member of the Eurozone, and he has also pointed out that the Czech president and prime minister are eurosceptics.

At the very least, Sarkozy wants France to remain president over economic affairs, as is customary when a non-Eurozone member holds the general presidency (Belgium in lieu of Sweden in 2001, and Greece in lieu of Denmark in 2002). I don't recall this happening with Britain in 2005 or Slovenia in 2008. In any event, Belgium came after Sweden, and Greece came after Denmark, so shouldn't the presidency go directly to Spain?

Sarkozy has proposed a dual French-British leadership of the EU's council of financial ministers because of London's role as the financial capital of Europe. It seems that he wants to push aside Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg's prime minister and minister of finance.

As of Wednesday, Merkel had not commented. Obviously, she is not expected to approve.

http://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/2008/10/22/nicolas-sarkozy-veut-diriger-la-zone-euro-jusqu-en-2010_1109655_0.html

[Senator MaxQue]

France currently holds the European Union's six-month rotating presidency, which it is supposed to pass on to the Czech Republic on January 1. However, it seems that Sarkozy is pushing to extend France's presidency for at least another year (rather than pass it on to the Czech Republic, which would then pass it on to Sweden on July 1) due to crises such as the conflict between Russia and Georgia, the Irish referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon, and the recession.

Sarkozy wants to push the Czech Republic and Sweden aside because he believes that the presidency should be held by a member of the Eurozone, and he has also pointed out that the Czech president and prime minister are eurosceptics.

At the very least, Sarkozy wants France to remain president over economic affairs, as is customary when a non-Eurozone member holds the general presidency (Belgium in lieu of Sweden in 2001, and Greece in lieu of Denmark in 2002). I don't recall this happening with Britain in 2005 or Slovenia in 2008. In any event, Belgium came after Sweden, and Greece came after Denmark, so shouldn't the presidency go directly to Spain?

Sarkozy has proposed a dual French-British leadership of the EU's council of financial ministers because of London's role as the financial capital of Europe. It seems that he wants to push aside Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg's prime minister and minister of finance.

As of Wednesday, Merkel had not commented. Obviously, she is not expected to approve.

http://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/2008/10/22/nicolas-sarkozy-veut-diriger-la-zone-euro-jusqu-en-2010_1109655_0.html

Awful person. I hate his authoritative side, bur he is better than Royal, the crazy person who tries anything to destroy her opponent and who see complots everywhere.