Chiswickite - formerly The Croydonian

French Socialists, all 220, 000 of them, get to select their candidate for next year's presidential election. It would appear that the PS is rather better at keeping things simple than our own dear Labour party (200, 000 members, if the party of little Tony who told lies is to be believed) , in that the candidates who stood all went on to the ballot paper, and if anyone wins a majority of votes, he, or rather in the real world, she becomes the candidate. This process was only chosen in January and has served to boost membership of the party greatly. Little sympathy though I have with Socialism, especially in its mutant French form, the democratising of the party is greatly to its credit.

Fabius is a no hoper, and has wasted both his time and money campaigning. To his credit he voted no in the European Constitution referendum, and this has not endeared him to elements in his party. In UK terms, I suppose one might consider him to be a bit of a Robin Cook. Only with a less affable personality. His website is here, with his motto being 'Another future is possible. Fighting against precarity, let us make a France strong through with solidarity'. (Translating 'précaire' and 'solidaire' is notoriously difficult. 'Précarité' implies a mix of social exclusion and angst about just about everything. 'Solidarité' one might call social justice). Another carpet bagger, depite being a Parigot, he lords it over the electorate of Seine-Maritime in Normandy.

Strauss Kahn might edge it to make for a second round. He is the Paris / Limousine Liberal candidate. Maybe a male Tessa Jowell, only with rather more backbone. Snappiest website name by far DSK2007.net. He doesn't have a slogan. His base is the Paris region, from where he hails.

Sego will emerge the leader this time round, probably by knockout. If not, I'll eat my chapeau. Blair in '94 is the best comparison. She lurks at 'Wishes for the Future' (reminds me of the infamous Carter trip to Poland, where 'desires for the future' were rendered as 'lusts for the future', and 'I love the Polish people' came out as 'I desire the Polish people carnally'). She has a very bloggy website, and there does seem to have been quite a lot of action chez elle. She is forever bigging up her base of Poitou Charentes, quite possibly the dullest region in the whole of France. She wasn't born there, of course. She hails from Dakar, Senegal.


Lucky old France, not having a Prescott to vote for...

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 16, 2006 at 10:18 am. You can skip to the end and leave a response.