France 2012: the official thread

[Foucaulf]

On the other hand, it is the Post, and who is stupid enough to oull sh**t like that when you're in DSK's position?

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It's also on the front page of the Times. Think DSK can go back to France even if he tried?

[Foucaulf]

That last post was a rather ignomious introduction, so I should actually contribute to this thread.

I've paid attention to French politics for a year or so. First I was amused how the far-left was a political force. Then I read about cumul des mandats, cohabitation, le FN and the socialists shooting themselves in the foot. What a mess!

To me, the winner of the présidentielle is only relevant wrt to Europe and the macroeconomy. No one is willing to address the social stratification of France save for the far right, as misguided as they are. For this reason I could care less about DSK's rape scandal - let Hollande take his place.

Perhaps I'm misguided in my cynicism. I only recently witnessed the French's love for striking, and I'm not sure if Mélenchon and the other left-wing bunch have publicized themselves. But then one has Le Pen on the other side, and I wonder: can politics even address France's malaise anymore?

[Foucaulf]

Going back to French politics, I have been thinking a lot about this article in which Hollande warns of the PS "disappearing" if it does not win the Presidency.

I'm not sure if he's being hyperbolic here. From what I know of North America, political parties here alternate between long spells of power and opposition, but survives so long as they don't collapse after greatly extending their stay. In France power is obviously concentrated in the President, but is the opposition really stripped of all power past the five-year elections? Or is it that the party will tear itself up and leave the left bickering amongst itself, like what it was before Mitterrand?