France General Discussion II: Living under Marxism

[Hash]

On a lighter note: the top 10 funniest cabinet portfolios in French history

http://www.topito.com/top-ministere-nom-etrange

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Minister of Free Time is by far the most ridiculous thing they've ever come up with.

The "redressement productif" bullsh*t should be on that list too.

[You kip if you want to...]

Minister of Free Time is by far the most ridiculous thing they've ever come up with.

The "redressement productif" bullsh*t should be on that list too.

Not as bad as the UK's late, great Department for National Heritage.

[Zanas]

Do someone want me to translate this or you're fine with Google ?

[Hash]

The latest buzz is about a bunch of people, from the UMP to the PS, wanting to hold a referendum on the "moralization" of politics which would include stuff like limiting dual office holding, transparency on politicians' wealth, cracking down on lobbies and big business in politics and other stuff (including, maybe, voting rights for foreigners). So basically, asking voters if they agree with the idea that politicians shouldn't be crooks and douchebags.

Are politicians really that fucking retarded now? Yeah, let's organize a referendum on vague fluffy sh**t which basically every single voter agrees with; that'll show them that we're not corrupt crooks! Never mind that only 6 people in the whole country would give a sh**t and bother turning out to vote.

[Zanas]

Please translate.

I'll do just that, but tomorrow.

Most of the people I speak with regarding the Cahuzac affair are really resigned about it. I get much "tous pourris" feeling (all rotten), but not something that can be mustered by either the FN or FG. It's more like "they're all the same, but they have really always been, and we've known, and we've done nothing to prevent it in the past, and will continue so."

Quite depressing actually.

[Tender Branson]

Hollande drops to a new low:

26-70 disapprove

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-08/hollande-rating-tumbles-in-poll-after-minister-quits-on-tax-row.html

[Keystone Phil]

Sarkozy will be re-elected.

[RogueBeaver]

#epicfail

[MaxQue]

Well, the good news is than he can't really go lower and than there is no elections in 2013.

Wonder if he didn't made all the bad decisions he had to take this year, in order to be more free to pass better policies in election years?

[RogueBeaver]

My thought last year was that he'd Zapatero himself: squeezed between his base and Merkel/bond markets, satisfying no one. Still has 4 years to turn it around, granted.

[RogueBeaver]

Question to the Frenchmen here: how closely linked are the municipal and regional elections to national politics? If Hollande's still highly unpopular, will the PS get locally massacred?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Question to the Frenchmen here: how closely linked are the municipal and regional elections to national politics? If Hollande's still highly unpopular, will the PS get locally massacred?

Yes. French people don't give a sh*t about their local government, and they'll vote almost exclusively based on national factors (TBF, local factors do matter somewhat at the municipal level, but absolutely nothing at the regional and cantonal levels). The PS won landslides in 2004, 2008 and 2010 riding on the government's unpopularity, and the right will probably do the same in 2014.

Two other certainties: turnout will be abysmal, and the FN will do well.

[Zanas]

Errr, not so quick Tony. French people tend to vote quite locally in the municipal election on the contrary. And it's not even sure that regional and departmental levels will have a vote in 2014 at this point. Actually, the municipal election of 2014 could well be the best thing that could happen to the PS : they will lose a few middle-sized cities based on national swing, but they're quite strong in the cities so they really won't lose that much. Of course they will lose loads of small cities (like 50,000 inhabs and lower), but that won't matter in the least, because that's not what media coverage will be about.

Media coverage will be, as it always is with municipal elections, and because, frankly, the French media and commentators don't know sh**t about elections (they really really really suck monumentally at these), about who wins in the 5 or 10 largest cities, very few of which are swing ones.

Among the 10 largest cities, the right cannot hope for Paris and Lyon, whereas the PS can realistically hope for Marseille. The right has a bit of hope about Toulouse (unlikely) and Strasbourg (a bit more likely), but this will be eclipsed by the loss of Marseille. The left in return could hope for Bordeaux, but only if Juppé stays out, but he seems like he wants to run so he should keep it.

After that, in the 20 largest cities, there are really not so much targets for the right, maybe Reims or Saint-Étienne, or Metz a bit further, but that's all.

So basically, the 2014 election will be about who wins Marseille : the PS and it's like "the left pulls this out in a difficult context", or the right and it's "sanction vote against an impopular government".

That's simplified though.

[Zanas]

Some nutjob UMP Paris municipal councillor proposes the creation of a "rue Margaret Thatcher" (street)... In Paris... Seriously.

Oh and about Bordeaux, a poll has just been released :
Juppé would win 54-55% in the first round, being automatically elected, whether the left is united (38%), or dispersed (PS 26%, EELV 8%, FG 6%).

So Bordeaux stays to the right.

[You kip if you want to...]

Some nutjob UMP Paris municipal councillor proposes the creation of a "rue Margaret Thatcher" (street)... In Paris... Seriously.

She would've despised such a suggestion... so DO IT.

[windjammer]

http://www.metrofrance.com/info/sondage-municipales-2014-pas-de-vague-bleue-a-l-horizon/mmcg!PBC9OeBKYebE/

I'm not sure that it will be a UMP year because of the far-right. For instance I think that the left could win Marseille!

[Hash]

Yeah, because national polling for a municipal election is really the best way to predict this.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Some nutjob UMP Paris municipal councillor proposes the creation of a "rue Margaret Thatcher" (street)... In Paris... Seriously.

Oh God... Please kick him out of this country.

We all know how it ended when Chirac tried to play Thatcher Wannabe in 1986...

[RogueBeaver]

Well, in France the term would be "Anglo-Saxon ultraliberalism", n'est ce pas?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Well, in France the term would be "Anglo-Saxon ultraliberalism", n'est ce pas?

Something of this flavor, yes.

[Hash]

In fallout from Mr. Swiss Bank Account, all cabinet ministers have published their assets:

http://www.declarations-patrimoine.gouvernement.fr/

Topito gives us the top 11 funniest things on those: http://www.topito.com/top-scandales-publication-patrimoine-ministres

Including: Ayrault has the same car as Scoobydoo, Fabius is obviously filthy rich but owes some cash to HSBC, Peillon is probably getting swindled on his house renovations.

[RogueBeaver]

Cahuzac has resigned as an MNA. By-election incoming soon, I guess.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Cahuzac has resigned as an MNA. By-election incoming soon, I guess.

Wait, won't he be replaced by his "suppléant"?

[Hash]

Cahuzac has resigned as an MNA. By-election incoming soon, I guess.

Wait, won't he be replaced by his "suppléant"?

Deputies are replaced by their suppléant if they die in office, if they enter cabinet, joins the ConCon (or becomes Défenseur des droits) or has a governmental 'mission' (usually some political bullsh**t) lasting over 6 months.

Since the 2008 constitutional reform, a cabinet minister who leaves cabinet no longer needs to go through a by-election if he wants to reclaim his seat as deputy - he/she automatically regains it from the suppléant. In this case, Cahuzac (like Boutin when she left cabinet) chose not to reclaim his seat, so he resigned and there will be a by-election within 3 months.