France General Discussion

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

The Marquis' attempt to find a winning strategy for the party since 2005 have failed epically

Yes, he had tried hard though:



Maybe he was just too much forth...

[Antonio the Sixth]

Damn good riddance. Here's hoping that he can just definitely disappear from the political scene and stop polluting it.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Damn good riddance. Here's hoping that he can just definitely disappear from the political scene and stop polluting it.

In fact those coming on this part of the scene in France wouldn't be much better, far from it...
Not an excuse for him indeed. His either intentional or unintentional fun side and awkwardness made him rather inoffensive, and contained into Vendée.

During a while, a bit before 2007, I thought he could have succeeded to FN, or taking big parts from the electorate, but 2007 said no to it. When you come to think about it, he really missed strength.

[Hash]

Georges Frêche is dead

I'm sorry, but I can't help but feel happy that we are rid of such a disgusting and vile racist sack of crap.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

What, really?

[Phony Moderate]

Well, Wikipedia says so.

[Hash]

What, really?

Yes. I saw it on a forum, which had presumably gotten it off the AFP or something.

[Хahar 🤔]

This makes me mildly happy.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, I heard that this morning.

Well, that's really a surprise : I don't think anybody expect that... While the guy was a pathetic scumbag, I don't see how his death could make anybody happy.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Yeah, neither happiness nor sadness here, just:

Tout ça pour ça...

And what will become the statue of Lenine now?

And he was something more subtle than a 'racist', which he wasn't really apparently, he was overall the hell of a populist, an over clanical guy, a kind of megalomaniac, and certainly an awful person to interact with. And now the consequences on the political landscape of Languedoc-Roussillon, a region which might have lost one of its main asset here,  will be interesting to follow, as well as the reactions from PS guys, haven't switched my TV on so far...

[big bad fab]

Yeah, I heard that this morning.

Well, that's really a surprise : I don't think anybody expect that... While the guy was a pathetic scumbag, I don't see how his death could make anybody happy.

It isn't really a surprise, considering his alcohol and food habits and considering his weight !

I think the PS apparatus is now happy: all the "fréchistes" will come back easily...
And of course the local FN will be happy too: a small prospect of revival without the Big Populist.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

lol, Europe Ecologie and Les Verts have officially merged in an only political movement today.

Name of that one?

'Europe Ecologie-Les Verts'

What a creative beginning...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

NEW GOVT COMING SOON!

Well, yeah, itélé says it would be in about 30 mins.

[Hash]

rumours:

Juppé back in, defense.
Mercier shuffled to Justice
Borloo likely out
Patrick Ollier in, parl relations
Bachelot stays, takes super-ministry of "dependence, handicapped, family, seniors and women"

Jean-François Copé takes UMP leadership, dunno about Bertrand

More at 20:15, which is 14:15 EST.

[Hash]

more rumours: http://elysee.blog.lemonde.fr/2010/11/13/sarkozy-met-fin-aux-fonctions-de-fillon/

Main things to me are that Besson is shuffled to industry, and the Racism Ministry becomes a state secretariat. Xavier Bertrand would get Woerth's old job + health, MAM would get Kouchner's job. Sadly, Frédéric Lefevre would join cabinet.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Done.

Ouch at Foreign Office: Michèle Alliot-Marie and Henri de Raincourt.

Eh, I missed something or 'Immigration and stuffs' are out?

I feared that Justice would go to a rightist guy like Besson, luckily it's the opposite, and goes to a Centrist with Mercier.

Lol at where have been put some of the most rightist guys, like Mariani to Transports iirc and Lefevbre in Tourism. Same for Besson to an extent who goes to Industry.

Surprising to see Kosciusko-Morizet getting the whole big Ecology stuff, though it loses its status of most important ministry and doesn't even have a 'State Ministry' status, which had been a pledge of the campaign.

Lol, Juppé at Defense, and number 2 of govt, what's the point?

Fine to see Yade out too.

Bertrand is in indeed. Bachelot put in a petty stuff.

Well, could have been worse apparently.

[Hash]

No particular order:

Alain Juppé; minister of state for defense and veterans
MAM; foreign affairs
NKM; ecology, transportation and housing (big promotion)
Michel Mercier; justice (centrist)
Xavier Bertrand; work, employment (lol!) and health
Brice Hortefeux; interior, overseas, territorial collectivities and immigration
Christine Lagarde; economie, commerce and industry
Luc Chatel; education, youth and associative life
François Baroin; budget and the public function (and spokesperson)
Valérie Pécresse; higher education
Frédéric Mitterrand; culture
Roselyne Bachelot; solidarity and social cohesion
Maurice Leroy; city/urban development (centrist)
Bruno Le Maire; agriculture
Chantal Jouanno; sports

sub-ministers
Patrick Ollier; parl relations (MAM's husband)
Pierre Laval Eric Besson; industry, energy and the digital economy
Henri de Raincourt; cooperation (and minister for chair-warming)
Laurent Wauquiez; european affairs
Nadine Morano; learning and professional formation
Marie-Luce Penchard; overseas (unbelievably incompetent and stupid, yet they keep her. Is there a better way of telling the overseas 'we don't give a sh**t about you'?)
Pierre Lellouche; external commerce (at least he doesn't keep European affairs)
Philippe Richert; territorial collectivities (Alsace will thus get a new regional president; again)

sec of states
Nora Berra; health
Benoist Apparu; housing
Georges Tron; public function
Marianne Montchamp; social cohesion (she was a loyal villepiniste, seems like they've bought her)
Thierry Mariani; transportation (rather distasteful right-winger)
Frédéric Lefebvre; commerce, artisans, PME and tourism (pathological cheat and liar)
Jeannette Boughrab; youth and associative life

No more national identity, racism and imitating the Vichy government

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

And 'lol'. Energy isn't tied to the big ministry of Ecology but to Industry.

And the Villepinist groupie Montchamp is in!

[Hash]

And 'lol'. Energy isn't tied to the big ministry of Ecology but to Industry.

And the Villepinist groupie Montchamp is in!

Energy is one of those useless things nobody cares about, I think?

I find it interesting that Besson has been demoted that badly. Good news of the day, I suppose. The Vichyist can be kept quiet with a useless position like industry, even though the other Vichyist keeps his post.

Also, good to see Marleix out given that I hate him. I recommend that the Republicans hire him to work on gerrymandering in Pennsylvania or something.

[Keystone Phil]

So is Sarkozy likely to seek re-election?

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

And 'lol'. Energy isn't tied to the big ministry of Ecology but to Industry.

And the Villepinist groupie Montchamp is in!

Energy is one of those useless things nobody cares about, I think?

Well, technically it's important. A guy on itélé said it could have been caused by the mess in oil industry during the strike, that Borloo had been seen as not able to handle, and then they would have preferred give it to a tough guy like Besson. Also, technically it makes Energy questions more tied to economical ones than to ecological ones, especially since Kosciusko-Morizet isn't that tough person compared to Besson.

Lol, Sports become a normal and full ministry.

And well, if some switches are better in this govt, it's clearly the end of the opening to Center and Left, and to the end of importance of Ecology, which was an important thing during the campaign. This plus Greens messing up their unions and shutting it on the Left side. Yay, Ecology.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

So is Sarkozy likely to seek re-election?

Rather so far. But still who knows.

[big bad fab]

And 'lol'. Energy isn't tied to the big ministry of Ecology but to Industry.

And the Villepinist groupie Montchamp is in!

Energy is one of those useless things nobody cares about, I think?

Well, technically it's important. A guy on itélé said it could have been caused by the mess in oil industry during the strike, that Borloo had been seen as not able to handle, and then they would have preferred give it to a tough guy like Besson. Also, technically it makes Energy questions more tied to economical ones than to ecological ones, especially since Kosciusko-Morizet isn't that tough person compared to Besson.

Lol, Sports become a normal and full ministry.

And well, if some switches are better in this govt, it's clearly the end of the opening to Center and Left, and to the end of importance of Ecology, which was an important thing during the campaign. This plus Greens messing up their unions and shutting it on the Left side. Yay, Ecology.

Energy is traditionnally linked to Industry because of public engineers who come from Ecole Polytechnique...
They are all big productivists and industrialists and aren't green at all.
Funny to see that it's under NKM, a Polytechnician herself that the "big" ministry for Ecology is indeed turning back to former Equipment+Environment ministries...

[Hash]

So is Sarkozy likely to seek re-election?

Yes. Rumours of him retiring are bullsh**t. Sarkozy, like all French politicians, are egomaniacs who only fully retire once they die.

[big bad fab]

Globally speaking, it's the first government under Sarkozy which is really political, in the way Mitterrand's ones were.
It's very classical.

It's almost entirely an ex-RPR government. A classical rightist government, but with politicians whom Sarkozy are sure they won't make (big) mistakes.
Out the stupidities of "ouverture" to (failed) leftist politicians (like Kouchner); out the media stars with no power but with big image value (Yade); out, even the Sarkozysts who aren't professional at all (Estrosi; Lellouche put in a no-power position).

With Juppé, MAM, Baroin, Chatel, Le Maire, Ollier, Wauquiez, even Mercier or Bertrand (whether you love him or not), there won't be big mistakes.
Of course, you can argue that Lefebvre may be dangerous. But see his post ? He'll take 6 months to understand his portfolio and then he'll have 6 months to be demagogic with small businesses and retailers. And then the campaign will be on. So, no risk, in fact. Maybe it's even better to have him INSIDE the government with a technical portfolio (the same for Mariani...) than outside, speaking too freely...

Now, Sarkozy is of course candidate and, I would say, already in campaign, full-track.

Of course, the big surprise is that both the centrists AND the liberals (French meaning...) are out:
Borloo, Daubresse, Létard, Bockel, Idrac, Morin of course (AND J.C. Lagarde and Laurent Hénart  who don't get in)
Novelli, Bussereau (AND Longuet who remains in the Senate, which is less surprising as he is a good whip).

Most of French pundits say tonight (and many centre-right politicians too, like Méhaignerie, Sauvadet, of course Morin, but even Paillé) that centrists or ex-UDF have been despised or even humiliated by Sarkozy.

I'm not sure but I have a more machiavelian theory:
why Sarkozy didn't do that ON PURPOSE ?

No, not the fact that he is personally detestable and use human beings in his own interests and let them down after that. No, this, we already know. And, after all, many presidents did it, though in a more hidden way (Mitterrand was very good at it; Chirac and Giscard too; even de Gaulle in a way).

No, I talk about the fact that, now, Borloo, for the first time ever, had some so-called "courage" and refused to stay in the government if he isn't PM.
And what is the result ?
He may have the balls to do what he was too lazy, disorganized, messy and drunk to do before: create a new centre-right party, to replace the old UDF !

Because this is IN THE INTEREST of Sarkozy.
It's even in its interest that Borloo is a candidate in 2012, to kill Bayrou (imagine Bayrou just under 5% and so not funded by public money and so definitely bankrupt ?), but also to avoid a nasty Morin (who would do 2%, but who would become angry and dangerous), to steal votes from Villepin, and even from Eva Joly or Nicolas Hulot...

I repeat myself, but, really, I think for a long time now, that the French right needs 2 big parties, as a way to keep centre-right voters more easily.

So, maybe Sarkozy has just given Borloo enough weight to crush Morin, who is really ridiculous (and whose angry reaction tonight shows he feels a loser now), and to be able to deflate a possible Bayrou rise and a dangerous "moral" candidacy from the Greens.

By pretending to be rude on Borloo (but with letting know that you have proposed all the main portfolios to him before he resigned...),
Sarkozy in fact lead him to build the party that the right misses and that will help the main candidate (Sarkozy himself) to have his 2 legs for the second round in 2012.

(Oh, and as for Marie-Anne Montchamp, it's great because she was the one who worked to try to create a parliamentary group for Villepin: now Villepin has only the "mad men", J.P. Grand and Goulard...)

(and please note that Valls was the only one to understand that Sarkozy has some advance now and has said it's urgent for the PS to start campaigning...)

Of course, Sarkozy isn't at all the favourite and it will be difficult to "pull a Chirac" from this mess and these utter opinion rates, but who knows ?
And, at least, he has re-energized its basis.
And with Copé in the UMP, it will again become a war machine for 2012.
So, GOTV will be good.

Now, of course, there is all this huge rancor and desire for revenge against Sarkozy. I think he won't be able to win against this background, but, at least, he's doing well since the end of protests against pensions reform.

At least, 2012 seems to become a bit more interesting and suspenseful that first thought
I hope so