Le Pen rising
A fillip for the far-right: Jean-Marie Le Pen rises a fairly spectacular 3 points, Sarkozy and Bayrou fall by a combined 3 points - that’s the result of the latest poll, conducted by IFOP earlier this week. Thus Le Pen becomes the third man in the race. Sarko is still in the lead with 31%, against Ségolène Royal, who has dropped half a point to 27.5%. Le Pen has now 13%, while Bayrou has dropped a point to 11%. Then there’s another big gap to the Trotskyist candidate, Olivier Besancenot, who has not moved with 3.5%, the other far left candidates, Arlette Laguiller and Marie-George Buffet have 3% each, then the two Greens unable to raise more than 2% (Dominique Voynet) and 1% (Corinne Lepage).
José Bové, who announced in this morning’s press that he is a candidate, makes his first appearance in an IFOP poll at 3%. Few of the above have their quota of 500 endorsements by elected representatives, so it is all still speculative: without them they cannot stand, although they still have several weeks to find them. “Smaller” candidates, who have no députés or senators in parliament to support them, have to rely on mayors, mostly the rural variety. In 2002 Le Pen got 90% of his signatures from places with less than 500 inhabitants. The problem is that the names of those who sign are published, and many mayors are afraid they will lose their own mandate once it is known they suported the Front National. Yet many French people, left and right, feel that if Le Pen does not get his 500 signatures, democracy will be failing. After all, last time he came in second, only 3 points behind Chirac: whether they like his policies or not they recognise democracy is best served by allowing all opinions to be aired and voted on.
February 4th, 2007 at 3:22 am
Le Pen will rise again… It is very easy to understand why… He is the only candidate that has the courage to say loud and clear NO for free immigration policy… After 30 years receiving millions from Africa, East Europe, Asia and Latin America it is time to stop this flow. The French population is concearned with the high unemployment rate in their country and in Europe. Young frenchmen and frenchwomen can not find any job… But their parents are paying very high taxes for social benefits for the immigrants. They are sick and tired of this situation. This is crazy! It is time to stop this idea that the developed countries must host immigrants from the 3rd and 4th worlds… They have already lots of problems to take care within their own borders. Luiz E Magalhaes, Sao Paulo, Brazil
February 6th, 2007 at 5:21 am
Hello, I would just like to ask what is the reasoning behind the measure compelling the candidates to collect 500 signatures? It is pretty obvious that although it may prevent the Monster-Ravin-Loony-like candidates from standing, it is very undemocratic. Have there been any attempts to abolish the practice? Or do the mainstream parties prefer keeping it, understandable as it is?
February 6th, 2007 at 9:53 am
As you rightly say, the original idea (1962) was to keep out the loonies. At first each candidate had to get 100 elected representatives to endorse him/her. But in the first three presidential elections of the 5th Republic (don’t forget until 1962 the president was not elected by universal suffrage but by college) those 100 endorsements did not prevent there being “too many” candidates, so in 1976 the ante was raised to 500 signatures which must come from 30 different départements, and not more that 10% from the same département. There are 40,000 elected representatives who qualify as being able to endorse a candidate, so the maximum number of candidates you can have is 80. In theory only, since the main candidates get as many as they can - well into 1,000 if possible - to block rival candidates. But the 1976 reform brought another change: for the first time the names of those endorsing were to be published, and have to be published at least 8 days before polling day. With a party like the Front National this has a potentially disastrous effect. As I wrote in my France Profonde column in December, many rural mayors are criticised by their electors for endorsing the FN. Some are physically aggressed, some lose their mandate. Many more are shamed into refusing the Front. Regardless of their political sympathies, many see this as undemocratic - especially since last time the Front came in only 2 points behind Chirac in the 1st round.
But whether anyone apart from Jean-Marie Le Pen wants to change it…… It’s like proprotional representation: people admit it serves the voter, but none of the main parties want to change.
April 19th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
IMPORTANT!
Rachid Nekkaz, Candidate to the Presidency was filmed calling a Mayor who had promised his signature, asking why his signed letter of support had still not been received. THE REPLY WAS THAT THE CONSEIL COMMUNAL HAD THREATENED TO CANCEL SUBVENTIONS IF SAID MAYOR GAVE HIS SUPPORT TO A CANDIDATE THEY DID NOT APPROVE OF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS IS CALLED ELECTORAL FRAUD AS FAR AS I KNOW!