Nicholas Sarkozy is new French Prez
Right-wing candidate Nicholas Sarkozy on Sunday became the new French President with an emphatic victory.
Poll projections said Sarkozy had around 53 per cent of the vote against Royal's 47 per cent. Turnout was predicted at about 85 per cent.
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People saw the uncompromising Sarkozy as a more competent leader with a more convincing economic programme....
In Paris ruling Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) members burst into chants of "Nicolas - President" and hugged each other in joy.
On the other hand at the Socialist headquarters in the capital city, there was gloom and sorrow after the party crashed to its third consecutive presidential election defeat.
Sarkozy's face flashed up on television screens after polling stations closed at 8 pm (2330 hrs IST), signaling his victory and setting off jubilant scenes among supporters gathered in central Paris.
While exuberant Sarkozy supporters partied in central Paris, police were deployed thousands in number in and around capital to head off the risk of unrest by youths from high immigrants areas, many of whom regard Sarkozy as a hate-figure since 2005 riots.
Sarkozy, 52...is a charismatic but divisive figure known for uncompromising, even brutal language.
These are beautiful, beautiful words: ...the [Socialist] party crashed to its third consecutive presidential election defeat.
Posted by Jeff at May 7, 2007 12:08 AMI shall be interested to see how he makes out. In a Harper's magazine interview he was asked about the influence of phiosophy on his life. His answer went something like this: I was going through a tough period a few years back. The press had greeted me as the Mozart of politics but this had fallen to my becoming a dispicable Iago. But when I turned to read some letters from Seneca to (some other Roman guy) I saw that often the thought of pain is worse than the pain itself.
All I could think was wow, the guy has a brain. A friend just said how could George Bush even talk to this guy. He just isn't in anyone's intellectual league.
As for France benefiting from his right wingness, It may but I think France is still to insular to adapt to its multicultural reality. Right wing guys never help the people. They just add to the debt, spend way to much on the military, increase the divide between rich and poor, and sell out the people to benefit corporations. Well that's been the American experience anyway.
Maybe a Euro leader can do a smarter version. Hopefully he doesn't turn out to be Thatcher, en francais.
Posted by: Wayne at June 29, 2007 05:46 PM. Original Copyright, May 2004. All Rights Reserved.
