Early French Polls Show Preference For All But Chirac

Posted By Blackfive

The exit polling for the heartlands of France is showing a preference for any party but the UMP, Jacques Chirac's party. It looks like the far left and far right are benefitting from discontent with Chirac's government.

Left and Right poll upset for Chirac
By Philip Delves Broughton in Paris

President Jacques Chirac was reprimanded by voters last night as his party was trounced in the first round of French regional elections in which the extreme Right Front National demonstrated its growing popularity.
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Polls have shown growing dissatisfaction with the government's attempts at economic reform. Unemployment remains high, the unions have objected consistently to pension reforms and job cuts in the public sector, and most recently France's intellectuals have accused the government of being philistine.

I had to look up that last word, philistine, which means a smug, ignorant, and especially middle-class person who is regarded as being indifferent or antagonistic to artistic and cultural values. I'll have to use that in my next conversation at the pub.

Basically (and I may be over-simplifying here), this first round of voting was to select the candidates/parties/coalitions that will run in the second round of voting for election. It looks like, in order for Chirac's party to stay in power in the French heartland, that they will have to make a deal with either the far left or far right. They have, so far, refused to consider a coalition of parties.

Let's hope that thought continues.

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Early French Polls Show Preference For All But Chirac

The exit polling for the heartlands of France is showing a preference for any party but the UMP, Jacques Chirac's party. It looks like the far left and far right are benefitting from discontent with Chirac's government.

Left and Right poll upset for Chirac
By Philip Delves Broughton in Paris

President Jacques Chirac was reprimanded by voters last night as his party was trounced in the first round of French regional elections in which the extreme Right Front National demonstrated its growing popularity.
<...>
Polls have shown growing dissatisfaction with the government's attempts at economic reform. Unemployment remains high, the unions have objected consistently to pension reforms and job cuts in the public sector, and most recently France's intellectuals have accused the government of being philistine.

I had to look up that last word, philistine, which means a smug, ignorant, and especially middle-class person who is regarded as being indifferent or antagonistic to artistic and cultural values. I'll have to use that in my next conversation at the pub.

Basically (and I may be over-simplifying here), this first round of voting was to select the candidates/parties/coalitions that will run in the second round of voting for election. It looks like, in order for Chirac's party to stay in power in the French heartland, that they will have to make a deal with either the far left or far right. They have, so far, refused to consider a coalition of parties.

Let's hope that thought continues.

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