You get what you need
Left and right (but mostly left), doomsayers presage the end of La Belle France as if the election of Nicolas Sarkozy heralded the entire country dipping down to hell in a handbasket for the next 5 years. From blogs, to online political forums, to print dailies, to the t.v., the percentage of air time/page space devoted to fire and brimstone predictions of just how awful Sarkozy's presidential reign will prove is shocking, and not a little irritating.
Same goes for the folks praying for a Royal victory. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that a grand depression seems to have descended upon her supporters - not to mention the tout sauf Sarko clan - as visions of mass Das Kapital book burnings dance through their heads.
To an extent, I empathize, having experienced the same sense of impending doom in 2004. I've also listened to more political debate over the past month than perhaps throughout my entire college career, and have gleaned a few reasons why certain militants may be dramatically uspet by Sarkozy's election. Correct me if I'm off-base, but it appears that the French president is invested with an extensive executive reach, far greater than its American counterpart; some go so far as to deem France a monarchie républicaine. Sarkozy gets to select his cabinet of ministers (with the help of his chosen Prime Minister), who exercise a great deal of political power both domestically and internationally, on a legislative level. Unlike in the U.S., where the Senate confirms cabinet nominations, and Congress enacts laws, le président de la République seems to appropriate legislative virtues that Bush can only fantasize about.
With this political system in mind, it makes sense that disappointment from the anti-Sarko camps currently runs high. But the rioting and vandalism? We were in Toulouse over the election weekend, and place du Capitole looked like a tornado had hit it. And the risk or more violence has yet to die down; last night, as we headed toward our local sushi bar off of Faubourg Saint Antoine, we were shocked to see the sidewalks lined with CRS vans and policemen in bullet-proof vests, shoulder protection, and, peeking inside the reinforced vehicles, stockpiles of anti-riot weaponry.
The strangest commentary seems to come from people who do not live in France, have no political affiliation with it, but who harbor fond, booze-soaked memories of séjours spent in the city of light, or on pebbly Mediterranean beaches (see above link to Guardian Article.) I'll call this the study abroad syndrome. Anyone who's studied abroad in France, maybe particularly in Paris, as I did, carries a distorted, sentimental, really rosy picture around in their hearts about the culture, the people, and the mode de vie that, while lovely and romantic, rarely chimes with the reality of the imbedded soldier, that is, the working person. Public transportation strikes keeping you from classes? Awesome, get out of jail free card! Socialists cradling unemployed citizens who refuse job proposals because they don't match their studies? How humanitarian, maybe I should be unemployed after graduation here!
Not that I expect Sarkozy's program to blot out unemployment scandals and peremptory strikes that debilitate the economy - but I don't really know, do I? Who does?
So while I found it impossible to be anything but caustic and pessimistic about Bush's re-election in 2004, I still feel self-righteous enough to impose a reasonable moratorium on the unfounded conjecturing that paints the next 5 years as the harbinger for France's socialist demise.
Same goes for the folks praying for a Royal victory. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that a grand depression seems to have descended upon her supporters - not to mention the tout sauf Sarko clan - as visions of mass Das Kapital book burnings dance through their heads.
To an extent, I empathize, having experienced the same sense of impending doom in 2004. I've also listened to more political debate over the past month than perhaps throughout my entire college career, and have gleaned a few reasons why certain militants may be dramatically uspet by Sarkozy's election. Correct me if I'm off-base, but it appears that the French president is invested with an extensive executive reach, far greater than its American counterpart; some go so far as to deem France a monarchie républicaine. Sarkozy gets to select his cabinet of ministers (with the help of his chosen Prime Minister), who exercise a great deal of political power both domestically and internationally, on a legislative level. Unlike in the U.S., where the Senate confirms cabinet nominations, and Congress enacts laws, le président de la République seems to appropriate legislative virtues that Bush can only fantasize about.
With this political system in mind, it makes sense that disappointment from the anti-Sarko camps currently runs high. But the rioting and vandalism? We were in Toulouse over the election weekend, and place du Capitole looked like a tornado had hit it. And the risk or more violence has yet to die down; last night, as we headed toward our local sushi bar off of Faubourg Saint Antoine, we were shocked to see the sidewalks lined with CRS vans and policemen in bullet-proof vests, shoulder protection, and, peeking inside the reinforced vehicles, stockpiles of anti-riot weaponry.
The strangest commentary seems to come from people who do not live in France, have no political affiliation with it, but who harbor fond, booze-soaked memories of séjours spent in the city of light, or on pebbly Mediterranean beaches (see above link to Guardian Article.) I'll call this the study abroad syndrome. Anyone who's studied abroad in France, maybe particularly in Paris, as I did, carries a distorted, sentimental, really rosy picture around in their hearts about the culture, the people, and the mode de vie that, while lovely and romantic, rarely chimes with the reality of the imbedded soldier, that is, the working person. Public transportation strikes keeping you from classes? Awesome, get out of jail free card! Socialists cradling unemployed citizens who refuse job proposals because they don't match their studies? How humanitarian, maybe I should be unemployed after graduation here!
Not that I expect Sarkozy's program to blot out unemployment scandals and peremptory strikes that debilitate the economy - but I don't really know, do I? Who does?
So while I found it impossible to be anything but caustic and pessimistic about Bush's re-election in 2004, I still feel self-righteous enough to impose a reasonable moratorium on the unfounded conjecturing that paints the next 5 years as the harbinger for France's socialist demise.
Comments
You have of course expressed your thoughts beautifully, as always.
Delphine
I guess I wasn't entirely clear about the line I was trying to draw between not being apathetic, and using the election as an excuse to destroy people's property and sense of security. Hundreds of cars were set on fire, injuries were inflicted (and not just by the CRS) and, to me, it appeared one big excuse for the usual suspects to reek havoc. This is no way to get your voice heard or understood - if anything, it just rallies those who voted for Sarkozy to support even more stringent police reactivity - and I doubt that's what Royal's supporters are seeking.
Auster's thought on global voting for U.S. president is interesting, and I get the reasoning behind it, but ultimately disagree, and I wouldn't be anymore inclined to extend the same invitation for the French elections (although in comparison, France's sphere of influence is a fraction of the U.S.'s). I think if as Americans we paid more attention to our governments actions (instead of what Brittany is currently sniffing), and actually got our asses to the voting booth, we wouldn't be the apathetic bystanders to criminal international policy for which we've become the poster children and internationally mistrusted.
I don't want to quell political debate - far from it - but I honestly think that much of the moaning is coming from the "aquis sociaux" group who are so resistant to seeing a change in France through which they will be forced to sacrifice some government checks, yet get off complaining about the stale economy and deepening social cleavages.
You bring up a lot of points that merit discussion and debate on their own... thank you.