Friday, May 4, 2007

La Royal or Les émeutes ?

French Parti Socialiste presidential candidate Ségolène Royal says that if voters choose her center-right rival, UMP (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire), Nicolas Sarkozy, over her, in Sunday's presidential election, they would be making a "dangerous choice."
"It is my responsibility today to alert people to the risk of [his] candidature with regards to the violence and brutality that would be unleashed in the country [if he won]." Mme. Royal went on to say she thought there would be actual violence if M. Sarkozy won.
Wow, La Royal or les émeutes (riots), eh ? Is Madame Royal making a prophecy ? Or is that kind of talk something else. . .like a threat ? That's some strong language. Possibly it's because a poll today gives M. Sarkozy 54.5 percent of the vote compared to Mme. Royal's 45.5.
Either way, no fun for the winner. The French president is, constitutionally speaking, the strongest leader in the West. The President has the effective powers of a monarch, but the winner of this election will be in the difficult position of telling the French people that their welfare state is nearly bankrupt. I don't think the French are ready to hear that yet.

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