Royal rules

She did it. Ségolène Royal has defied the combined resistance of France's Socialist elders and persuaded a remarkable 60 percent of the party members to endorse her as their candidate for next spring's elections. (Profile and latest story)

Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Laurent Fabius, the two government veterans who could not disguise their disdain for the upstart Royal, scored a meagre 20 percent each.

The day makes history for two reasons. For the first time, a woman has become a front line candidate for the French presidency, a monarchical, patriarchal, institution that was tailor-made for Charles de Gaulle in the late 1950s. French presidents are supposed to be elderly men of destiny, good at grandeur, not a youngish woman with television charisma but no clear vision.   

The other novelty is the way that Royal, 53, has emerged as a relative outsider and hijacked the country's most tradition-bound party.

The Socialists have stuck with sub-Marxist ideology even if they have not practised it while in power. Unlike the big left parties in Germany, Britain and other west European nations, they have never reformed into market-friendly social democrats. Their candidate is supposed to carry the doctrinal banner into battle and adhere to party discipline.

Now Royal has by-passed all of that with a vague and often-changing mix of ideas, some old left and some from conservative territory. She has won over the left by casting herself as a woman in touch with the people. She appeals in a modern way to old-fashioned values. The Paris chattering classes may laugh at her, but she reassures the ordinary people beyond the boulevard périphérique.

Adding to the piquancy of the Royal revolution is the fact that François Hollande, the party's very orthodox leader, is her domestic partner. Spare a thought for poor Hollande. While his companion emerged radiant and triumphant on television this morning, he offered stiff, formal congratulations and declined to talk about his own feelings. In 2005, Hollande was the natural party candidate. Now the dazzling ascent of the mother of their four children has left him with the possible future job of presidential consort.

The dust from the primary punch-up has yet to settle, but it is clear that Nicolas Sarkozy, 51, and the feuding centre-right have been shaken. The leader of the Union for a Popular Majority is in danger of looking like the bullying boss of an old-fashioned party machine after the unequivocal coronation of "the woman in white", as Royal is known. Sarkozy is due to be anointed as UMP candidate in January. This gives Royal two months to carry on poaching on his populist territory. Then we will face the real Ségo-Sarko duel.

Comments

[Marguerite.]

Vous dites que Segolene Royal fait rire les intellos et rassure ceux qui habitent de l'autre cote du periph. . J'aimerais savoir quelles sont vos sources.
Moi qui habite intra muros,, qui suis "intello", plutot feministe et qui ai tjs voté socialiste, ce triomphe de La Dame ne me fait pas rire du tout.
J'ai le sentiment que ce vote des militants est un vote affectif, le resultat d'un combat "feministe" d'arriere-garde pas tres serieux politiquement parlant. Toutes mes amies "intellos" militantes ont voté pour elle en esperant qu'il y aurait enfin une femme President(e). Une revanche contre les hommes.

[apéro romu]

c bon reste trankil l'intello
apéro

[jpg]

marguerite, i'am an ordinary people beyond the boulevard périphérique je ne pense pas que ce vote des adhérents du PS soit aussi affectif.Il est naturel que les adhérents ( dont je en suis pas ) choisissent le candidat qui, according to the polls, a le + de chances de battre la droite ?

[John Hornsby]

A future Mrs Thatcher (hated by most French) or "the people's candidate", a French Lady Di(loved by many of the French)?

[Frank Schnittger]

And with one great leap she was free! Now to set her own agenda and style. It needn't contradict anything in the Socialist manifsto, merely augment it with a more modern, human, and populist touch.

Sego would want to be a real incompetent to mess it all up now. The hardest part is over. Now all she needs is good advisors and speech writers, a lot of patience, and the ability to make the French feel good about themselves.

Sarko may be the more substantial politician, with a clearer idea of how to lead France forward. He may even be right. But if France has to change the French will prefer to do it the French way - in style and with a smile.

Times will get tough for Sego if she is elected. She will have to make tough decisions and prove all those people who said she is a lightweight wrong. I'm not saying she'll make a good President, but she has put herself in a very good position to win.

[maggie]

I am so pleased about this !
At least it is some small sign the French party realise change has to come.
Also, & not least, the amazing chauvanisitic odds she has overcome to get this far.
I just hope she holds her nerve [ a la Maggie Thatcher ] does not buckle under the inevitable bullying to come, & that she pushes through the neccessary changes.

[all]

Votre titre nous indique qu'elle n'a pas franchi la ménopause.

[Etienne]

Well do not think that she is a future Margaret Tatcher. She is a left candidate who declared that shed wanted to "affraid" firms to prevent them from delocating. I am not so sure that brittons will win a lot with her, in the European negociation.

[Bonsoir]

haaaa! batard on est dans la .... je vais m'expatrier

[Stubbs]

How is it possible for a country of tens of millions to be considered democratic when sixty percent of--what was, it?--two hundred thousand voters select one of two or three candidates? In the U.S. this would be the equivalent of allowing the boy scouts to put a candidate for president on the national ballot.

[colin grayson]

when I first purchased a home in france in the late 1980's I believed that the british were perhaps the most reactionary people on earth ; how wrong I was!we cannot compare to the french !
for example , my french fellow caravanners/motor homers told me that the cote d'azure had a wonderful winter climate in which to participate in these activities , the hexagon provides all!

one winter soon disembarrased me of a belief for a second time! I ended up renting an appartment to escape the cold /rain and wind [ even a little snow! ]; at this point I was told that it was possible , if I drove at high speed , to cross that highly dangerous country called spain and arrive in the safety of n.africa , in theory ex colonies , but in reality still under french control
well things move on .....french people appear in gradually increasing numbers in southern europe , although pro rata a minority

so , bearing in mind their mindset , who will the french elect ?
sarko threatens change [ will they believe him? ]
sego is of the female persuasion , but probably wouldn't disturb the cushioned life enjoyed by so many
what a choice !!!

personally I have pencilled in sego ; I take the view that she will , in the end , be perceived as less of a threat to the status quo ; and I now sense that the chirac years have brought about a feeling that a woman couldn't do worse !

[christopher muir]

I was fascinated to hear Bill Clinton describing the US president's job. The early morning arrival at the Oval Office meant that he had to assess "all those moving parts" on the desk "cogs turning, wheels spinning" and adroitly find a way to select them in priority for quick balancing. Those top positions must be daunting, but good luck, Sego - you may have a positive effect the western world - win or lose.

[John Hornsby]

Is Miss Royal popular because she's a woman with a semi-permanent smile or because people think she can get France out of its plunging tail-dive? I incline to the former view, "imageology" being so prevalent nowadays, but would like to be shown to be wrong.

[Valentin]

It's not only the semi-permanent smile: it is above all that attitude of "I am so innocent and I won't be touched by this dirty political society and so I will avoid all debate and leave the people decide".
It is amazing how this innocence mask can captivate people and how Socialist activists didn't at least try to imagine Ségolène dealing with international politics.

This is not a feminist vs. chauvinist story, and socialists having voted because of that showed their own lack of competence in choosing the best. Competent, experienced women like Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher and others don't pose any problem to anyone. It's the fact that she plays the spotless virtuous and the feminine charm that makes Royal annoying: it hijacks all serious debate - for you cannot debate with a saint, and noone can put in any substance anymore.

On the other hand one cannot deny Sarkozy uses the same kind of "messianistic" approach to charge for the presidency. At least he does have substance and he didn't decide to go for it because at some point, some poll pointed him as more popular than others.

[Valentin]

Stubbs's remark touches a sensitive point: it's very important who is allowed to run for presidency. Well, France is far less democratic than the US: 500 mayors (out of tens of thousands) need to sign their support, and YOU can run TOO !
I can't wait for a Borat kind of movie showing how one by one, mayors are tempted into signing by some funny guy.

At party level, in the past it was always the party leadership that usually decided that. Then again, seeing how the socialist internal campain went, I can't help saying: maybe the old way was safer, if not wiser...

On a higher ground, thinking at how easily charismatic people can make nations vote for them, maybe our democracies would go better if citizens would be helped in making their choice. Much like juries are helped to make their decision by professional magistrates.

[rocket]

France will never have a Borat movie. Anything that shows the French population as less than superior intellectuals would be banned by the government.

You know it as well as I know it!

[Robert Marchenoir]

Yet some more Incredibly Royal statements from the Times.

About her strategy to win the election: “I’m just going to be myself”. How simple. How nice. How straigthforward and noncommittal. She is not Blairite, she is the Queen of England.

That could win votes, however. The perverted psychoanalytical sub-culture that too often passes for wisdom nowadays has it that the top virtue is To Be Oneself. Never mind if said self tends to be that of an immature, vulgar, violent and paranoid yob. (Not thinking about anybody in particular.)

"Winning the presidency will be a shock for France", she said, pausing to apply some lip gloss. "It will be incredible, an almost global event."

Has she blown some fuses already? Has the hubris taken over even before the official campaign has started?

Suddenly Sarkozy appears much humbler. At least when you read his statements, made before Royal's nomination, about the possible outcome of the election.

As opposed to the caricature his opponents draw of him.

[Edward Johns]

I wonder if Sego will follow in the footsteps of an earlier leading female French politician (Edith Cresson) and let us all know the proportion of homosexuals in Britain?

[Robert Marchenoir]

Edward: not a chance. You will get plenty of anti-free-trade drivel if you like it, but don't expect anything that strays out of the PC path.

[Edward Johns]

Hallo Robert,
According to today's Daily Telegraph, (am I allowed to refer to that publication?) the Sego camp has already opened fire on the Anglos with a suggestion that the UK should stop being a vassal to the USA and should be led by France in the European bloc! Sounds as though there may be some heated discussions to come on this blog.

[Sarah Hague]

What global event might she be referring to? Has she found the long lost WMD and will announce it upon winning the presidency? I wouldn't have thought that winning the presidency was especially global. Does Malawi or New Zealand really give a hoot?

On the other hand, Yannick Noah and other 'A' listers have apparently said they'll leave the country if Sarko wins. That has to be worth a few curiosity votes!

[John Hornsby]

Yannick Noah really gets up my nostrils: one more reason for voting for Sarkozy.

[colin grayson]

just done a little sondage around the village ;the men shrugged their shoulders suggesting they will follow their political inclinations, but concensus amongst the women [ mostly 50+ ]is .....a woman doesn't have the stature for the job ; hope for her sake the younger women take a different viewpoint

maybe I should look for my eraser , having already having pencilled her in!!!

[Rosamund Jaffeux]

No one seems interested in the most important question - Who will be her Prime Minister?

[GAG]

Dream on Mme Royal.

Wish I could time travel forward five years. What would I find ? That nothing has changed.
Just another five years of blah, blah, blah. And another five years of ‘Il faut’ !

GAG.

[GAG]

Sarah
Yannick ‘what’s his name’ has already left. Doesn’t he live in Switzerland ?
GAG.

[John Hornsby]

Dear Mr Grayson, a rubber, not an eraser, would be more appropriate under the circumstances.

[john gregory Flinn]

If France were to elect a female president then Segolene has the image which fits the bill.
It could be that ephemeral female form on all the Tax Statements, the embodiment of Republique Francaise - at least that's what a good image publicist might conjure up!
From what I've read there could be 'une galaxie' of feminine talent in the election for the president. The PC will surely run with Marie-George Buffet again, although Sego's nomination may lose her more of the women's vote.

And then there's the centre-right situation! For example, is it possible that Michele Alliot-Marie could join the race?
Villepin has declared 'rien n'est joue', which may be code for opposing Sarkosy since he's accused him (Sarko) of 'fishing for support in the FN pond'. Maybe he or even Jacques himself is considering running. Although they tend to give in when 'push comes to shove', as we have seen over the past two years or so, and which the voter (and the UMP) will surely remember.
Hence, perhaps the UMP has got someone else in mind not tainted by this association with the far-right but as tough as Sarkosy....

[John Hornsby]

Some of Miss Royal's ideas would equally appeal to certain Front National members, notably the creation of more (there are already a few in existence) army-style camps for teenage offenders, yet no-one seems to have accused her of "fishing for support in the FN pond" - and so far we have only seen her "nice" side.