Score-settling in the French Socialist ghetto

Nicolas Sarkozy is wading into treacherous waters today when he explains how he will dismantle the astonishing retirement privileges enjoyed by France's public sector workers. The last attempt at broad pension reform, in 1995, led to national strikes and the downfall of Jacques Chirac's government. This time, the climate has changed. Here's my story

Sarkozy is being aided by the absence of any serious opposition to his all-singing, all-dancing reign. Rather than holding the president up to scrutiny, the Socialist party is wallowing in confusion and bloodletting. They are very very far from beginning their recovery.

The latest extraordinary eposide has seen Lionel Jospin, the austere former prime minister who brought France the 35-hour working week, pouring vitriol on Ségolène Royal, the party's unsuccessful presidential candidate.   

Jospin, who was the last Socialist prime minister, has devoted a book to explaining why Royal was the worst possible choice as candidate. Her campaign was an illusion, a "narcissistic face-to-face with public opinion", he says in L'Impasse. He warns his comrades to reject her plan to take over the party next year because "she has neither the human qualities not the political capacities" to put it back on track. Putting the boot in, he concludes that Royal is a "secondary figure in public life."

Visiting Quebec, Royal has responded in her best mystical, Joan of Arc, tone,  saying that she forgives Jospin and her other recent assailants "because they know not what they do."

"I get the impression reading these books that if I were Joan of Arc, I would already have been burnt at the stake," she said. The attacks on her showed sexism that is akin to racism, she added.

Jospin's broadside has caused consternation in a party that has been studiously avoiding reality since Jean-Marie Le Pen, the far right leader, shoved him into a humiliating third place in the 2002 presidential election. Vincent Peillon, his former speechwriter who was a spokesman for Royal, today deplored what he called Jospin's "unacceptable massacre" of the presidential contender. "This looks like a settlement of accounts, full of bitterness and venom and often unjust."

Looking at the Socialist mess from outside, it is obvious that the party's trouble springs from its failure to learn from Jospin's rout in 2002. Everyone agreed that the Socialists needed a radically new message but they produced only soggy compromise under the weak leadership of François Hollande, Royal's now estranged partner. Hollande is still boss for another year. Royal's electoral run was an improvised one-woman attempt to update the party's archaic left-wing thinking.

All the Socialists say they want deep reform but there is not the slightest consensus on what this should be and no plausible new leader in waiting. Now that Sarko has shunted Dominique Strauss-Kahn off to Washington to take over the International Monetary Fund, the party has no heavyweight who can force it to face the reality of the market economy and lead it out of its ghetto.

They will be given a little slack, however, if Sarkozy's reform medicine turns opinion back towards the left.

Comments

[Alice David]

What does Jospin think he is doing ? Why should anyone care about his views ? He led the Socialists to humiliation, as you point out, and now he is producing a whole book to demolish Royal! She got 47 percent of the vote and he did not even reach the second round. To use an old image, the French Socialists are like passengers fighting eachother on the Titanic after the ice-berg.

[Dominique]

The sooner we get rid of Royal the better!

[Susannah Myers]

"They know not what they do?" Is the woman comparing herself to Jesus now? And does anyone else find this really aggravatingly self-righteous?

I am profoundly glad she's not the president, if for no other reason than that I don't have to read about things like this every day.

[Terry]

Interesting blog and inserted story, Charles.

Sounds like its the Night of Long Knives.

The problem may not be Royal, Dominique, but socialism itself. The "socialist system" operates outside both the laws of economics and reality. Perhaps, socialism will package itself under a different name in France. In the U.S., the socialists changed its name to the Democratic Party.

[Daniel Strohl]

Susannah,

"And does anyone else find this really aggravatingly self-righteous?"

Yes - I do!

[L Fischer]

Oh, pleeeeze.
I have to write a comment in an English paper because the irrelevant socialists dominate the American media here, with rhetoric about their saintliness - although nobody of any religion is permitted to speak and they are bullied about, democrat's campaigns (read: socialists) are trivial and economically unfeasible and, once elected, they become even bigger bullies than the Republicans. Their idea of relevance is stamping out the freedom to smoke or to take away your 10 cents the state does not have control over, while regurgitating some campaign slogan against religion that was outdated at least a hundred years ago.

If Royals campaign is in the least comparable, she was defeated because her campaign was lightweight, and her proposed reforms illusory, her arguments irrational and leading to yet more poverty.

[Sandrine]

The sooner we get rid of Sarko the better ! Mais on peut toujours rêver, hein Dominique...

I think Jospin should have just shut his mouth. I mean, the guy has still not understood why he finished 3rd behind Chirac and Le Pen in 2002 ("we lost because of, er, Chevènement, Taubira, Besancenot, BUT not at all because of me and my program").

And yet, now he writes a book showing how he knows more than anybody else why we lost THIS time.

Man, you should just go back to l'Ile de Ré and enjoy your retirement ! Remember, the one you announced avec fracas the night of the elections ! He acted like a coward and now he wants to be the great savior ? Yeah right...

[Donald]

Ms. Royal said in the debate with Sarkozy (May '07) that France gets 18% of its electricity from nuclear. The real figure is 78%. Ms. Sarkozy grew up in France and went to the best schools. The nuclear industry is something the French are enormously proud of - along with the TGV. Almost any educated person - no matter where they are from - knows that France gets more of its electricity from nuclear than any other country. If this is the best estimate she can come up with, with her background and education and government experience, then she is certainly unqualified to be President. She also didn't know how many nuclear submarines France has. This is not a woman who has showed sufficient interest in some very important matters that concern France (and even the world).

[azloon]

french socialists v. american republicans

inept, intellectual dwarfs v. lying, stealing intellectual frauds

our frauds will probably figure out how to get back into a position to lie, cheat and steal in less time than your socialists will figure out the difference between their asses from their elbows. that group of losers lacks serious 'sack.'

did france actually miss by only three percentage points electing joan of arc? did video cameras during the campaign capture any evidence that would qualify her for beatification, like cooking dinner for her children, or kissing a baby?

of course, we almost elected the inventor of the internet, but all in all, that delusion seems a little less dangerous than sego's (her's is almost nixonian).

[Judith]

I had thought that Ségolène Royal's policies for the présidentielle would have been a disaster for France if she had been elected. How could they have any credibility when her economic adviser resigned the day after they were released. I also thought some of her behaviour a little odd to say the least. However the savage attacks on Ségolène from her party and from the media since the election have been extreme and excessive. She did after all achieve a very respectable vote for the first round and as Alice says that is way better than Lionel Jospin did. Segolene does seem to still have a substantial support base of PS militants, so perhaps the 'old guard' fear that she will split them off from the party proper at some stage.

[richard jones]

Ségolène was the wrong person, although I do not think the Socialist would have won whomsoever they had chosen as their candidate.
My main concern now is effective opposition to Sarko. Whilst I support Sarko's reforms very largely there is still need for a good opposition to force more debate, less opaqueness and the chamfering of some of these drives.
Sarko's drives are largely correct but on his own he will shoot over the green and take his shots too quickly. France does need its socio-economic model to be changed but not to a US mimic.

[Dominique]

Judith,

I am not sure Royal's policies would have been a disaster for France because ... she just did not have any policy.

She did have substantial support of PS militants because polls were telling those militants that she was the only one able to defeat Sarko. Royal was the poll's candidate. As such, she is now drawning with the polls....

L.Fisher,

"although nobody of any religion is permitted to speak and they are bullied about"

Lucky you! Quite the opposite in France nowadays. Nobody is permitted to speak against religion, or face bullying. Even Royal plays the Jesus thing, witch is completly at the opposite of the republican habits.

If only Coluche, Desproges, Gainsbourg were still alive...

[christopher muir]

Every democracy deserves a strong opposition. Especially at a time when much new legislation will be introduced. It would seem that Jospin and Royal are putting their disrespect for each other ahead of their country's destiny. Surely this is political behaviour at its worst and a gift to Sarkozy.

[Daniel Strohl]

Sandrine,

"Man, you should just go back to l'Ile de Ré and enjoy your retirement !"

Sandrine, I am afraid that l'Ile de Ré is really too close. May be you could ask Charles to intervene with his compatriot Gordon Brown in order to have the Longwood mansion on the St Helen island made available as a convenient lodge for Mr.Jospin for a few years.

And if the French rugby team does not finish the championship at least at the second place, our national trainer (the ham marketeer) should be sent over as well ...

[richard jones]

Ah! St. Helena of Constantinople. I was the presiding officer for their Council election (12 members) and the Gov and a few odds in 1946. I was still in the Army - just - and there was a fear that the Nazified Bruderbond from what was in those days German South-West Africa - just joining up with the RSA and eventually to become Namibia - would pull some madcap number. How they would have got there is a mystery. We left Walvis Bay and were at sea for god knows how many days, I was sic transit gloria all the time.
Longwood was there and even then was wonderful, although it is near nothing, even the capital Jamestown (pop. about 650 in 1946).
Maybe the best way to manage things in the light of no viable political opposition is to give Sarko the handicap of having to work from there.
An advantage - excellent site for G8 meetings easy to keep les manifs away.

[Blendi Progri]

I`m afraid that the left has been dealt a severe blow, not counting the deep schism and fractions that still exist inside the Party, it may well take them half of a generation to recover, if not more.

One thing though, the thought of Sarko being the Old Statesman of Europe in 10 years time, is pure fun.

It will matter little what dear ol` Lionel has to say. The left has one problem only and that is the hyperactive and unpredictable Sarky. The only way the Left can gain any power in the near future is in the unlikely scenario of another -cohabitation- if that happens in few years time, the Socialists will always have to contend with Sarky above their head.

If they fail, he will blame them, and in case they succeed he will steal their glory, or at least the media exposure.

Were we lucky to be spared the spectacle of the - Madame President Royal- or not we may never know, one can always count on France for providing a great political show, for now we shall make due with the Citizen Royal. ;)
----------

Compared to Fr., British politics are very tame.
Bring back Blunkett to ad some spice.

[Sandrine]

"She also didn't know how many nuclear submarines France has."

Sorry Donald, but she wasn't the only one. Another guy didn't know how many nuclear submarines France had. And this guy is our President right now.

Everybody was laughing when she couldn't answer well, but when he did that, everybody was saying that this is not the most important thing to know for a future president.

Charles, I need your help again. How would you translate : deux poids, deux mesures ? Thanks for your help !

[Sam Young]

Chaos is Cash.
Strangely, a Google Search of "Chaos is Cash" (with the commas) returns only three pages. I expected more.
I won 6000 euro on the last French presidential election. If it had been D. Strauss-Kahn against Sarkozy, i would never have put on any money. Thus, i just love Segolene Royale. No many people are as reliably stupid as she is. Likewise, i love Hilary Clinton. I have 10,000 euro on her to be the Democratic Nominee. I got 1.60 (i.e. I stand to win 6000 euro).
There were no odds on her being a useless president, otherwise i would have sold my house.
Socialism is over; milk it for what you can.

[Daniel Strohl]

Richard,

Re : St. Helena

I tend to get confused with British and French names - in French, the island is called Ste Hélène. Therefore, I transformed it in St Helen (a lady called Helen writes on the blog). As I should have expected, it didn't work!

Thanks to you and to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, I am now more knowledgeable about St. Helena. For me, apart from the Napoleon story, it was up to now just a dot on a map (I passed off the island 4 times in 1957 on a tanker en route and back to the Persian Gulf. The Suez canal was closed at that time due to the Anglo-French expedition in Egypt).

Regarding your suggestion relative to Sarkozy having to work there, it would possibly be more difficult to convince Mrs. Sarkozy and her daughters to emigrate to St.Helena than Sarkozy himself...

[John Hornsby]

"Deux poids deux mesures" = "One law for the rich, another for the poor"?

[christopher muir]

Whatever one's political complexion, concern is justified when the dollar index drops to below 79 which is has just very recently done. Whatever is afoot in international finance, France will be relying very much on its new President in matters financial. If the dollar continues this downward trend Sego will be but a memory amidst all the excitement and Sarko will be in a frantic spin.

[Sandrine]

John, it should be more like, one thing applies for Ségo, but not for Sarko when he does the same mistake. Why ? People just forgive Sarko everything while she's considered the dumbest woman ever ! Go figure...

[John Gregory Flinn]

I was suprised to hear Me Royal's claims of sexism and racism at M.Jospin's comments about her, when she was in Quebec.
However it's fairly common to label one's adversaries with tabou-epithets because such "mud" can stick. However I believe it's been overdone and no longer counts as a substitute for an intelligent riposte.

M. Sarkosy is now embarking on his reform programme, or a 'new social contract' as Le Figaro puts it. He seems to be attempting to accomplish it all, or most of it, at the same time.
Perhaps he should pick his fights one by one rather than giving 'the left' an excuse to unite against him.
Although, actually 'the left' should consider themselves lucky - at least he has'nt mentioned privatisation yet....

M.Sarkosy faces a divided left, at each others' throats as you point out. But socialism has a great capacity for 'wishful thinking', and its proponents will convince themselves to the end that they represent the true aspirations of the people.
Cutting their retirement priveleges which they believe are theirs by 'divine right', so to speak, will be interesting to watch.

PS; You still hav'nt commented on Belgium. I suppose you are hanging on until it disappears. Which may not be long now - according to a survey of the Flemish some 66% think it's likely. Apparently it (Belgium) might be up for sale on eBay!

[azloon]

["People just forgive Sarko everything while she's considered the dumbest woman ever ! Go figure..."] Sandrine

Sandrine -- i went and figured . :)

with all due respect, consider the liklihood that sego IS one of the dumbest women ever.

that doesn' make all women dumb, just sego. it's ok for sego to be dumb. if you're dumb, you're dumb. luck of the draw, i guess.

i have looked into my crystal ball, and i see great political achievement in your future. you're smart.

[Sandrine]

"i have looked into my crystal ball, and i see great political achievement in your future. you're smart. "

Oh my "gauche" Azloon, this can't happen. I'm a woman, I'm a "leftist" and I'm a fonctionnaire ! The odds are against me !! ;o)

[FrançoisB]

Un combat de canards boîteux, voilà le résumé de l'affaire, avec de tels "leaders" la gauche va se retrouver avec Besancenot comme candidat unique en 2012 à ce train-là!
Retrospectivement, on est content que Royal n'ait pas été élue.La moindre contrariété aurait été imputé au sexisme dont elle aurait été victime.
Maintenant qu'elle se prend pour Jésus et Jeanne d'Arc réunis, je pense que ça relève du verdict psychiatrique. Elle est sans doute secouée par sa séparation, mais elle devrait apprendre à nepas dire n'importe quoi. Elle aurait pu être une cause d'embarras majeur pour le pays.

[Sandrine]

"Elle aurait pu être une cause d'embarras majeur pour le pays."

Thank God Sarko est différent !! Nous ne serons jamais embarrassés par quoique ce soit venant de sa part,de sa femme ou de son gouvernement...

wow, l'endoctrinement est total ma parole !

[richard jones]

If Belgium implodes presumably we get
Bruxelles, Brussels D.EU.

[John Hornsby]

Dear Sandrine,

I hope you are not going to spend the next five years of your life "waiting for Godot" - and there's no need for me to remind you who turned up instead: the tyrannical Pozzo ("well" or "bottomless pit" in Italian.)

[azloon]

[Apparently it (Belgium) might be up for sale on eBay!] J.G. Flynn

be very careful with the belgium ebay auction. make sure to use 'paypal,' or some third-party payment system, so that you don't discover your check has been cashed, and voila!, no belgium. demand a coronation before any money changes hands.

[John Gregory Flinn]

...demand a coronation...

AZLOON Its funny you should mention that because - according to a report in Le Figaro - the Belgium Kingdom received bids of 10 million euros on e-Bay before being withdrawn.
They probably saw your advice...!

[frankie]

I thought that Lionel Jospin had said he was retiring from politics after he got his ass whipped by Le Pen?
It's really pathetic to see an old fart like that trying to get back onto the political stage.
It kind of sums up the whole PS conundrum.