Sarkozy it is, then. But if he is remotely serious about introducing Thatcherism a la francaise, he'll have to take on the most militant and politicised working class in the developed world. And as the early reports make clear, the kids from the banlieues already look ready to rock 'n' roll.
The next few years on the other side of the Channel could make 1980s Britain look like a poster decade for social partnership. That's all for now. I'm just off to dust down my copy of Teach Yourself French.
Posted at 22:30, 6 May 2007
Comments (5)
Chirac was going to be the French Thatcher back in '86. Everyone knows French politicians abandon their programmes at the drop of a hat. I wouldn't be surprised if Sarkozy were advocating Gaullist dirigisme within a year.
It's worth noting as well that the French working class may be militant, but hardly any of them are in unions, much less than over here.
To be fair, a lot of what Thatcher did already has been done in France. Privatisation, monetarism etc...
I hope he gets slaughtered. He's a racist, quthoritarian right-wing shite of the worst order.
I don't like the French sytem of voting in two rounds. This is used both for the President and the National Assembly.
I would prefer a single round Supplementary Vote or Contingent Vote system introduced for the Presidential election, and PR (preferably STV) for the Assembly and other elections.
The Senate should either be abolished or directly elected. As Lionel Jospin said it is currently an "anachronism".
And I'm going to start evening classes to brush up where I left off with GCSE French.