FRANCE: PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS
published in B&E 28/06/07
Reality bites!
Sarkozy’s zeal to reform curtailed
The newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy had expected his UMP party to sweep the French parliamentary elections and becoming one of the most powerful presidents in the history of France. All that he and his party got was a workable majority in the parliament with 314 seats and a concomitant decrease in the vote share. The Socialist party, headed by Ségolène Royale's partner, François Hollande, which was not expected to win more than 100 seats, managed to increase its tally to 185 from 149 seats in the outgoing parliament. In the 577 seats in the National Assembly, the UMP and its allies have a total of 346 and the Left has 226 seats. Another blow for Sarkozy was the defeat of environment and energy minister Alain Juppé, who had to resign as the government's number three minister. Last month, Sarkozy’s victory in the presidential elections had induced a fresh wave of confidence among the UMP members, throwing the Socialist camp into a disarray. What had altered matters so negatively for the right wing in barely a month? Was it because the Sarkozy government began unveiling its reform agenda a bit too fast. "The government started to govern too early," said Etienne Schweisguth of the Centre for Political Research at Sciences. Jean-Louis Borloo, French minister for employment had hampered his party’s chances by announcing a 5% increase in sales tax. The Sarkozy government, ovewhelmed with a presidential victory, wanted to change things overnight: reform the sluggish economy, introduce labour reforms and new work-schedules in France. What the rightists continently forgot was that a large proportion of the French still have socialism deeply entrenched in their psyche. For the socialists to let Sarkozy undertake his reform process without street protests is at best wishful thinking. He will have to adopt a more cautious approach.
The newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy had expected his UMP party to sweep the French parliamentary elections and becoming one of the most powerful presidents in the history of France. All that he and his party got was a workable majority in the parliament with 314 seats and a concomitant decrease in the vote share. The Socialist party, headed by Ségolène Royale's partner, François Hollande, which was not expected to win more than 100 seats, managed to increase its tally to 185 from 149 seats in the outgoing parliament. In the 577 seats in the National Assembly, the UMP and its allies have a total of 346 and the Left has 226 seats. Another blow for Sarkozy was the defeat of environment and energy minister Alain Juppé, who had to resign as the government's number three minister. Last month, Sarkozy’s victory in the presidential elections had induced a fresh wave of confidence among the UMP members, throwing the Socialist camp into a disarray. What had altered matters so negatively for the right wing in barely a month? Was it because the Sarkozy government began unveiling its reform agenda a bit too fast. "The government started to govern too early," said Etienne Schweisguth of the Centre for Political Research at Sciences. Jean-Louis Borloo, French minister for employment had hampered his party’s chances by announcing a 5% increase in sales tax. The Sarkozy government, ovewhelmed with a presidential victory, wanted to change things overnight: reform the sluggish economy, introduce labour reforms and new work-schedules in France. What the rightists continently forgot was that a large proportion of the French still have socialism deeply entrenched in their psyche. For the socialists to let Sarkozy undertake his reform process without street protests is at best wishful thinking. He will have to adopt a more cautious approach.
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