Off Topic France

It is estimated that about 80% of the population will go along to the polls on Sunday here in France. It is being reported by the polls, who were correct on the first round, that there will quite a few who will spoil their ballot papers. How different to the UK where people just don't bother to vote if there is not an obvious choice for them.

 

I didnt realise you are a Tory party member? That explains the no deviation from the sound bite approach...

 

Not true, try again.

 

...ah ... implying membership of a party then.....

 

I can firmly reassure you I am not a member of a political party, never have been.

I am however a WFC season ticket holder for my sins.

 

If I may be so bold as to mention Party Membership We actually have a known 4 members of our board who are members of political parties (there may be others) - so we are, statistically, well above the national average.

 

You are Green, BB is SNP - are there another two?

 

This is the France thread.

 

Sorry I'd forgotten BB. that makes five. Yorkie is in the English Green Party, I am a member of Bundnis 90 die Grünen (The German Green Party) - the other 2 are Andy (Labour Party) and Aberdeen (Tory). We have all given this info in posts on here, so I am not revealing anything against anyone's will. Strangely enough, I do not always vote for my own party - in terms of content I am, currently, closer to die Linke.

 

I suppose it makes sense that on a political thread people are more committed to politics than average.

 

No movement in the polls here today, with Macron on 59-61% and Le Pen on 39-41%. The main comments are about Le Pen lifting sections of a Fillon speech and repeating them as her own.

 

Little movement in the polls again today, just an additional point towards Macron. More people are saying they will vote however.

Two and a half hour debate on the main channels tonight between the two candidates. Not sure I will watch. Shame that the leading politician in the UK is too afraid to be put under this sort of pressure.

 

I did watch the debate last night, and it was gripping. What was clear? Le Pen is not fit to be President, not just my view, but the view of two thirds of the population that watched. She wanted to turn it into a one subject debate, immigration, but when you are there to discuss all parts of how the country is run she was seen to be totally at sea. Despite being equipped with files of paper she still made mistake after mistake, while Macron had the facts in his head. In boxing terms she would have had her trainer pull her out long before the final round.

 

Mme Le Pen has even had her father come out against her today and she has been pelted with eggs by anti-fascist demonstrators. Not a good day for her.

 

Macron must be hoping Obama's endorsement does not have the same effect his intervention had on the Brexit vote, it enforces the view he is part of the current establishment.

 

Far too late SH. Macron showed that under pressure he could be a good person to be in charge of the country, whereas Le Pen fell apart, constantly having what you would call an Abbott moment.

 

Far too early to say, he is relatively inexperienced with a comparatively small party backing him. I expect he will become a lame duck president dominated by the other parties.

 

So far your predictions around Europe are not doing too well. He will not be perfect, he will have problems, but it seems that many hope he will succeed. Hatred of other humans seems to have been rejected.

 

My predictions of rising euroscepticism and far right wing support in Europe is there for all to see. There is no sign of any reduction in either.

 

VideoFrance's disillusioned youth

France's youth are unimpressed with either of the French Presidential candidates