French President's Party Looks Set To Win Broad Parliamentary Majority
Jun 17th 2007, 2:08 am
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French President's Party Looks Set To Win Broad Parliamentary Majority
Gosh it looks like the Socialists in France are as dead as Joe Stalin
Associated Press
June 17, 2007 8:20 a.m.
PARIS -- President Nicolas Sarkozy, aiming to push through his reform-
driven renaissance of France, looked set to win a powerful majority as
the French voted in Sunday's runoff elections for parliament. The only
question was the size of the victory -- large or massive.
Final polls Friday suggested the president's conservative party, the
Union for a Popular Movement, or UMP, and its allies would take more
than 400 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, all but burying the
opposition Socialist Party and other rivals. "The game isn't over
yet," Mr. Sarkozy said last week, confident but careful not to appear
cocky ahead of an election that could hand him a majority bigger than
any in modern-day France.
Voter turnout at noon, four hours after polls opened, was 22.9% -- two
points higher than at the same time in the 2002 legislative runoff,
the Interior Ministry announced. The participation rate could help
determine the size of the presidential majority, with a high turnout
helping the Socialists, in crisis since the May presidential election.
The first-round parliamentary vote a week ago saw a record low voter
turnout of barely 60%.
The Socialists have played on fears that a huge conservative majority
may silence the voice of democracy, turning the parliament into Mr.
Sarkozy's rubber stamp, and see uncomfortable reforms hoisted on the
populace.
Mr. Sarkozy's government has already scheduled an extraordinary
session of the new parliament for June 26 to begin passing some of his
planned reforms, including loosening the 35-hour work week,
guaranteeing minimum service during public transport strikes and
getting tough on repeat lawbreakers and illegal immigration.
Mr. Sarkozy's triumph in the May 6 presidential vote set the stage for
a dramatic shake-up of the French political landscape, further
dividing the bickering Socialists, squeezing out the center and
upending the extreme-right National Front party.
In the first round of parliamentary voting last Sunday, Sarkozy's UMP
and its allies won 45.5% of the vote, while the Socialists and other
leftist parties took 35.4%. The first round saw 110 seats filled
outright -- all but one by UMP members -- in constituencies where a
single candidate took more than 50 percent of the vote. The 467
remaining seats went to the runoff.
The Socialists are trying to salvage some of the party's 149 seats.
Looking for a weak spot in the Sarkozy machine, it most recently
seized on government hints of a possible sales tax hike. Socialist
candidates hung signs in their offices: "June 17, Vote against the VAT
at 24.6%." "He is waiting for a massive majority in the National
Assembly to make this increase," failed presidential candidate
S�gol�ne Royal said on the final day of campaigning Friday.
The issue of a potential sales tax hike, meant to help pay for social
security, left Mr. Sarkozy disarmed for the first time since he took
office May 16. On Thursday, he publicly refused any sales tax increase
"that would reduce the buying power of the French."
One casualty of Sunday's vote is centrist Francois Bayrou -- who could
end up being the sole lawmaker in his newly formed party, Democrat
Movement, or Modem. The centrist formation he previously headed had 29
seats in parliament but most deserted to back Mr. Sarkozy. All but
four Modem candidates were knocked out in the first-round vote.
The Communist Party is hoping to win 20 seats -- the number required
to form a parliamentary group with special prerogatives. More than
other parties, it is the far-right National Front that has seen its
fortunes fall with Mr. Sarkozy's successful bid to woo voters to his
side. For years the spoiler in parliamentary elections, able to help
decide the outcome of voting in districts where its candidates were
present, the party is on its knees. nly one candidate remains in the
running, Marine Le Pen, daughter of party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen.
She faces a Socialist in the northern Pas-de-Calais district of Henin-
Beaumont.
The voting Sunday holds a special challenge for four government
ministers. Prime Minister Fran�ois Fillon encouraged ministers to run
for parliament to bolster the government's legitimacy -- and said they
would lose their Cabinet posts if they don't win.
Of the 11 who entered, seven won outright. Three of the four remaining
minister-candidates were expected to win easily Sunday. However, there
were doubts whether Alain Jupp�, ecology minister and the government's
No. 2, would prevail over Socialist Michele Delaunay in their race in
the Gironde district where Bordeaux is located.
Associated Press
June 17, 2007 8:20 a.m.
PARIS -- President Nicolas Sarkozy, aiming to push through his reform-
driven renaissance of France, looked set to win a powerful majority as
the French voted in Sunday's runoff elections for parliament. The only
question was the size of the victory -- large or massive.
Final polls Friday suggested the president's conservative party, the
Union for a Popular Movement, or UMP, and its allies would take more
than 400 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, all but burying the
opposition Socialist Party and other rivals. "The game isn't over
yet," Mr. Sarkozy said last week, confident but careful not to appear
cocky ahead of an election that could hand him a majority bigger than
any in modern-day France.
Voter turnout at noon, four hours after polls opened, was 22.9% -- two
points higher than at the same time in the 2002 legislative runoff,
the Interior Ministry announced. The participation rate could help
determine the size of the presidential majority, with a high turnout
helping the Socialists, in crisis since the May presidential election.
The first-round parliamentary vote a week ago saw a record low voter
turnout of barely 60%.
The Socialists have played on fears that a huge conservative majority
may silence the voice of democracy, turning the parliament into Mr.
Sarkozy's rubber stamp, and see uncomfortable reforms hoisted on the
populace.
Mr. Sarkozy's government has already scheduled an extraordinary
session of the new parliament for June 26 to begin passing some of his
planned reforms, including loosening the 35-hour work week,
guaranteeing minimum service during public transport strikes and
getting tough on repeat lawbreakers and illegal immigration.
Mr. Sarkozy's triumph in the May 6 presidential vote set the stage for
a dramatic shake-up of the French political landscape, further
dividing the bickering Socialists, squeezing out the center and
upending the extreme-right National Front party.
In the first round of parliamentary voting last Sunday, Sarkozy's UMP
and its allies won 45.5% of the vote, while the Socialists and other
leftist parties took 35.4%. The first round saw 110 seats filled
outright -- all but one by UMP members -- in constituencies where a
single candidate took more than 50 percent of the vote. The 467
remaining seats went to the runoff.
The Socialists are trying to salvage some of the party's 149 seats.
Looking for a weak spot in the Sarkozy machine, it most recently
seized on government hints of a possible sales tax hike. Socialist
candidates hung signs in their offices: "June 17, Vote against the VAT
at 24.6%." "He is waiting for a massive majority in the National
Assembly to make this increase," failed presidential candidate
S�gol�ne Royal said on the final day of campaigning Friday.
The issue of a potential sales tax hike, meant to help pay for social
security, left Mr. Sarkozy disarmed for the first time since he took
office May 16. On Thursday, he publicly refused any sales tax increase
"that would reduce the buying power of the French."
One casualty of Sunday's vote is centrist Francois Bayrou -- who could
end up being the sole lawmaker in his newly formed party, Democrat
Movement, or Modem. The centrist formation he previously headed had 29
seats in parliament but most deserted to back Mr. Sarkozy. All but
four Modem candidates were knocked out in the first-round vote.
The Communist Party is hoping to win 20 seats -- the number required
to form a parliamentary group with special prerogatives. More than
other parties, it is the far-right National Front that has seen its
fortunes fall with Mr. Sarkozy's successful bid to woo voters to his
side. For years the spoiler in parliamentary elections, able to help
decide the outcome of voting in districts where its candidates were
present, the party is on its knees. nly one candidate remains in the
running, Marine Le Pen, daughter of party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen.
She faces a Socialist in the northern Pas-de-Calais district of Henin-
Beaumont.
The voting Sunday holds a special challenge for four government
ministers. Prime Minister Fran�ois Fillon encouraged ministers to run
for parliament to bolster the government's legitimacy -- and said they
would lose their Cabinet posts if they don't win.
Of the 11 who entered, seven won outright. Three of the four remaining
minister-candidates were expected to win easily Sunday. However, there
were doubts whether Alain Jupp�, ecology minister and the government's
No. 2, would prevail over Socialist Michele Delaunay in their race in
the Gironde district where Bordeaux is located.
