Dear All
It is election season in France, President Sarokozy goes head to head with his bitter rival, Francois Hollande.
In a television debate, both candidates accused each other of lying, so get the popcorn out and settle back, it’s a corker in France.
Sarkozy is in trouble, and if he loses it will seen a ripple right across the EU which could have a significant effect, austerity is being rejected by the people.
It is time that politicians stood up for the 99% instead of the 1%.
Once an idea takes hold that people like Sarkozy can be voted out, it changes the political dynamic.
Parties are then forced to work for the people.
Mainstream politics has to change its focus, 364 days of the year they generally ignore the people’s concerns but on polling day, they become ‘concerned’.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Mr Hollande a "little slanderer", while his rival said Mr Sarkozy shirked responsibility.
Sarkozy is clearly rattled; he defended his record and said he had kept France out of recession.
How bad it does it have to get before Sarkozy wakes up and smells the coffee?
It’s all going wrong in France, how do we know, his launch to the right to get extremist votes of the far right territory of Marine Le Pen.
His clumsy attempt at resetting immigration policy by deportation, his gesture politics which is short term and totally self serving with no clear goals!
Hollande on the other hand has capitalised on France’s problems of going through a "serious crisis" and the fact that slow growth is stalling progress.
Much more is needed, a new European vision for a dynamic Europe.
An interesting idea floating about in France is renationalisation of the banks, the idea has merit, everyone knows a four letter word off by heart, but the word that has to be addressed is debt.
Debt is killing France; the system is so rotten that like cancer, greedy bankers must be cut out of the system, they aren’t the solution; they are the problem.
We need a new State banking system in each EU country, all independent and sovereign to each country and within the state system, City Banks, localism of finance is essential.
The idea is radical, right across the EU; this system can ensure that accountability and general need is met.
But Sarkozy isn’t visionary; he has attempted to prop up an outright mess because the work to fix it and face the hard choices doesn’t compute.
He will suffer for his lack of vision; he is yesterday’s man desperately trying to cling onto power for power’s sake.
The debate was a long, bad-tempered affair that left the impression that neither candidate liked each other, plenty of angry exchanges and accusations that saw both candidates accusing each other of liars.
Hollande is right to accuse President Sarkozy of "ruining the French economy", but Sarkozy’s defence is that he has been unfairly blamed.
"It's never your fault," Mr Hollande responded, to which Mr Sarkozy said: "It's a lie, it's a lie!"
Opinion polls suggest the Socialist candidate has a lead of seven percentage points, can Sarkozy pull this back?
Well anything can happen in politics, but as time runs out, Sarkozy cannot create a new narrative of how he will save France.
Sarkozy has protected the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class, the backlash is coming.
Hollande said:
"I will be a president for justice, because we are going through a serious crisis that hits in particular the most modest of us, the hardest working people, those who are the most vulnerable."
He is setting himself up as a hostage to fortune, the price of his statement on delivering that will be high.
A new financial model, new reforms; the transition will be painful but the question and need for change is self evident.
There is a new form of warfare in the world, it is financial warfare, it cannot be fought by bullet and bomb but it represents a deadly threat.
Hollande, if he is made President is to protect his country from this new form of warfare which can only be done by enforcement of law and new structures such as a State banking sector, localised by City Banks which work for the good of society and people.
Sarkozy is looking increasingly desperate, the writing is on the wall, Hollande’s election will send a ripple right across Europe which politicians will be forced to take notice of.
France is looking increasingly like a country that is going to reject Sarkozy, he has few allies to count on and the tide has turned against him.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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