French intellectuals abandon leftist's presidential bid

by Angela Doland, Associated Press, 17/02/2007

PARIS One by one, several French writers and intellectuals are making the startling confessions. After decades as committed leftists, they are defecting to the right, many saying they've lost faith in Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal.

With less than two months to go until the election's first round, Royal still has no platform. She has made gaffes on international affairs, and her popularity with ordinary voters has slipped, leaving conservative Nicolas Sarkozy ahead in the polls.

Royal, 53, will take a big gamble today in unveiling, at last, some of her plans for France in a platform speech that will be judged by especially tough standards because she has waited so long to make it.

Royal has been in a "listening phase," collecting ideas during debates and on her Internet site, where people post 2,500 messages a day. That strategy has given her an image as a rare French politician in touch with ordinary people.

But it also has left many wondering whether the former environment minister's listening is a cover-up for a lack of ideas. And it disappointed some early supporters who put their faith in her to reclaim the presidency from the right after 12 years under Jacques Chirac and who want to see France elect Royal as its first female president.

Some of the most stinging blows have come from people who seemed like Royal's likeliest champions. Roger Hanin, an actor and author, came out in favor of Sarkozy surprising because Hanin is the brother-in-law of late Socialist President Francois Mitterrand, Royal's mentor.

Though Hanin said he still "worships" Mitterrand, he doesn't trust Royal.
Royal "scares me because she's not cut out for this, she doesn't have the qualifications to be president of the republic," Hanin told Europe-1 radio.

Leftist essayist Alain Finkielkraut blasted Royal's "manifest incompetence" in an interview with Liberation newspaper, saying he felt closer to Sarkozy, though he did not outright endorse him.

Royal vs Sarkozy: who will les businessmen vote for?
Financial Time, 15/02/2007

If Ségolène Royal is elected president in May it will trigger an exodus of people from France’s financial and biotechnology sectors to London and other foreign cities, some of the country’s top business leaders told the FT.

“If Ségolène Royal wins, we will go back to the situation we had with Mitterrand between 1981 and 1983. But it would be three-times worse,” said the chairman of one CAC 40 company, referring to François Mitterrand, the last leftwing president of France. Philippe Pouletty, honorary chairman of France Biotech, the biotechnology association, said: “If the Socialists were elected and implemented their pre-election policies, a lot of people would say enough is enough and move abroad, just coming back to France for holidays.”

Last week, Ms Royal declared: “I found myself faced with the enemy I have had all my life, which is money. I am not talking about salaries, but easy profits. Not hard earned pay but rapacious money.”

Then there’s Nicolas Sarkozy. The latest polls by IFOP and SOFRES present him as the favourite to take the helm - 54 per cent vs Royal’s 46 per cent.

Mr Sarkozy intends to push for a European tax on “speculative movements” by financial groups - namely hedge funds - if he wins this year’s French presidential elections. In comments published in Les Echos on Wednesday, the centre-right candidate said he aimed to “raise moral standards and improve security in financial capitalism”.

“We did not create the euro to have capitalism without ethics or morals. I am extremely worried about speculative movements,” he said. “Who can tolerate a hedge fund buying a company with debts, firing 25 per cent of staff and then reimbursing them by selling it in pieces? Not me.”

Mr Sarkozy “wants to make France the country that rewards wealth creation, but which also knows how to hit predators.” His comments echoed the German attack on hedge funds and private equity group as “locusts”.
Plus ça change…