Friday, May 4, 2007

What's At Stake

I've had a chance this week to cover the French presidential election in Paris, and I can't escape the feeling that something very significant will be decided on Sunday. Regardless of who wins, the election signals the end of the post-war model of social welfare in Europe. The question now is what will replace it.

Should Royal win, it will solidify a European left built on the basis of a broader Social Democrat coalition, similar to Spain and Italy. The possibilities for working with South American counterparts such as Brazil and Chile offer the hope of a global approach to tempering the excesses of globalization.

A Sarkozy victory, on the other hand, means the likelihood of very violent social fractures. His reform program will most likely be bitterly contested, including in the streets. On a gut level, I don't think he's as dangerous as many here believe. At the same time, to the French, the American social model is a viciously individualistic, precariousness system.

More importantly, if more superficially, is the spirit of Royal's campaign: Inclusiveness, co-operation, dialogue. I've really been struck by its idealism. After six years here, some spent making the same criticisms of France and the French that Sarkozy makes, I think this election has reminded me that the ideals of social solidarity, of culture, of the things in life that can't be priced don't necessarily need to be limited to personal choice. They are valid political priorities. That's the battle the French left, for better or worse, is fighting. And I hope it's one they win.

Posted by Judah in:  La Presidentielle   

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