What Can We Learn From the French Election?

Financial Times– Paris– Let the finger-pointing begin. Ségolène Royal’s defeat on Sunday night left the French Socialist party in disarray and searching for someone to blame. There is hardly a shortage of scapegoats.

It is the party’s third consecutive presidential defeat. The Socialists now face the question of whether they can ever regain power without ditching their anti-capitalist rhetoric, as the mainstream left has done across almost all of Europe.

McQ sees the same article, and doubts it.

And see where things have gotten, here:

“The left is not credible on so many issues, from the 35-hour working week to immigration and law and order,” says Dominique Reynié, professor at Sciences Po university.

“It is the fault of the left collectively. Ever since their [parliamentary election] defeat in 1983 they have never questioned their fundamental ideology, only thinking they needed to change tactics,” he says.

But it is interesting to me, that whilst the European left has been edging up to the right, and away from their anti-freedom/anti-capitalism ways, (with the rather spectacular exception of the French Socialists ) the American left has been going going in exactly the opposite direction… in the direction that just lost the French Socialists, the election there.

For the purpose of clarity, I will say again, I am not convinced that the election of this new president is a good thing. That remains to be seen. However, I am convinced that Ségolène Royal’s losing that election,  IS a good thing.

Addendum:

In answer to those who suggest that a minority of French Citizens actually voted, an dtherefore this rejection of socialism cannot be taken as seriously as all that, I’ll point to a BBC article, which is reporting an 85% voter turnout. Since in the case of American elections… and, I’m sure, elsewhere… we’ve been gleefully informed that elections installing leftists… such as the most recent American mid-term elections… are serious indicators of support for socialsm, I’m sure we’ll see the press suggesting that the French have rejected socialism on the basis of this turnout.

(Yeah, right)