French elections: the leaders change, but austerity and exploitation remain

[Leo]

New ICC article on the French elections:

From 2007, France had a president, Nicolas Sarkozy, whose arrogance and stupidity knew no limits. His open love of money, his violent tirades against the young people of the poor suburbs and the immigrants, his provocations, his propensity for talking about nothing but himself...all this and more created a very strong feeling of exasperation throughout the population. It was thus no great surprise that the presidential elections ended in his defeat. His replacement, the ‘socialist’ François Hollande, relied almost exclusively on this anti-Sarkozyism to win. Prudently avoiding any promises of a bright tomorrow, even giving to understand that austerity (renamed ‘control of the budget’ or ‘reduction of the deficit’) would be a major axis of his government’s policy, Hollande was happy to present himself as a ‘normal’ president, one who would avoid pointless provocation and bad taste.

Click here (http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/201205/4884/french-elections-leaders-change-austerity-and-exploitation-remain) for the rest of the article.

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Our PM certainly has no prioblems with Monsieur Hollande's plans

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18112720

David Cameron has said the newly elected Socialist French president has a "faster" deficit reduction target than the UK's.

The prime minister was speaking ahead of the G8 summit where he will have his first face-to-face talks with Francois Hollande.
Mr Cameron said President Hollande would not be increasing public spending to stimulate the economy.
World leaders are meeting in the United States to discuss the eurozone crisis.
"His target for balancing his budget is actually a faster target than we have here in the UK," Mr Cameron told ITV 1's Daybreak.
"Even with the election of a Socialist president in France, he's actually said 'how am I going to stimulate the economy, I'm not going to do it through extra public spending, because actually we've got to cut back on that'," he said.
BBC correspondant Norman Smith said Downing Street had dismissed suggestions of a personal and political rift between the two men, insisting their meeting is "not awkward".
Officials said Mr Cameron took part in a "constructive" conference call on Thursday involving Mr Hollande, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian prime minister Mario Monti.
The pair are also likely to discuss Afghanistan, with Mr Cameron expected to press the French president about an election pledge to withdraw its 3,400 troops from the country this year - two years ahead of the exit date agreed by Nato.

[Rainsborough]

There's probably a joke in there somewhere, you know, "What did the French Socialist say when he met the British Conservative?" But I guess the answer wouldn't be that funny.

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

There's probably a joke in there somewhere, you know, "What did the French Socialist say when he met the British Conservative?" But I guess the answer wouldn't be that funny.

'Even the French think your austerity policies are lazy'

..sorry

[revhope]

Hollande is in essence no different to Sarkozy. Both are intent on driving down workers conditions and Hollande will be helped by the uselessness of the French unions in defending workers conditions.