2008 Woodie Awards
U.S. could take pointers from French gov't
Gunnar Heinrich
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Opinion
Klemens von Metternich famously said "When France sneezes, Europe catches a cold." What the grand architect of 19th-century Europe meant was what happens in France doesn't stay in France. Wind the clock forward to the 21st century and France is a country that, until last year, shared America's political angst. It is now the country that could provide the clue to what may come from our own presidential elections.
Staunchly anti-American and as antiquated as the ancien régime, former President Jacques Chirac governed France with an unsure, waffling hand. Polls showed administration supporters lining up none deep, while the broader public despaired of France's declining status in the world. In the absence of convincing leadership, the French craved change. Change from the failed politics that had split the country into fractious discontent.
So in the spring of 2007, two presidential candidates ran credible campaigns rooted on similar, if differently pitched, platforms. The Socialist candidate - Ségolène Royal - was a relatively young woman with extensive partisan political experience. The Gaullist candidate - Nicholas Sarkozy - was also relatively young. The charismatic son of immigrants, Sarkozy hailed from an ethnically diverse background that straddled Christian Europe and Muslim Algeria. And despite his role as Interior Minister in the Chirac Government he, along with Royal, campaigned on a platform of change.
What differed between the two candidates wasn't so much their unique policy positions. Indeed, both candidates' points were geared toward favoring what Richard Nixon would have called "the great silent majority." What differed was their public appeal. Royal took a caustic, sharply partisan approach broadcasting that she was just itching for a fight. Sarkozy contrasted with a moderate, restrained approach that promised to deliver on an inclusive coalition. All segments of government - even fringe factions - would have their views heard in Nicholas Sarkozy's government. Sarkozy also pledged healing dialogue with America.
Staunchly anti-American and as antiquated as the ancien régime, former President Jacques Chirac governed France with an unsure, waffling hand. Polls showed administration supporters lining up none deep, while the broader public despaired of France's declining status in the world. In the absence of convincing leadership, the French craved change. Change from the failed politics that had split the country into fractious discontent.
So in the spring of 2007, two presidential candidates ran credible campaigns rooted on similar, if differently pitched, platforms. The Socialist candidate - Ségolène Royal - was a relatively young woman with extensive partisan political experience. The Gaullist candidate - Nicholas Sarkozy - was also relatively young. The charismatic son of immigrants, Sarkozy hailed from an ethnically diverse background that straddled Christian Europe and Muslim Algeria. And despite his role as Interior Minister in the Chirac Government he, along with Royal, campaigned on a platform of change.
What differed between the two candidates wasn't so much their unique policy positions. Indeed, both candidates' points were geared toward favoring what Richard Nixon would have called "the great silent majority." What differed was their public appeal. Royal took a caustic, sharply partisan approach broadcasting that she was just itching for a fight. Sarkozy contrasted with a moderate, restrained approach that promised to deliver on an inclusive coalition. All segments of government - even fringe factions - would have their views heard in Nicholas Sarkozy's government. Sarkozy also pledged healing dialogue with America.
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