Are French Elections More Interesting Than Our Own

[emmie]

the clash of Macron and Le Pen

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39802776

[ToraToraTora]

yes emmie I was responding to your question, with all the panto characters we have, how can the French election possibly be more interesting?

[youngmafbog]

//And Macron came off much the better//

I'm not entirely sure about that. Macron showed he could be wound up, I doubt Hollande would have reacted in the same way. He will win the election, debate or not.

Are they more exiting than ours, no I dont think so. TV debates are pretty poor in this country, this was only interesting because there were only two parties vying for votes. When you get parties who dont stand a chance of winning and forming a Government it leads to a 'messy' and pointless discussion.

[ToraToraTora]

yeah YMB, it's a silly US import anyway but if you are going to have it you just want the big two slugging it out not all the crackpots and uncle tom cobbly and all.

[ichkeria]

"well I agree, probably! but I also agreed when many said Hilary would win hands down in the US. Don't count your chickens ich! "

Clinton was never 20 points ahead in the polls Tora. And 20 points more or less is the narrowest gap Macron has held. It would be the biggest upset for polling, probably ever, if they got it that wrong. Mass resignations at all the leading agencies I'd have thought :-)

[mikey4444]

Itchty...Hilary DID win the popular vote don't forget....it was the system that won.

[ToraToraTora]

Yawn.....! Is the French vote a pure binary choice of the candidates? If so then the Commie does look favourite.

[ichkeria]

'fraid so Tora.
The person who gets the most votes wins. Simples.
As mikey points out, that also included Clinton in the US in any case ;-)

The "commie" was eliminated in round one btw ...

[andy-hughes]

I think any other country's politics are necessarily more 'modern' in their approach.

This is mainly because they lack the centuries-old courtesies that are the form in our Houses - referring to members as 'My (Right) Honourable Friend ...' even though friendship is actually not something that's felt by the member speaking.

Similarly, routing all comments through the chair is a tradition that can often take the worst stings out of exchanges, and I for one think they are a good idea.

Other parliaments, uncluttered by such old-fashioned processes, can get down to the serious shouting and insulting far more easily.

But what makes politics interesting the world over is personalities - or the lack of them in the case of recent Labour leaders, and that is what makes France's current power struggle something to observe.