The French Presidential Debate

The long-awaited French presidential debate took place Wednesday evening. The Socialist Francois Hollande sat across the table from French President Nicolas Sarkozy for three hours of questions posed by two journalists who had some trouble keeping the debate on an even keel. It was ferociously hot and unpleasant most of the time between the two candidates.
Hollande won the toss and went first in the answer sessions. His first two minutes were filled with telling the TV audience that he would correct Sarkozy’s errors and unify the French people as Sarkozy had not done, repeating several times that Sarkozy was seen by the French as divisive and supportive only of conservative issues and the rich.
Sarkozy answered by accusing Hollande of talking about unity but really being the voice of the Left and its powerful French labor unions.
In what was often a technical debate on national finances, President Sarkozy also hit home the fact that his term had seen no recessions (unique in the EU, since 2009, he added) and that he had actually reduced France’s national debt.
Hollande struck back with the idea that Sarkozy’s government had allowed the unemployment rate in France to increase from 5% to 10% since 2008. Sarkozy repeated that the world financial crisis was mostly responsible for that and that, again, France had done better than the 18% unemployment average rate now existent in the EU.
After much bickering about figures and results, the two men finally moved on to other topics, but left the impression that Sarkozy is interested in containing the national debt and keeping expenses reasonably low to support France’s position in the financial world so that it can continue to borrow the funds it needs to operate. Hollande seemed more interested in creating government jobs and spending money to keep the French people from suffering in the current world crisis. Sarkozy answered consistently that these ideas are just what got Spain and Greece into such financial trouble.
When Hollande attacked Sarkozy’s tax policies, which rebated a percentage of taxes paid over 50% back to taxpayers, Sarkozy said, “you are for fewer rich but I am for fewer poor…” suggesting that his tax policies stimulate business and therefore increase employment opportunities. Hollande wants to impose a 75% tax on people who have incomes of more than 1 million Euros per year.
Sarkozy repeated several times that, in trying to prove what is not true, Hollande resorted to lying, something later commentators saw as a risk for Sarkozy.
Hollande, in turn, said that Sarkozy was blaming the financial crisis and others for everything that was wrong with his government. Sarkozy countered that the Socialist Party in the National Assembly had voted against every bill brought to the floor by Sarkozy’s conservative government, and so they should not complain if things went against their wishes.
For me, dear readers, the real news of the evening was in the attitude and comportment of Hollande and Sarkozy.
President Sarkozy politely called his opponent ‘Monsieur Hollande’ all evening. Hollande never used Sarkozy’s name, something rather disrespectful in French culture.
Sarkozy’s use of the word ‘liar’ was nevertheless harsh in a presidential debate. A later analyst pointed out that the last time such a term was used was in 1988 in the Mitterrand-Chirac debate, and it was considered shocking back then.
But, again for me personally, the attitude of Francois Hollande was one of impoliteness. He never adhered to his time limits. He constantly interrupted Sarkozy when Sarkozy was trying to give his answers. He talked over the journalists trying to restore order when he spoke out of turn, and, finally, even during Sarkozy’s two-minute summary, Hollande interrupted and was rebuked by the journalists. President Sarkozy was silent while Hollande gave his summary.
The last poll before the debate showed Hollande at 54% and Sarkozy at 46%. There will surely be another poll tomorrow or Friday.
After that, it will be up to the French voters to decide on Sunday who will live in the Elysée Palace for the next five years.