An Unlikely Contender Rises in France as the Antithesis of Trump.
PARIS In the age of Donald J. Trump, Brexit, and the resurgent French far right, a thin, aging career politician with an ironic smile is being called by him and his supporters Frances best defense against raging global populism.
A first test for Alain Juppé, 71, comes Sunday as Frances mainstream center-right Republican party holds a primary ahead of next springs presidential elections. Mr. Juppé is favored to come out on top, for now.
His ascendance is all the more improbable because, in a previous post, he was considered one of Frances most unpopular prime ministers ever. And he was once convicted in a Paris City Hall corruption scheme.
But the election of Mr. Trump has upended French politics and given new momentum to the far-right leader Marine Le Pen. As a result, mainstream conservatives are far from delighted.
The candidacy of the battle-scarred Mr. Juppé is seen by his supporters as a bulwark at a time when the postelection United States is now routinely depicted as one leg of a global tripartite menace, along with China and Russia, bearing down on fragile Western democracies.
Mr. Juppé doesnt shout, wave his arms or make grandiose promises seen as a plus by his supporters. His professorial bearing stands in contrast to his sometimes bombastic and offending party rival, Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president who has redefined himself as a tough guy for uncertain times.
But while other contenders for the presidency are adopting Mr. Trumps depiction of Muslims as an inherent threat, Mr. Juppés soothing message of French unity has, so far, helped him to lead opinion polls.
Still, Mr. Juppés tenure as prime minister during the 1990s was one of the most divisive in modern French history, marked by proposed cutbacks to generous civil-servant pensions that brought thousands into the streets in protest. Mr. Juppés plan ultimately failed.
This time around, he has promised more market-oriented reforms, and has vowed not to back down in the face of inevitable protests. In that regard, the technocratic Mr. Juppé, of all the contenders, may present the biggest challenge to Frances social protections and labor rules. . .
The French news media has noted that the American election results have colored the former prime ministers message with concern about the existence of two Frances: one benefiting from globalization, and the other left behind.
There are the large, vibrant cities Paris, Lyon, Mr. Juppés Bordeaux and then there are the shuttered main streets of sleepy provincial capitals and rural towns like those he visited on Wednesday.
Wearing the coat and tie he appears never to shed, Mr. Juppé got his shoes muddy at a grain and dairy farm whose owner complained of crushing debt.
People have talked about suffering, Mr. Juppé told a roomful in the tiny village of St.-Loup-dOrdon, and it is true, he said, speaking in a knowing, weary tone, careful never to exaggerate.
With his eyebrows slightly arched, he listened patiently to the complaints. Rural France feels abandoned and disdained by Paris, Mr. Juppé said. But we cant accept this gulf between the big cities and rural France. . .
Promising a strong state, he had a warning for his audience deep in the Burgundian countryside at St.-Julien-du-Sault: The world is becoming more and more dangerous. Nationalism is on the rise.
Similarly, at a rally this week in northern Paris, the perceived menace of rising populism was a common theme in the speeches and comments of Mr. Juppés supporters.
From Mr. Juppé himself and the other center-right speakers who preceded him, Mr. Trumps name came up often. Each time, it was met with loud boos from the crowd of around 6,000. Mr. Juppé a man of culture, one speaker called him was depicted as the antithesis of Mr. Trump.
After the election of Donald Trump, after Brexit, will populism triumph in our country? No! shouted Patrick Devedjian, a former minister, who introduced Mr. Juppé at the rally.
The crowd mostly middle-aged or older, buttoned-up and carefully dressed, like Mr. Juppé roared approval. Weve had it up to here with populist baseness! Mr. Devedjian said.
Another supporter, Jean-Christophe Lagarde, a prominent centrist politician, told the crowd, France doesnt need a mini-Trump in the Élysée! referring to the presidential palace in Paris.'>>>
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/world/europe/france-alain-juppe-center-right.html?
OK, WORLD, TAKE OVER!
LeftishBrit
(41,203 posts)They managed to repel LePen's father, when he looked like possibly winning the presidency in 2002. Let's hope they do the same with her!
Especially with our own Almighty Mess, I don't fancy a fascist right next door.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,268 posts)France should "pre-emptively" detain without trial all suspected Islamist radicals, ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy has said, as it emerged that 15,000 radicalised people are on police watchlists in the country.
"Every Frenchman suspected of being linked to terrorism, because he regularly consults a jihadist website, or his behaviour shows signs of radicalisation or because is in close contact with radicalised people, must be pre-emptively placed in a detention centre," said Mr Sarkozy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/11/france-must-pre-emptively-detain-all-suspected-terrorists-says-n/
If he wins the Republican primary, it would probably be a run-off between Le Pen and almost-Le Pen. Juppe is definitely better than that. And left wingers would feel more able to vote for him, where Sarkozy might be too far.
We can still hope that the Socialists will rally and get through to the 2nd round of the presidential election, but things don't look hopeful so far.