Sarkozy sees France mandate (Boy has he seen the Bush play book

[wakeme2008]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/07/france.election/index.html

Sarkozy: I have mandate for change
POSTED: 6:41 a.m. EDT, May 7, 2007

PARIS, France (CNN) -- France was Monday looking ahead to a new political era after conservative Nicolas Sarkozy took a decisive victory in presidential elections that he claimed as a five year mandate for change.

Sarkozy was expected to waste no time in pushing through promised reforms aimed at shaking up France's labor market to revive the country's flagging economy.

Sarkozy won with 53 percent of the vote in Sunday's presidential runoff, according to preliminary results issued by the French Interior Ministry. Socialist Segolene Royal took 47 percent of the vote.

..more at link...

While true he got a bigger Mandate than *, I wonder when he starts sending troops to Iraq, will the people still love him....

[Cirque du So-What]

1. If my assessment of the French people is correct

they will kick him to the curb if he's perceived as a 'French poodle.'

[bdamomma]

4. they are having riots out in France now, those voters take no Shit!

maybe we can learn something from them.

[BestCenter]

10. You mean burn down buildings and cause violence if the polls don't go the way we want to?

Oh, and set up guillotines! Yeah, the Racial aspects of French democracy are just so sophisticated and worthy!

[Colobo]

11. The guy won... it's called democracy

Those who are rioting are sore losers.

[Kelly Rupert]

14. You mean engage in massive lawbreaking after our candidate

loses fair-and-square? Great idea!

[papau]

2. The 35 hour week will die, as will tolerance of Muslim dress codes and indeed

tolerance of immigration in general.

But troops will not be sent any where any time soon other than under UN and perhaps NATO - and perhaps not even then.

[wakeme2008]

3. Oh, he will be loved killing the 35 hour workend and good vacations

the People will just love him .... :grr:

[papau]

5. the august vacation shutdown will stay - but the 35 hour week is as good as dead n/t

n/t

[Kelly Rupert]

16. They voted for him. He made it very clear what he wanted to do.

The French believe that killing the 35-hr workweek is worth the extra productivity. They think that Sarkozy will provide just the medicine their sluggish economy needs. It's not like he'll be a rude surprise or anything.

[ButterflyBlood]

8. Most young people WANT the 35 hour work week gone

This is a big factor in the election. While the idea sounds great on paper, when you're low on money, every hour counts, and it really sucks to lose 5 hours a week and not be able to make it up.

Should've first been tested in a city or two I think, or seriously reformed like giving people a choice. But the way it is now it hurts the middle and lower classes too much.

[papau]

13. Salaried staff in the US in insurance companies went from 36.hrs to 40 hrs w/ no pay increase since

Reagan.

I can see the per hour pay check being helped if that is the only way overtime is available - but it shocks me that the per hour worker in a job needing more hours put in to meet demand for product or service does not have overtime to fill the need.

Indeed in the economic course I studied in, the conclusion would be that the French just gifted the rich and corporate and screwed themselves. There will now be fewer employed if there really was difficulty in getting overtime in the past - and the employed in Salaried positions will get screwed.

[Colobo]

12. The 35 hour week SHOULD die. It's the only positive thing

I can see from Sarkozy's plan.

[azurnoir]

6. Maybe we should take up a collection

Righty blogs are already extolling the "wonderful" French people and positively orgasmic over the "fact" that it was hatred of Muslims that put this man in office, and how the American people are soooooo stupid, well maybe we should take up a collection for any Puke that wants to emigrate we'd be happy to have them there, so we don't have to fight them here.

[ButterflyBlood]

7. There is zero chance of French troops ever going to Iraq

Bank it. Remember, this guy is from Chirac's party.

I sure as hell don't like him, but French foreign policy is not going to change.

[bikebloke]

9. Scare-kozy is to Chirac....

...as * is to Eisenhower. Chirac loathes the little creep and was tempted to run again to keep him out of office. Scare-kozy has a reputation as a liar and a backstabber, plus being inept in the positions he's held. Hopefully parliament will be able to keep him in check.

[Kelly Rupert]

15. I would say it certainly is a mandate.

He ran on the explicit platform of massive social change, and won convincingly, drawing voters from traditionally-leftist demographics. If that isn't a mandate for change, what is?