The French Presidency

France elects a new President in three months, and rather pleasing is the fact both candidates look to be an improvement on Chirac.

Nicolas Sarkozy is the conservative UMP candidate, and naturally my preference. Sarkozy is a great charismatic orator and an economic reformer – something France needs badly. Chirac loathes him which can only be a good thing.

He is very hard line on law and order, supports a simplified and fairer tax system with lower rates and less loopholes and wants to reduce the budget deficit.

On the down side he wants to reduce the separation between church and state.

The socialist candidate is Segolene Royal, and like Sarkozy she is loathed by many senior figures in her own party. She has fallen behind Sarkozy for the first time, largely because of a proposal by a colleague, widely seen as sabotage, to increase taxes on anyone earning over 4,000 euros a month. And who was this colleague? Her own partner!!

Royal is a bit of a Blairite – also tough on law and order. She has criticised aspects of the 35 hour working week and on the issue of Iran’s nuclear ambitions she took a tougher line than the US. Other than that she is pretty traditional left wing but she is not beholden to party interests so much and would govern by her conscience I believe.

Hence I think either of them would be okay, but Sarkozy would be great.