Here we are, Sunday the 6th May, 2012 and France has voted in a new president. I suppose M. Sarkozy should have seen this one coming a mile away. Never the most popular man among the electorate, he’s systematically shown himself to be arrogant, conceited and perhaps a little power-crazy. He’s used (and abused) the French treasury to give himself and Mme. Sarkozy-Bruni the kind of lifestyle his subjects could only dream of. France isn’t a rich country. It’s quite a poor one in many ways, still very much reliant on agriculture than big industry, certainly in our part of it in any case.
We’ve seen many local commerces close down because of policies implemented by him and his government. We’ve seen the banks being made to tighten their grip after being bailed out by the Sarkozy administration to the tune of untold millions of euro. Our own bank has gone from being a busy little market town bank, where you dealt with a team of tellers sat behind a non-protected counter, and you passed the time of day whilst they counted your cash, to more of a ‘drop-in centre’ type affair. It now has all the charm of a video hire store. Is this just progress, or is it the bank not being able to afford the kind of service it used to give?
M. Sarkozy famously has a jet that carries him far & wide and at his insistence, it now has a bread oven on board. Yes, a bread oven. It bakes fresh baguettes for our pres. when he’s away from his own local artisan boulanger. One hears these rumours and thinks, “nah…”. But apparently, it’s true, and well-documented in a breakdown of costs I read a short while ago. The upgrades demanded by M. Sarkozy ran into millions of euro.
So. We have a new president. M. François Hollande. What do we know of him? In our own case, not very much, only what we read in the papers, or see what our French friends post about him on facebook. It appears he already earns more than the current, or should I say, most recent incumbent of the Élysée Palace. So he’s effectively taking a paycut. Why, you might ask? Possibly because he’s about to become one of the most powerful men on earth, peut-etre? Possibly because being such a powerful man may just attract a Carla-a-like of his very own? Who can say?
He promises to freeze fuel prices for the next 3 months, which is a good thing. Especially for those of us (which must be the majority of France) that live out in the sticks and rely on our own cars, rather than any hope of a decent public transport network. Let’s see if he changes the much-publicised increase in TVA due here this autumn.
‘Plus ça change plus c’est la même chose’, springs to mind though.
Until the next time, au revoir.
Hi, Stu. Don’t know what politics is coming to. The turnout in the UK for the local govt elections including London Mayor was 32%. have in the past acted as presiding officer at polling stations, and it was the old and infirm (who were entitled to a postal vote) who would make the physical effort to turn up in person, while lots of younger people didn’t.
Regards, Phil. PS, Bouef Bourgignon was delicious.
Hi Phil! I think it’s a shame more younger people don’t get interested in politics. Yes, I know it can be tedious, but it can also be very exciting at times. It’s a double-edged sword though, is democracy. You’d be foolish not to register your vote, but then not to vote is also a right?
Pleased the bourguignon was tasty!
Shamefull for a person that makes his living in France.
Hello Terry. Nice of you to comment. Of course, you’re welcome to your opinion as always, yet I think you’re standing on shaky ground, don’t you? After all, you’re the one who’s posted so much about me, my friends and our business here in France on your own facebook wall aren’t you? Why aren’t you more transparent about your own business, so that we can hold you up as a paragon of virtue. A shining example of how it should be done. Or is ‘Goldendata’ not doing so well? Or is it that ‘Goldendata’ is just a front for some kind of tax break?
Anyway, it’s lovely to see that facebook have clamped down on you a little after the communication we had with them. It’s also interesting to see all the stories in the press recently about internet trolls like you being punished. Your time can’t be that far away can it? Especially since your comment here has left a nice IP address for us to use.
You may want to share this link among your 562 ‘friends’ on facebook too – just so’s they can see for themselves what an irritating Little man you are. Actually, so’s they can see what an evil Little shit you really are?
sadlittlestalker.wordpress.com
Have a lovely day sorting out your problems, Terry.
A very enjoyable read Stu.
I always thought the French Fishermen held the power lol.
Oh they do, Als….they do!