Short notes from the weekend.
Marine – Le Pen got 20% of the votes in yesterday’s first round scrutiny in France. Francois Hollande (complaining left) will battle it out with Nicholas Sarkozy (exhausting right) in the next round of votes that will determine the next Monsieur le President. French radios are all abuzz this morning about the record number of votes that Le Pen’s extreme right obtained as though this signifies anything other than a strong meeting point for an angry protest vote. The main problem for Hollande and the progressive anti-Sarkozy coalition he will probably amass for the showdown in two weeks time is the same as that of most left-leaning oppositions around Europe: the absence of a plan. A campaign that is built on disgruntlement and anger at the economic crisis and at the perceived arrogance with which the right handled such crisis can work to get a party into power: the next step of what to do with that power is equally important though and that is what is so worrying about the so-called progressive movement.
Sondages – An archaic law in France prohibits the media from announcing the results of exit polls before eight in the evening. In the past Belgian and other francophone media such as Swiss and Luxembourgish have been used to circumvent this prohibition. This year a number of French publications will be facing court procedures for having dared to publish the results by seven in the evening. A full hour before most polling stations closed.
Disgruntled votes – Le Pen’s followers are already talking about “pegging their nose and voting left”. Nose pegging is fast becoming a trend in the anti-voting that takes place in modern democracies plagued with a dearth of propositive policies. It would seem that the aim of most voters is simply to avoid giving another term to Sarkozy – few votes are used to vote positively, for someone with a plan. Even Le Pen’s voters are prepared to vote for the much detested left so long as Sarkozy and his UMP are broken up. So much for solutions to the ills of the 21st century.
The Value of Human Life – Newspaper reporting of the fine accorded to contractors whose “work” had brought about the death of an elderly woman in Sliema risks being very misleading. The fine of €8,000 is ridiculous and nowhere near being the proverbial “prohibitive” which is what fines are meant to be. It was meted out under rules and laws that apply to work conditions. That those rules need to be revised immediately to be more than a prohibitive warning for contractors is patently evident. On the other hand the fine has nothing to do with the value of the life of the woman who lost her life in these circumstances. The Times report actually referred to other civil cases in progress and one can presume that this is a civil compensation case – the kind of case that actually quantifies the losses for relatives as well as for injured persons. Controversial as such judgements on the value of life may be (do read The Price of Everything) they are a very different kettle of fish from the “fine” that has hit the news and misguided so many people.
Quatrains – On a footballing note it is interesting how following yesterday’s trouncing of Roma, the media tried to focus on the minor incident between Lamela and Lichsteiner. Even more interesting were the attempts of some Romanisti to condemn the Swiss for his “unwarranted provocation”. What was he guilty of doing? The very same thing supercapitantotti had done eight years ago to Igor Tudor… only that time, since Totti was not (heaven forbid) wearing the glorious striped colours it was not a provocation but a saintly gesture. Relativism. It’s everywhere. Quattro e a casa.
