Socialists Win in France

The triumph of a Socialist President in an important European country represents the continuation of wave of change that is sweeping through parts of Europe. It is a reaction against dominance of capitalism in the economic and political life of Europe. The global recession coupled with the ongoing Eurozone crisis has exposed the real face of capitalism. The capitalist policies have brought not only the US but also the entire Europe on the brink of an economic disaster. The BBC has predicted that the process of change of governments will continue in Europe.

The election of Francois Hollande takes place at a time when European Union seems to totter under the burden of Eurozone crisis with a possibility that debt-ridden Greece may like to opt out of EU, thereby breaking the 17-nation body. Today, Greece represents a classic example of what ails Europe. Unemployment rate has crossed 20%. Under the austerity programme, massive spending cuts were imposed and the salaries of the civil servants were cut down substantially leading to accentuation of social unrest and divide. The Greeks finally voted out both the government and political party they deemed responsible for the crisis. The French elections are likely to give birth to a divisive trend and add woes to an increasingly tense EU.

The ascendancy of President Francois Hollande marks an end to the march of far-right symbolised by Nicolas Sarkozy. The former French President presided over an administration, which adopted offensive tone and tenor, attacked social and pluralistic values, stoked the fires of anti-immigration, militarism and Islamophobia. Under the austerity programme that Sarkozy designed in cooperation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hundreds of jobs were lost due to reduced spending, and growth suffered. Many in France in particular and Europe in general attribute their growing economic difficulties to the fiscal pact signed by France and Germany.  This pact led to erosion of concept of welfare state, withdrawal of public services, escalating unemployment, more deprivations and class divide.

Under Sarkozy, France joined Nato a long time after its withdrawal during the days of President De Gaulle. He also aligned the US more closely with the US. Renowned Indian columnist and human rights campaigner Praful Bidwai has written in a column published in The News that ‘In France, Sarkozy carried crony capitalism to new heights and privatised many core public assets. He revised the employees’ pensionable retirement age from 60 to 62 years. He lengthened the statutory 35-hour working week. Sarkozy made immigrants especially France’s five million Muslims from the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa, feel unwelcomed and insecure. This undermined social cohesion and encouraged xenophobic Far-Right currents like Marine Le Pen’s National Front.’

The political commentators who closely observed the development in the run up to the polls believe that the Socialists’ electoral win came not because of any of their merits but owes itself largely to the follies of Sarkozy who ‘personified semi-authoritarian, highly divisive rule, which provoked fear and loathing. He had an ostentatious lifestyle and flaunted his close connections with rich industrialists and foreign dictators.’ So overwhelming was the people’s opposition to the regime of Sarkozy that it is for the first time after the inauguration of the fifth Republic that an incumbent president failed to get a second term.