Don't believe ALL the bad things you hear about Hollande and his team

[NormanH]

He is very unpopular and his team appear less and less competent, BUT

They are also victims of a very nasty 'black' propaganda campaign from the extreme right:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/frances-flood-of-antileft-hoaxes-these-stories-are-gripping-the-nation-but-you-wont-find-them-in-the-papers-8944588.html

[Graham & Brenda]

No "black" propaganda needed - just look at the state of the economy. Increasing taxes left right & centre just puts more downward pressure on growth. No effective reduction in central costs - quite the opposite. All this from the man who said austerity was over. The incompetence of FH & his team would be laughable if things weren't so bad.

[Pickles]

I must admit I hadn't come across any of those stories: my neighbours are more concerned with things like the number of U-turns, half-baked policies, taxation increases and general air of incompetence emanating from Paris as well as the general feeling that Hollande is "in government but not in power". That's when they aren't complaining about the co-propriété's Conseil Syndicale or the latest local act of incivility.

[woolybanana]

Norman, such nasty messages have always existed, I fear. There were plenty in Sarkozy's time.

Worse, I feel, is the 'settling of scores' that is going on with various UMP figures plus Mr Tapie being hauled up again and again to try and get something on them.

The latter is of course a socialist apostste so right in the line of fire and fair play, so it seems.

The role of the magistracy in this needs careful monitoring, as there seems to be a degree of politiicization going on, or perhaps revenge. The `European court will doubtless be interested at some point.

[Clair]

In this house, he is known as Humpty Dumpty (look as his face!!)

Just about everything that has been implemented seems to have been done as a knee-jerk reaction to whoever last shouted in his ear and has soon been amended to reflect the pressure put on by whichever third-party feels more aggrieved.

Even the people working in the mairie in my very left-wing village have expressed their exasperation with the many unpractical and nonsensical policies and changes they are asked to implement.

No need for any right-wing propaganda when they're the ones being asked to deal with the consequences...

[Alan Zoff]

Does it really matter who is "in charge"? Turkeys won't vote for Christmas so the electors want to keep the socialist benefits ("tradition") but don't want to pay for them. Sarkozy/Hollande - both in a no-win situation.

Same in all countries really, but things tend to become very ingrained in France.  As for the media, they just want a story and will paint anyone in the public eye any colour they want.

[NormanH]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Norman, such nasty messages have always existed, I fear. There were plenty in Sarkozy's time.

Worse, I feel, is the 'settling of scores' that is going on with various UMP figures plus Mr Tapie being hauled up again and again to try and get something on them.

The latter is of course a socialist apostste so right in the line of fire and fair play, so it seems.

The role of the magistracy in this needs careful monitoring, as there seems to be a degree of politiicization going on, or perhaps revenge. The `European court will doubtless be interested at some point.[/quote]

The magistrates didn't appreciate Sarkozy's attempt to strip them of their independence and put them under the control of the politicians. Fortunately those plans have been dropped for the moment.

[woolybanana]

Yes, I know that, Norman. What I can't figure out is the extent to which the magistrates are politicized, either as a group or through pressure from the government of the day. Any thoughts?

[NormanH]

I think that as a group they are disparate,  with sympathisers in both camps which is why there is often an attempt to get a case moved to another juge's  jurisdiction if the first one is perceived as a political 'anti'.

Makes a bit of a nonsense of the idea of 'independent' and may go some way to explaining why politicians always seem to end up being 'relaxed'.

I know a couple of juges, one of whom at least I hold in esteem and he was very unhappy with the previous proposals to rein  them in.

However given what I said above I reckon that even independent they are not apolitical..