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Parrainages Presidential Elections.


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[quote user="Quillan"]For 99% of us on the forum, including yourself probably, this is of little interest because we have no vote we simply have to accept what we get. Anyway Sarkozy will get reelected anyway.[/quote]

Angela is not so sure apparently...

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,824873,00.html

...but then she is not gifted with your matchless skills in political analysis!

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A bit of context might make this more palatable:

Candidates to the presidential elections must by "sponsored" (supported) by a minimum of 500 elected officials (maire, MP, senator, member of regional council...), from at least 30 different départements or overseas territories, each of those offering no more than 50 signatures. Each elected official can only sponsor one candidate.

Each candidate has one month to gather the 500 signatures, though some collect 'promises" of signature well before that.

Once the signatures have been validated by the Conseil Constitutionel, they are published and that publication marks the official opening of the campaign.

If a candidate has more than 500 signatures, 500 are randomly selected and published.

Each candidate then receive an advance of 153 000€ from the state to run his/her campaign.

In 2007, the ceiling to campaign costs were 15.5 millions € per candidate to the first ballot and 20.6 millions € for the two candidates to the second ballot.

Should a candidate gather 5% of the votes or reach the second ballot, 50% of his/her campaign costs will be covered by the state.

Under 5% of the votes and the state covers 20% of the campaign costs.

Individuals can donate money to their chosen candidate's campaign fund to a maximum of 4 600€ per election.

Donations in cash cannot exceed 150 € and cash donations cannot exceed 20% of the authorised campaign funds.

The 500-signature system aims to reduce the number of "silly" candidatures, but is

fraught with talk of pressure from the big political parties on the

maires, whose local subsidies depend on the parties' elected regional

officials.

Should a maire decide to sponsor an unknown candidate from a

small political party, the main political party at the head of the

regional council might decide to withdraw subsidies in reprisals.

Consequently, unknown potential candidates have difficulties in

gathering the required 500 signatures, regardless of the popular

support they might have "on the streets".

Does that make more sense now? [:P]

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