Head To Head
Scandals and a faltering economy set the tone for the French election
By BRUCE CRUMLEY/Paris
The outcome of France’s spring and summer elections for President and the National Assembly will dramatically impact the pace of economic and social reform — but only if one party claims both the executive and legislative branches.
French voters may prefer the current "cohabitation," however, under which a President from one party shares power with a government from a rival parliamentary majority.
The presidential battle will likely be a showdown between incumbent Jacques Chirac and Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin. Despite being dogged by corruption scandals, and with few accomplishments to boast of during his seven years in office, Chirac continues to lead Jospin in opinion polls.
Jospin and his government gain consistently high approval ratings for their management of France’s economy, but Chirac’s continued popularity suggests the French may have different criteria for choosing heads of government and state.
Chirac’s formidable campaign skills, combined with the economic slowdown, will make it difficult for Jospin to close the gap when the pair finally take to the stump in March.
Recent unrest among workers in the nation’s health care sector might also further sully Jospin’s image. But with elections having produced "cohabitation" in all but two of the last nine years, a split decision is likely.
On second thought ... Fractious infighting — rife on both the right and left — could cause one camp to implode, leaving the other to capture both branches of government.
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