The FT is showing its true colours this morning.
There's a typcially patronising article lecturing a new left wing president.
And some anti-democracy rhetoric.
And a wilful attempt to confuse the failure to form a government in Greece with the election of President Hollande.
The right wing are obviously very, very frightened today. The idea that they may be wrong is occurring to them, and they don't like it.
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Richard,
I’m new to this game, so may be wrong. But on the face of it, I think you may be being a little hard on Dominique Moïsi (author of the first article you cite) who – as far as I can make out – is no right-winger (as the son of a survivor of Auchwitz, he is certainly very anti the extreme right). And while Hollande is clearly a socialist, he is not exactly what the French would regard as “left-wing”. I know little about Moïsi, but I suspect both are essentially social democrats.
The article may come across as somewhat patronising, but – to give him the benefit of the doubt – I don’t think that was the intention. And the article does conclude with the following endorsement:
“You have taken it upon yourself to fit your character and your resolve to the task of being president. You are up to that task. Don’t disappoint us.”
Make no mistake, I feel immense relief at the defeat of Sarkozy and an irrepressible surge of hope with the election of Hollande. But, like M Moïsi, I fear being disappointed.
“”The traditional political elites are losing control of the system they once dominated.” 12 of the 17 member states of the EMU have seen their governments collapse or been voted out in the last two years. As Stratfor’s Kristen Cooper notes, this is testament to the near political impossibility of implementing austerity and maintaining popular support. The tough truth is that while voters initially turn to the mainstream opposition they soon realize that they have little to offer that is different and so radical, extreme, or previously marginalized political parties will, and have done in Germany (Pirates) and Greece (Golden Dawn) already, see an increasing share of the popular anti-establishment vote and implicitly hamper any political solutions to the crisis that Europe awakens to every morning.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/stratfor-europes-growing-anti-establishmentism
Zero is a right of centre economics site.
Frequently correct though.
Which is what I – and no doubt M Moïsi – fear for France if François Hollande fails in the daunting task he has set himself. And why it is so important that he does, perhaps against all the odds, succeed in offering and doing something different.
Time will tell – no doubt quite soon – but for the moment, I refuse to abandon my new-born hope.