Round one to Jacques Chirac and the centre-right

摘要

An overwhelming victory for the right; the humbling of the Socialists; and the collapse of the extremists, of both right and left. Take the results of last weekend's first round of voting for France's next National Assembly and President Jacques Chirac is entitled to feel blessed. A year ago, the headlines all spoke of financial scandals attached to his past. More recently, they contemplated a presidential victory for his Socialist rival, Lionel Jospin. Now they unanimously predict that the outcome of this weekend's second round of the general election, on June 16th, will show a "blue wave" of conservatism sweeping across France, just as in several other parts in Europe. Both houses of parliament-the National Assembly and the Senate-will owe their allegiance to a centre-right president. So probably will most of France's 36,861 local communes (each with a mayor), 100 departments and 26 regions. And likewise the Constitutional Council, France's highest court.