hope sarkozy will win

first round of french presidential election will be held today. it will definitely go for a second round run-off between the two leading contenders.

i hope (as i have been doing since 2005) nicolas sarkozy will win eventually, after coming first today. he is certainly not a libertarian. he is not even a politician in the mold of american republican or british thatcherite conservative type, which is the next best thing, but he is the best on offer in this french election. of the others, ségolène royal is a socialist made palatable by a pretty face, françois bayrou is basically an empty everything for everyone, and jean-marie le pen is too right wing. besides, sarkozy is not chirac that disastrous socialist masquerading as a center right gaullist.

france deserves a better fate and prospects than its present fate and prospects. it has given so much to the world and is one of those few countries one can fall in love with, even without being born or grown up there. hopefully a sarkozy win will indicate that french are finally willing to get their act together and willing to stop their country's stagnation and slow relative decline.

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