Macron or Le Pen

mr_goo

It's the final run in to the French general election with new kid on the block Macron looking the likely victor.
However what are the views of the EU remainers on BR?
Macron is extremely pro EU and has made no secret of making life very difficult for Team GB. Surely a Le Pen win despite some of her less than desirable policies is a better outcome for us on the northern side of La Manche.
Keep the Brexit argumement 'should we have or not' out of this thread. Many of you are in industries and services that trade with France and the greater EU. Surely you would want an outcome that would provide a partner that would be more cooperative?

FocusZing

Well, he likes the more mature bird, so we should be quids in, if May flashes a bit more leg.

fat daddy

I dont think having more and more right wing leaders escalating the "them and us" mentality is really going to help the world. At a time of increasing tensions and hatred, adding to the fire is only going to incite more wars

for once I am taking the liberal approach and think we need more unity ..... I am hoping Macaroon gets in ... don't care if its not as good for the uk ..... trade, politics etc etc its all short lived

rolf_f

I would think that a pro Europe French president will be far better for us than Le Pen. If Marcron makes life difficult for us, in the long run that will still be better than Le Pen destabilising Europe further.

Pross

Le Pen getting in would be worse for Brexit negotiations as the EU would be looking to make the outcome a deterrent to the French following suit. Their biggest fear will be that other major members will leave.

veronese68

fat daddy wrote:

I dont think having more and more right wing leaders escalating the "them and us" mentality is really going to help the world. At a time of increasing tensions and hatred, adding to the fire is only going to incite more wars

for once I am taking the liberal approach and think we need more unity ..... I am hoping Macaroon gets in ... don't care if its not as good for the uk ..... trade, politics etc etc its all short lived

That pretty much covers it.

RichN95.

Guide to voting

Rule #1: Under no circumstances vote for the Fascist

rick_chasey

Fascinating bit by Varoufakis on why he's supporting Macron: https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu/2017/05/ ... mediapart/

I remember vividly the afternoon of 28th June 2015, that awful Sunday when the Eurogroup had decided to close down our banks to punish our government for resisting yet another predatory loan and more anti-social, recessionary austerity attacks on the weakest of Greeks. It was at around 6pm when I received a text message from Emmanuel with which he informed me that he was struggling to convince President Hollande and Sigmar Gabriel, Germany’s Vice Chancellor, to find a solution: “I do not want my generation to be the one responsible for Greece exiting Europe,” he said.

Less than a minute later I replied: “But of course. Just know that we need an agreement that offers respite for the long run and a prospect that this situation will not be repeated in a few months.” Emmanuel agreed. He would talk to his President and get back to me: “Sustainable solution is key, I agree with you,” he wrote, proposing that he travel to Athens the next day, incognito, to have dinner with me and Alexis and to hammer out a deal between Athens, Berlin and Paris.

After midnight, while we were in the thick of our preparations for the bank closures, Emmanuel wrote again to inform me that President Hollande was planning to issue a statement in the morning to re-open the negotiations. I thanked him and waited. “Ok,” Emmanuel said a little later, “I am ready and I am sure that Alexis, you and me could find a deal… I will convince the President tomorrow. We have to succeed!”

Next morning, Monday 29 June, the day he was meant to come to Athens, Emmanuel called asking for a favour: Could Alexis contact President Hollande to confirm that he was ready and willing to receive Emmanuel in Athens as the French President’s emissary? I called Alexis, explained the opportunity that was being presented to us, and he agreed. An hour later, however, Alexis called me back, understandably angry. “What is going on?” he asked. “Hollande’s office replied that they have no idea about a possible mission by Macron to Athens. They referred us to Michel Sapin. Is he pulling your leg?”

When I relayed this exchange to Emmanuel, he sounded upset. His explanation shocked me: “The people around Hollande do not want me to come to Athens. They are close to the Berlin Chancellery. They clearly blocked Alexis’ approach. But let me have his [Alexis’s] personal mobile phone number. I shall go to the Élysée personally in an hour to speak with him [Hollande] and ask him to call Alexis directly.”

Some hours passed but Hollande never called Alexis. So I texted Emmanuel: “Do I take it there has been no progress? And that your trip has been cancelled?” A dejected Macron confirmed that he had been blocked – by his President and his President’s entourage. “I will push again to help you, Yanis, believe me,” he promised. I believed him.

Three months after my resignation, in October, I met Emmanuel again in Paris. He told me that in a summit meeting before his failed attempt to mediate with Alexis, he had used my line that the troika’s deal for Greece was a modern-day version of the Versailles Treaty. Merkel had heard him and, according to Emmanuel, ordered Hollande to keep Macron out of the Greek negotiations.

rjsterry

Rick Chasey wrote:

Fascinating bit by Varoufakis on why he's supporting Macron: https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu/2017/05/ ... mediapart/

I remember vividly the afternoon of 28th June 2015, that awful Sunday when the Eurogroup had decided to close down our banks to punish our government for resisting yet another predatory loan and more anti-social, recessionary austerity attacks on the weakest of Greeks. It was at around 6pm when I received a text message from Emmanuel with which he informed me that he was struggling to convince President Hollande and Sigmar Gabriel, Germany’s Vice Chancellor, to find a solution: “I do not want my generation to be the one responsible for Greece exiting Europe,” he said.

Less than a minute later I replied: “But of course. Just know that we need an agreement that offers respite for the long run and a prospect that this situation will not be repeated in a few months.” Emmanuel agreed. He would talk to his President and get back to me: “Sustainable solution is key, I agree with you,” he wrote, proposing that he travel to Athens the next day, incognito, to have dinner with me and Alexis and to hammer out a deal between Athens, Berlin and Paris.

After midnight, while we were in the thick of our preparations for the bank closures, Emmanuel wrote again to inform me that President Hollande was planning to issue a statement in the morning to re-open the negotiations. I thanked him and waited. “Ok,” Emmanuel said a little later, “I am ready and I am sure that Alexis, you and me could find a deal… I will convince the President tomorrow. We have to succeed!”

Next morning, Monday 29 June, the day he was meant to come to Athens, Emmanuel called asking for a favour: Could Alexis contact President Hollande to confirm that he was ready and willing to receive Emmanuel in Athens as the French President’s emissary? I called Alexis, explained the opportunity that was being presented to us, and he agreed. An hour later, however, Alexis called me back, understandably angry. “What is going on?” he asked. “Hollande’s office replied that they have no idea about a possible mission by Macron to Athens. They referred us to Michel Sapin. Is he pulling your leg?”

When I relayed this exchange to Emmanuel, he sounded upset. His explanation shocked me: “The people around Hollande do not want me to come to Athens. They are close to the Berlin Chancellery. They clearly blocked Alexis’ approach. But let me have his [Alexis’s] personal mobile phone number. I shall go to the Élysée personally in an hour to speak with him [Hollande] and ask him to call Alexis directly.”

Some hours passed but Hollande never called Alexis. So I texted Emmanuel: “Do I take it there has been no progress? And that your trip has been cancelled?” A dejected Macron confirmed that he had been blocked – by his President and his President’s entourage. “I will push again to help you, Yanis, believe me,” he promised. I believed him.

Three months after my resignation, in October, I met Emmanuel again in Paris. He told me that in a summit meeting before his failed attempt to mediate with Alexis, he had used my line that the troika’s deal for Greece was a modern-day version of the Versailles Treaty. Merkel had heard him and, according to Emmanuel, ordered Hollande to keep Macron out of the Greek negotiations.

He was good on Newsnight last night, recalling voting for Chirac to keep Le Pen Sr out. Don't understand what the f*** the French left are playing at with considering spoiled ballots and so forth. As regards the impact on us, some minor discomfort on Brexit is easily worth it.

rick_chasey

His tell all political memior is apaz one of the best in recent memory.

TheBigBean

Rick Chasey wrote:

His tell all political memior is apaz one of the best in recent memory.

Apparently it includes quotes taken from secret recordings confirming that the Greek bailout was a bailout of French and German banks, and that they knew it could not succeed. Still, they have managed to kick the can down the road once again.

rjsterry

Just spotted this in the Guardian liveblog of the TVs debate. A le Pen voter explained their reasoning thus:

I even had an uncle who was detained in the concentration camps during the war. He did three camps - Dachau, Buchenwald and Auschwitz. With three numbers tattooed here. So I know how these kind of people are. But to put things right again - it’s the only solution.

:shock:

A pretty terrifying indictment of French politics.