Today is the second and final round of the French presidential elections and the “Sun King” will be chosen! France is hoping for a miracle from the new president.
This will be a referendum on Europe’s austerity measures (Sarkozy for and Holland against them). Paul Krugman must be happy that there has been a definite shift in opinion in the past month.
I went to the first round to observe and learn how it works in France where you actually have to pick up a piece of paper with the name of the candidate printed on it and take it to the booth and put it in the envelope and then to the voting urn.
The fate of France and Europe is decided in a sea of blue envelopes today. Nicolas Sarkozy’s Socialist challenger Francois Hollande beat him in the first round of elections and is the front runner in all opinion polls that have predicted he will win tonight but it’s not over till it’s over…
In the first round on April 22nd, Hollande came out on top making Sarkozy the first ever President to lose the number 1 position in the first round of votes. These are chaotic times and the global financial crisis couldn’t help any incumbent in the shadow of austerity and looming recession.
After the closing of the urns, the volunteers can help count the votes—something I have never seen in the U.S.—and everybody can ask to be a part of the “dépouillement” (tally in english). They just let me take pictures but I couldn’t count because I don’t vote in France.
I should be in L.A. to vote in November because this has made me nostalgic about home.
It’s the time of sweet smelling wisterias (glycine in french) in Paris:
and it must be the time of jacarandas in L.A. where it rains purple in the month of May:
But in France, people who vote don’t get a sticker!
See some amazing jacarandas here
See me get angry about politics here
If Sarkozy goes to the guillotine today it will be because of this woman
Today is also Sainte “Prudence” name day.
have a look at your calendar (as in all kitchens in France or most of them)
I deeply wish that N.Sarkozy stay on his “throne”.
I have never heard (except for one soccer play in 2002 or 2001 or 2000 I can not remember)such a silence on our roads and streets in my place. Never ever.
“We know what we leave, we ignore what we may find…” so.. Sainte Prudence will say .. Safety first.
Thanks a lot for your post !
Now that Sarkozy has gave up the throne, may the new Sun King bring glory and prosperity to the French and it’s resident reporter!
….and Jacarandas send their color too!!
Bravo pour l’oeuvre d’art sur l’enveloppe !
J’étais persuadé qu’il était interdit de photographier dans un bureau de vote. En effet, j’ai été plusieurs fois scrutateur et je me souviens d’un échange avec un des membres du bureau sur toutes les implications d’une élection libre. Notamment, il ne faut pas que les gens puissent avoir une preuve de ce qu’ils ont voté (parce que ça pourrait servir au commerce des votes, ce qui est bien sûr interdit). Je pensais que dans ce cadre, il était interdit de photographier dans un bureau de vote (même si les journalistes ne se votent pas pour y filmer les hommes politiques). Mais j’ai cherché dans le code électoral et je ne trouve aucune trace de cette interdiction, que je ne suis pourtant apparemment pas le seul à croire en vigueur.
Sans doute qu’empêcher la vente de vote est suffisamment garanti par l’isoloir.
Spare me the politics, dear Michele; for as I grow older, I loose ,bunch by bunch -my once a preoccupation- , interest in this madness of global affairs.
But today, bunch by bunch, our wisteria trees are shedding purple. The fragrance, however, still lingers in our deck.
And your pictures reminded me of :khiaabaan Aamol” where the wisteria lined street adorns my childhood memories still!