The Great Debate

Insofar as one debate can influence the result of an election, Nicolas Sarkozy didn't do well enough last night to give himself a chance of winning on Sunday, and insofar the frontrunner, François Hollande, prevented Sarkozy from walking all over him, he may be said to have "won" the debate. It was important for him, too, to show that he was a "tough guy".  In truth, though, the outgoing president was facing an impossible task. Leaving aside what you may think of him as a person and how you judge his five years in office, the fact is that sooner or later the electorate wants a change and there's not much anyone can do about it, as John Major and Gordon Brown found out to their cost. Add to this the effects of the financial and euro crises... Here in France, the Socialists appear to have "grown up" sufficiently over the last ten years to persuade people they are a viable or plausible alternative. I say "appear" because I personally doubt whether they have the stomach for the tough decisions that lie ahead, or rather, I doubt whether Hollande will be able to run a sufficiently tight ship. We shall see. In the mean time, there will be blood on the right!