Francophiles may be interested to watch Henri Chapier’s take on En aparté last week (below), on Ségolène Royal, the presidential candidate, discussing her image and glamour, as well as her vision (originally posted at Franceglobal.com). My view is that Mme Royal will open up politics to a new generation: the young, especially, feel distant from the political process in their country, and it’s not just those who rioted a couple of years back. She is already engaged in participative meetings where citizens do all the talking and she’s taking notes—not unlike Sen. Clinton asking for a ‘conversation’ with America. Something is shifting in democracy, and I like to think modern communications, especially the web, have had a major part to play. When I was last in France, Mme Royal certainly got more press. If she’s listening, then all the better for a country that needs direction after PresidentChirac, who gets more like a lame duck with each year in this term. It’s in stark contrast to the slick—but ultimately one-way—campaign staged by Mme Royal’s main rival, interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy. That seems so 20e siècle.
