Habemus President

On May 6th 2012, François Hollande’s election as President of France was announced, as most of you know.

How many different systems people have created in an attempt to organize free, open and honest elections! Experience in different countries has taught me that, as in most human endeavors, none is perfect – and yet all the variations work. Here’s the route that François Hollande took. First, of course, he had to become one of the candidates. Any French citizen over the age of 18 is theoretically qualified to run for President. Candidates do not need to belong to a recognized political party. Some found a party or movement just so they can run. But they must prove national support. All must turn in to the Conseil Consitutionel, at least six weeks before the election, 500 signatures from elected officials from at least 30 départements (counties) and with no more than 10% from any single département.This year, because of this last condition, only ten of the 29 people who had announced their candidacy, were able to run. François Hollande had another hurdle. In October 2011, the Socialists held their first-ever open primary with six candidates. It was preceded by three televised debates. To vote in the primary, you did not have to be a Socialist, just a registered voter willing to sign a paper saying that you agreed with the “values of the Left and of the Republic” (such as, liberty, equality, fraternity, secularism, justice and social progress) and pay 1 euro towards the cost of organizing the primary. After winning and becoming the official candidate of the Socialist Party, M. Hollande entered the campaign phase. As well as appearing at numerous “meetings” large and small, he and the other 9 presidential candidates were given free air time on the public television and radio stations during the six weeks before the first round of the election – an equal amount of time for each. Television newscasts were required to give each candidate equal time and each candidate was invited to speak at each of the political talk shows. At last April 22nd arrived -- the first round of the election. French elections always have two rounds. As the French saying goes “The first round is to choose and the second to eliminate.” Candidates from the major parties beg for people to “vote usefully” (that is for them). But a large percentage of the votes in the first round go the more radical "smaller candidates" – in this election 44% distributed among eight candidates and the rest for either M Hollande or M Sarkozy. The two weeks between the rounds is the most exciting part of the campaign for many. Candidates who came third or fourth call press conferences to tell people who they intend to support in the second round and sometimes urge their supporters to do the same. Journalists try to discover if any backroom deals are being stuck -- “Support me and I’ll name you to my Cabinet if I win.” -- while the major candidates deny any such thing is happening. And there is the debate – a face to face confrontation of the second round candidates. Two journalists are present as timekeepers. They try to ask questions and control answer times but usually fail miserably. The candidates are professionals. They have been debating for years and don’t need journalists to tell them how. The debate is announced for two hours and this year ran for nearly three. The campaign ended Friday at midnight as it must by law. No politics was discussed – on television at least – on Saturday, the “day of reflection.” No polls were published. On Sunday, the vote took place.

80% of eligible voters went to the polls (about average) and François Hollande was elected with 51.63% of their votes.

On May 15th, he will drive himself to the Elysées Palace. M Sarkozy will greet him and take him inside. An hour or so later, he will accompany M Sarkozy back out and shake hands with him. And France will have a new President.