Disaster in France-What Must Be Done Now

[Shane Mage]

The French presidential election's first round today produced
a catastrophic result for the traditional parties of the Left.
Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin got fewer than 16% of the
vote, 1.5 points less than the fascistic nationalist Jean-Marie
Le Pen and 4 points behind Chirac.  Eliminated from the May 5
runoff ballot (only the top two from the first round stay on
the ballot), Jospin announced his withdrawal from political life.
The French Communist Party's leader, Robert Hue, got a
minuscule 3.5%, a fitting reward for his consistent support
for Jospin's centrist policies throughout the five-year rule
of the "Gauche Plurielle" cabinet.  In contrast, the three
Trotskyist candidates got more than 11% of the vote-about
6.5% for Arlette Laguiller (Lutte Ouvrière), 4.5% for Olivier
Bésancenot (Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire) and 0.5%
for Daniel Gluckstein (Parti des Travailleurs).  The other two
major leftist candidates, Noel Mamere (Verts) and Jean-Pierre
Chévenement (Mouvement des Citoyens) each got slightly
more than 5%, while Christiane Taubira (Radicaux de Gauche)
less than 2%.

The lesson of this electoral disaster is clear--the immediate need
for the broadest United Front of the Left on the basis of a militant,
aggressive program.  There must be no rallying behind Chirac
"to block Le Pen."  That would be like supporting Hindenburg
"to block Hitler."  The alternative is union behind a write-in
candidate for the second round, whether or not French electoral
law permits such votes to be counted.  The indicated, indeed the
only thinkable, candidate is José Bové, who is not only a principled,
militant, totally independent leftist, but also, and by far, the
most popular political figure in France.  Bové might well win a
majority on May 5, and in any case would be positioned to
lead a united Left to victory over the discredited Chiraquiens
in the June parliamentary elections and thus force the
resignation of Chirac (whatever happens, Le Pen will certainly
not be elected on May 5).

But there is no time at all for delay.  The French Left must pick
itself up off the floor and get back in the ring within the next
two or three days.  Victory is more than possible, but not if
*anyone's* sectarian posing gets in the way.

Shane Mage

"Thunderbolt steers all things."

Herakleitos of Ephesos, fr. 64