Le Pen Is Out of Ink

Dateline: 6 May 2002

After an exciting two weeks in France, starting with the shocking first-round election results and followed by mass demonstrations, Jacques Chirac soundly defeated Jean-Marie Le Pen in yesterday's second round of presidential elections, final score 82.05% to 17.95%, with an abstention rate of 19.25% (compared to 28.40 in the first round).

Chirac received the highest percentage of votes in the history of French universal suffrage, thanks to the support of French political parties across the spectrum. However, many party leaders and citizens have made it clear that they did not vote for Chirac, but rather for democracy and against intolerance. France's diverse political views will be better represented by the results of the upcoming parliamentary elections (9 and 16 June). Indeed, first secretary of the Socialist Party François Hollande was quick to announce that his party's support of Chirac ends here and now. Socialists voted for Chirac to ensure that democracy would still reign in France; that accomplished, they now plan to make their own waves in the parliamentary elections.

Chirac would do well to remember that he is indebted to this temporary but huge and diverse group of supporters and must try to represent them all. In his acceptance speech, Chirac publicly acknowledged this responsibility, but has since intoned that he plans to "undo" much of what the Socialist party accomplished over the last five years.

In keeping with tradition and the French Constitution, Prime Minister Lionel Jospin resigned this morning, and a few hours later, Chirac named his successor: conservative Jean-Pierre Raffarin, of the Démocratie libérale party.

Jean-Marie Le Pen called Chirac's victory "questionable, acquired by Soviet methods" and a "bitter defeat of French hope." Although he personally won't be a candidate, Le Pen is confident that he can help other Front National members into Parliament.

World leaders were quick to express their satisfaction with the results of the French presidential election.

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