THE FIRST round of the French parliamentary elections is on toppled from government. SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 9 March 1978 page 8 from the lackiustre campaign.
IF YOU'VE been relying on the television - or even Fleet Street - for coverage of the French elections, you'll have a rather strange picture: a nation struck with terror that left government might get in. bringing with it a 'sweeping" programme of nationalisation and the end of civilisation as we know it.
In fact the nationalisations will he about as sweeping as my typewriter brush. The differences between the Communist and Socialist Parties en this Issue HMOURIO how sahsidiaries of the mine compunies to be nationalised should meet their parents' fate.
After much posturing the parties drew closer until the difference was ess than 0.2 per ceat of all French ompanies! The arposal from the Socialist-backed CFDT union federation splits that difference and seems likely to win acceptance from both sides.
VETO The fall extent of the nationalisation is only 15 per cent of total production - considerably less then in 'socialist" Britain.
Nor do the left parties threaten to uway constilutional apparatus of Guallist But for the first time since the precarious days of the Fourth Republic in the 1940s and 50s it looks like the right wing will be muny major France. They have been at pains to Shes Pir willingness 1o subject to a right-wing President with Bonapartist powers of velo.
Any attempt at significunt reform will run up againet the right-wing Senute, President, and the parapherGILLES GIACOMIN writes from Paris on the closing stages of FRANCOIS MITTERRAND: Prime Minister in a fortnight?
govern conflicts Terrorised by control. nalia of "constitutional guarantees".
And the left has declared in adrance in poser. that it will be a good loser in these Yel the press still insists on it picture of un entire population Left Guullisis] the threat communisat, selling its francs and sewing gold ingots into its mattresses — which leaves your wondering who exactly is going to be left to vote for these ruhid revolutionaries.
The fear is not entirely misplaced. For more than a year and especially since the big left gains in the municipal elections last spring the Union of the Left parties have been telling workers to hold off the industrial action and apposition to after these legislative elections.
This has dampened down strugales so far, but there is always the danger [from the point of view of the major parties] that the workers may take this promise literally. A left victory threates to unleash a militant For all the reformist moderation it remains Ukely that a left win would usher in a new period of mass struggle greater than anything seen in Frunce since 1968.
Hence the vision of a terrorstricken nation and hence, too, the cany Deed so put a socialse Party-Communist Party government Whatever their policies these BUTE ON I NEER CUE LES hungers-on in the Left Radicals and organisations uf the working class social change be possible. Even of the work fore, And the anou INTE and focus the hopes and aspirutio of the workers Their election would create isone favourable condirions advance the struggle against the n attacks aguins! undemocrutic legal lagauge, and 1 the interests of the mass of exploit and oppressed.
The split between the ine worke parties and the sectarian attitude SHEES Nades ones hamper th development.
This Is not hecause we are favour of some abstract unity any cost. but Decuuse as GiE Giucomin explains on this page INCENCE party puts forward programme which goes begund i most timid reformisms.
And predictions? The split ans the right-wing parties is less likely be reflected in vistes, since both t Giscardians and Jacques Chirac Gaullists huve agreed to stand don in the second round if the otber higher placed on the first.
LEFT Bat it now looks probable that, 1 all the bomhast, the left parties + rounds.
If chat is so, and ahe opinion pu are to be beliered (and that's alwa a big If, Francois Mitrerrand w he heading a left government withi fortnight
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Sunday. It promises to be the most explosive election since General de Gaulle seized power in 1958 — though you wouldn't know it
stake in the election. REACTION
GILLES GIACOMIN reports from Paris on the closing stage of the Communist Party campaign, RICHARD KIRKWOOD an MURRAY SMITH present two rather different views of the fa left campaigns, and, below, RICHARD CARVER asks what is a