Nicolas Sarkozy or François Hollande?

[term2000]

Which candidate do you prefer to become the next President of France??

Nicolas Sarkozy: 57 years old, UMP (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire), center-right. President in office



François Hollande: 57 years old, PS (Parti Socialiste), center-left

[term2000]

Massive rallies today in Paris

[aek-94]

I know nothing about French politics, so I can't really vote.

[Paddington]

I don't give a shit about French politics.

[WatcherZero]

Never heard of François Hollande in this country.

[term2000]

Originally Posted by Paddington

I don't give a shit about French politics.

Well, you should, it's Europe 2nd largest economy, and the 5th in the world. It's not any country. Besides, France is especially not any country for the UK, what happens there matters.

[aek-94]

Originally Posted by term2000

Well, you should, it's Europe 2nd largest economy, and the 5th in the world. It's not any country. Besides, France is especially not any country for the UK, what happens there matters.

Apparently Britain's economy is set to overtake France by 2016.

Britain's economy set to overtake France within 5 years
25 Dec 2011

Britain’s economy is set to overtake France by 2016, according to data group the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

The research body said the UK economy, which under the coalition is aggressively cutting its debt over the current parliament, should overtake the slowing French economy within five years.

By 2020 the UK will have slipped from the seventh-largest economy in the world to the eighth, with a gross domestic product of £2,544billion. But France is set to crash from fifth to ninth with a GDP of £2,361billion.

However, the economy of resource-rich Brazil will overtake the UK this year. The South American powerhouse’s GDP will hit £1,612billion this year, while the UK’s GDP for 2011 is £1,588billion.

Read more

Although with the whole Scottish independence thing, maybe it'll change this.

[term2000]

Some facts:

Population: 65,400,000
GDP: US$2,562,742 million
GDP Per Capita: US$44,401
Military Expenditure: US$61,285 million

[term2000]

Originally Posted by aek-94

Apparently Britain's economy is set to overtake France by 2016.



Read more

Nobody knows what will happen in 5 years time. For example, the IMF projects that by 2016, France will still have a larger economy than Britain. The one thing that we do know is that in the last years, French economy has grown faster than British economy. Fact, France is world's 5th largest economy. The UK is the 7th.

Anyway, this is not a UK vs. France thread. It's a thread about the French Presidential Election.

[aek-94]

Originally Posted by term2000

Nobody knows what will happen in 5 years time. The thing that we know is that in the last years, French economy has grown faster than British economy.

Anyway, this is not a UK vs. France thread. It's a thread about the French Presidential Election.

Back on topic, I've never heard of François Hollande. So I don't know.

[Jack Rabbit Slim]

I like François Hollande because his name sounds like two European countries!

*no name technicalities please

[term2000]

Originally Posted by aek-94

Back on topic, I've never heard of François Hollande. So I don't know.

Well, you should read something called newspapers. Not The Sun or related, obviously.

[tuten]

Never heard of francy holland or whatever his name is/don't care.

[aek-94]

Originally Posted by term2000

Well, you should read something called newspapers. Not The Sun or related, obviously.

I do already, but I skip over the news about France because to be honest, I don't really care. German politics is much more interesting IMO.

[term2000]

Originally Posted by tuten

Never heard of francy holland or whatever his name is/don't care.

Wow, I didn't know francophobia was still so present in some people of the UK.

[tuten]

What do you expect? Not many people will care about French politics as we are not French.

I doubt many French people cared about UK elections and why should they?

[Rumors]

Nicolas Sarkozy.

[WatcherZero]

Theres a quarter of a million + votes in the french election here but theyve not tried to solicit them, most other Asian/European countries have at least a flying visit by senior party members to try and win the ex-pat block vote.

[alonzo-ny]

Originally Posted by term2000

Anyway, this is not a UK vs. France thread.

It is now. The award for that goes to whoever compared our economies.

For the OP I really don't know. I don't particularly like Sarkozy and he is unpopular however I know nothing of this other character. I will pay attention as the election goes on. When is it?

[Lailax]

Originally Posted by Paddington

I don't give a shit about French politics.

That.

Didn't know or care that it is French election time.