Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Lesson in France’s pain

Tuesday, April 30, 2002 | 8:30 a.m.

AS ONE OF MANY AMERICANS who feel justified in taking a critical shot at France every now and then, don't put me in the company of some of its latest critics. The recent presidential primary vote that propelled hard-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen into the general election against President Jacques Chirac was a real jolt for large numbers of French voters. Le Pen's success should have the positive effect of more voters going to the polls in the general election. Almost 28 percent of the voters stayed home during the first election and the results embarrassed their nation. Incidentally, the percentage of French citizens not voting is much less than those who don't vote in our country.

When considering that candidates from several political parties participated in the primary election, we must note that Le Pen received only 17 percent of the votes cast and Chirac was little better with 19.6 percent of the votes. This reflects what a fractured political system can foster and shows the strength of the existence of two major parties in the United States' system. Nevertheless, observers have recognized that the strength of the extreme right is much greater than believed prior to the vote.

So what does Le Pen stand for according to his campaign literature? The New York Times gives us the following material from his website:

What Le Pen's vote shows, according to several analysts, is a population that's upset with what they believe is the high crime rate fostered by the influx of foreign refugees. His anti-Jewish remarks of the past and the present street violence attributed to young Arab immigrants has put him in the position of damning both groups. The rising number of street crimes in the Netherlands and several other countries of Europe has also given the right-wingers in those nations a step up the political ladder. Crime, unemployment and immigration have all been neatly tied together by Le Pen and he has tasted some early success.

The rightist candidate has torn asunder the French Communist Party along with other leftist political parties. The leftists now have little leeway to do anything but help Chirac in the run-off election. The extreme right and the extreme left have clashed and the president will walk right down the middle to another victory.

During the coming months and years it will be interesting to watch Chirac as he responds to some of the growing problems in his country. Will he adopt any of the policies put forth by Le Pen? I doubt if he will make any sharp turns to the right, but certainly won't overlook the problems of unemployment or the suspicions of the European Union harbored by many of his constituents.

As Americans we shouldn't expect a warmer and kinder Chirac in his relations with our country. He's the leader of a country that has long expressed its arrogance by challenging U.S. foreign policies just to demonstrate its own independence. This attitude has probably flourished because its leaders don't want to admit that the Americans have pulled their chestnuts from the fires of destruction during both World War I and World War II. However, in the long run they often show up as friends when the heat in the world's kitchen hits the high temperatures. They usually arrive long after the Brits have joined us in the fray.

So let's not get overly concerned but sit back and enjoy the thrashing Chirac gives Le Pen next week. If nothing else, it should be a lesson for us that the people not going to the polls are the ones who can endanger a civilized society.