France always have been a politically interested and quite more sweeping nation. Politics does matter. Unfortunately not more than in any other country, when it comes to European Elections. France is simply European - not more and not less. Aprt from the number of people willing to defintily take part in the upcoming electons. But the power of mass that is mobilised quickly and then striking all-out is impressive. In Iceland people demonstrated and chased away the old government after the country was hit by the Economic Crisis; in France people are on the streets already before anything similar is possible.

Streik in Lyon_2009-04-28 France suffers, too, and people are responding: Sarkozy was never ever before that unpopular. Current surveys recognized support for the president felt down from 60 % in 2007 to 37 % in march 2009. The Financial Crisis, but rather Sarkozy´s fury for reform, is troubling the French. At present he tries to reform three dozen sectors, from A like the army to U like university. Last one arouses most disagreement. Almost all universities in France are sporadically or permanently in strike, fighting a reform that was adopted to liberalise the universities and their autonomy.

This could lead to the first big slap in the face for Sarkozy and his Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) after the presidential election of 2007. But the biggest winner won´t be the Socialist Party (PS), most powerful counterpart, either. The former presidential candidate in 2007, Ségolène Royal is currently at odds with the party leadership, notably Martine Aubry and Bertrand Delanoë. The party tried to reunify the rivals for the national protest campaign taking place this May 1st. Instead the 2009 founded left-wing party called New Anticapitalist Party (NPA) is predicted to gain about 10 % of the votes. The anti-european party succeeded the Trotzkyist Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) and crusades for the concept of a new Socialism of the 21st century. In consideration of the Financial Crisis, at least catalyst for their formation, their chances are growing.