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Trapped, it's time to vote strategically
- Posted by Vincent Petit
- 22 April 2007
The election from the perspective of 30-year-old Parisian Vincent Petit
What I think of the elections?
Generally: it’s a right, but above all it’s a civic duty. You could vote for anyone – I wouldn’t care who – as long as you voted. Nothing frustrates me more than people who abstain, or who don’t register for voting.
For the elections on Sunday, as usual I find myself trapped between an unconvincing left-wing candidate, whose only merit is her gender, and a right-wing challenger who is pretty worrying, a demagogue on demand, happy to flirt with an extremist rhetoric which brings back all kinds of unpleasant memories… I’m feeling like I’m going to have to vote strategically again, and it’s becoming a bit of a bore!
It’s high time that the traditional left-right polarisation in today’s liberal societies evolved. The old political divisions are completely outdated; and we can hardly go back on Europe, as the far right would like, or on economic liberalism, which is what the hard left would like. I’m still waiting for someone convincing to come along with an innovative programme…
In brief: a few days from the first round, I still didn't know which way I was going to vote and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. Guess I'm going to make up my mind today!
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