We should all be paying attention to the runoff elections the French will hold on May 6th. (See article from the Guardian) or (article by BBC) or (article in NY Times)

The recent preliminary vote brought out nearly 85% of the eligible voters- a remarkable turnout. The candidates included moderately conservative Nicolas Sarkozy (the most pro-America candidate of the group), centrist Francois Bayrou, socialist Segolene Royal, the far right Jean-Marie Le Pen and several other far left candidates.

The May 6th election pits Sarkozy against Royal in a runoff fight that will have great significance for France and the world. In a time when the America needs as many friends as possible to sustain efforts to improve the conditions in the Middle East, a victory for Sarkozy would be a signal that relations with France could be on the upswing.

Sarkozy threatens the left, like any conservative would, because he actually thinks the French welfare state should be reduced. (A segment of French society is very concerned they may have to actually work a full work week.) He wants to protect French corporations and supports efforts to increase law and order by cracking down on crime.

Royal will have to convince many in the mainstream of her willingness to govern from the middle. Her campaign will be telling for U.S. politicians who are faced with a similar struggle. France has become increasingly conservative as the country confronts issues with which we are familiar in the U.S.: illegal immigration, the failure of many immigrants (particularly from Arab and African countries) to culturally assimilate, excessive taxes, burgeoning debt, increasing violence amongst the youth in certain regions of the country and growing numbers of the citizenry who are disinterested in working and producing at a competitive level.

In France, and in the U.S., these liberal politicians repackage themselves to appear more conservative than they are because it is the only way they have a shot at winning. Will the people of France see through the campaign promises to recognize the chameleon-like position changes for what they are: ploys to capture power. Will people in the U.S. recognize the shifts in our own politicians' positions.

France has begun to move to the right as the people have begun to realize that dangerous policies of tolerance have shifted their culture towards collapse. The French are fighting for the survival of their culture, whether they recognize it or not. Only the French can decide if their culture should be preserved.

Their decision will influence world politics and certainly have an impact on relations between the United States and France. Let us all hope the people of France elect Sarkozy. Of the two candidates there can be no question: A Sarkozy win holds the most promise for rebuilding our relationship and for pulling France back from the liberal abyss into which it has sunk over the last several decades.