November 17, 2006
French Socialist in Cyberspace
Ségolène Royal used an Internet-fueled, personality-driven campaign to capture the Socialist Party's nomination for president and boost her bid to become France's first female head of state.
Cyberspace has helped Royal brand herself as a political outsider and relative newcomer at a time when polls show that French voters are fed up with disarray and paralysis in the government and are pining for a fresh face.
Her campaign Web site (http://www.desirsdavenir.org/ , which translates as "Desires for the Future") features blogs that solicit views on the economy, unemployment and immigration. Chapter by chapter, she is writing and publishing a book on the site that has been likened to a political manifesto.
Her use of the Internet sets her apart from some UMP leaders, such as Chirac, who 10 years ago stood transfixed before a computer mouse and asked, "What's that?" The incident was ridiculed as an example of French backwardness. And Nicolas Sarkozy has tried to make an asset of the fact that he has no computer in his office, explaining to an interviewer that he doesn't have time for one.
Maybe Sarkozy should take a page from Royal's book, because it looks like taking the time to establish a Web presence pays off.
Battle Royal Looms for French Change
French Socialist Using Web to Win Over Voters
French UMP Site
French Socialist Party Website
Posted by Buzz Webster at November 17, 2006 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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