A Big Day for France

It's a big day for La France! After the televised Grand Débat (the big debate!) held on May 2nd, when the media explained the extremist measures put in place for the filming comfort of both presidential finalists, (including air conditioning regulators for each one, forbidden camera angles (no filming the back of Hollande's head! No filming Sarkozy's profile), and back up producers onsite in case one goes down), today we will finally know who will be the Le Président de la République for the next five years.  

Will it be François Hollande from PS (la Partie Socialiste)?

Will it be Nicolas Sarkozy from l'UMP (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire)?

The suspense has been killing us all - Copain watches the news every night for a political update  (lots of yelling at the TV ensues). That said, French television has been loving the never-ending opportunities to make fun of both presidential hopefuls. Here are the characters created for Hollande and Sarkozy on the French news parody, Les Guinols de l'Info:

We'll all be glued to our televisions tonight for the big reveal - they say it's going to be serré (tight!)....

Dans Les Rues de Paris - Vote

Dans Les Rues de Paris - Presidential Craze at Concorde

Sarkozy addresses the crowd at Concorde before the big elections on April 22

Hollande starts his speech (lower right)

Crazy crowd at Concorde - 

Cannes Cannes doesn't do crowds, we listened from our very political taupe couch.

The Socialists and the Tu!

After my super embarrassing moment at the kiné this week, I've been riled up about le vous - or rather, the vouvoiement.  However, I feel a slight sense of victory this evening as I watch the Socialist primaries à la télévision.  Martine Aubry and François Hollande, the left candidates for the upcoming French presidential elections, ARE USING THE "TU" WITH EACH OTHER!!!

This may not seem like a big deal - they obviously know each other, they are equals and are even a part of the same political party. However, French tradition shows us that candidates never use the "tu" during televised debates.  Candidates formally "vouvoyer" each other as they heatedly discuss the economy, unemployment and the debt! Perhaps this is because Martine and François are from the same party - perhaps they would use the "vous" with Nicholas Sarkozy (who is from the right).

Watch Ségolène Royal and Nicholas Sarkozy use the almighty "vous" in this debate from 2007.  Such good actors they are!

I think I will be forever baffled by the tu, the vous and François Hollande's make up.