A question of “parrainages” (French election filtering)

actupol ^ | February 23, 2012 | none stated

[Texas Fossil]

Marine Le Pen did not win her case. Indeed, the FN leader and candidate for the French presidency was dismissed by the French Constitutional Court where she demanded the “parrainages” (supports) anonymity of mayors for the candidates. As justification, it was considered the current system – the publicity of the supports – was perfectly in conformity with the Constitution of the Fifth Republic and it was impossible to change the rules just sixty days before the election anyway.

Will Marine Le Pen obtain her 500 supports? This is the question currently asked by some political analysts and scholars and by the FN president herself. According to her, she got near 420 supports so far and still is denouncing a so-called system which is looking for preventing her to stand for the election.

The “parrainages” issue is still a very burning issue, coming back at any presidential election. 500 mayors or local representatives’ signatures are required to run. The system was designed and implemented by General de Gaulle in 1962 to avoid any scatterbrained candidacy.

Since then, the process little evolved excepted in 1976 where the minimum threshold to get the signatures went from 100 to 500 and made the things more complicated for some candidates. In 1981 for example, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the former FN president and Marine’s father, didn’t be able to run as Charles Pasqua – the Nicolas Sarkozy’s mentor – in 2002, because of insufficient supports. And at any presidential election, some candidates experience the same situation.

[Texas Fossil]

Marine Le Pen did get her required 500 signatures and was on the ballot yesterday. But I have noticed some odd filtering on the web about her election performance, which was surprisingly good.

The 500 required signatures were not by citizens, but by current government officials.

I had never heard of parrainages. Is this like what the GOP did in VA to keep Rick Perry and Newt off the ballot? Is this what the Super Committee about? Is this what the Super Delegates are about. Keeping the status quo???