[dighton]

It is a striking fact that in a country - France - which contains around five million people of Arab origin, not one of them is a member of parliament.

Am I missing something obvious, or is it simply a matter of not bothering to vote and run for office?

[Always Right]

Am I missing something obvious, or is it simply a matter of not bothering to vote and run for office?

They are more interested in blowing up the office than running for it....

[HostileTerritory]

France has a parliamentary system with centralized parties that choose the candidates for given districts. It's not like the U.S.--well, the U.S. isn't like the U.S., but anyway--where theoretically someone can sign up, participate in a primary, and run on a major party ticket.

In France, as in Britain, they can parachute politicians into districts far from their homes and have them run.

[Alice au Wonderland]

Bingo! You said it before I could.