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CNN Sunday Morning

French Voters Casting Ballots in Contentious Election

Aired May 05, 2002 - 08:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In France voters are casting ballots today in a contentious election that has ignited demonstrations in the streets. Presidential runoff pits the incumbent Jacques Chirac against far right challenger Jean Marie Le Pen. President Chiraq is the favored candidate.

A broad spectrum of political parties have come together to back Mr. Chirac even in an effort to stop Le Pen. Le Pen shocked the French political establishment by making it this far. Critics say he's a racist and he'll take France in the wrong direction. We get a detailed analysis of the French elections and the candidates now from our guest Bruce Crumley, the Paris correspondent for "TIME" magazine. He joins us from the bureau there. Bruce, let's talk about the last- minute mood among voters in France. Do you think there will be less absentees in this election because of Le Pen's surge?

BRUCE CRUMLEY, "TIME": Yes, I think while this may sound candid, careful optimism is the feeling here. The massive mobilization in the last two weeks suggest that the French voters learned a lesson that, you know, democracy is a responsibility as well as a right and that you have to turn out and you have to vote, you know, responsibly from the word go. Hopefully, that will have sufficed to get people moving to the pollings booths today and voting massively for Chirac and against Le Pen. But the figures that some of your colleagues were citing suggest absenteeism is still a problem.

PHILLIPS: Now Le Pen is also making his last speech before Sunday's vote. He repeated corruption allegation against Chiraq. Could that muster barely the 3,000 backers to a half-empty sports arena you think, that was in Marseilles?

CRUMLEY: No. Quite frankly, I think the problem of corruption allegations for Chirac is long-standing. It is one that I think if any hay were to have been made it would have been made in the first round of polling. It really wasn't. It is out there on the public place. Everybody knows about it. I think quite frankly, Le Pen bringing it up is more recollection of his days as a street brawler as a student where any punch was legal and any blow was good as long as it won the fight.

I think also it showed the degree to which Le Pen has a visceral hatred Chirac. This is not just political confrontation between the two men. I am not throwing this word out lightly -- he hates Chirac, so therefore, trying to sell him as a human being as well as a politician is not surprising.

PHILLIPS: The allegations are ironic here because Le Pen, of course, even in your article, being accused as a walking time bomb of racism, do you see right-wing politics getting more support than ever in Europe? And if so, why?

CRUMLEY: It's very complex question, and basically I think that right wing parties, extreme right wing parties and neofacist parties and I consider Le Pen, myself a neofascist, are getting a certain lift across Europe these days. I think, however, it's for different national reasons.

The one similarity might be the role of Europe. I think government -- natural governments because they have accords and agreements with Europe, have a little bit less margin for maneuver -- actually a lot less margin for maneuver, and some of the more traditionalist voters are feeling that maybe they've lost identity, they've lost an ability to make decisions for themselves. And that may be one reason why certain extreme right neofacsist parties are getting this vote. People are simply scared and feeling lost. But again, beyond that European theme, I think there are different reasons within each European country.

PHILLIPS: I think it will be interesting to follow the elections and also what is happening within the French society. Bruce Crumley, Paris correspondent for "TIME" magazine. Great article, thank you very much.

CRUMLEY: Thank you.

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