Opinion Cheesy camarade

And cheese? France cannot exist without cheese. I went to France with the taste of jalebi in my mouth. It took me time to get accustomed to cheese,whose origins predate recorded history,ranging around 8000-3000 BCE when sheep were first domesticated. My work in Europe is associated with French culture so I’ve had to dive deep into their gastronomy. I learnt from my son,who is born and brought up in France,how to appreciate cheese. Ever since my tongue has absorbed the taste of French cheese,nothing can now shift that enjoyment. My favourite cheese is one of Emperor Napoleon’s favourites too,Epoisses,made from cow’s milk. It definitely stinks—it’s banned from public transport in France. The way French people identify with different cheese varieties made Charles de Gaulle,national hero after World War II,once ask in exasperation,“How can you govern a country in which there are 246 kinds of cheese?”

It’s incredible that the French demolished monarchy to form the First Republic,then in 1804,brought back monarchy by crowning military-man Napoleon Bonaparte emperor. Napoleon’s political and administrative prowess makes him France’s favourite emperor. Through Napoleonic Wars,he secured a dominant position for France in Europe. Until the British defeated him in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815,Frenchmen enjoyed peace that helped raise comfort standards. Napoleon’s war campaigns are studied at military academies throughout much of the world. The Napoleonic Code has influenced legal systems in several countries including the Indian Penal Code drafted during the British Raj. Among his legacy still practised in France is the Baccalaureat exam and Legion of Honour awards. talent. But his unacceptable words were,“Women should not be regarded as equal to men. They are nothing more than machines for producing children.”

To return to the subject of Communism,France was the first to introduce working-class democracy. French workers went on strike 1934 demanding paid holidays for their 47-hour work-week. This prompted France’s first Socialist Council supported by French Communist Party to introduce in 1936. two-weeks paid vacation each year for the first time in the world,and 40-hour work-week. French Socialists put the system upside-down again by adopting 35-hour work-week,although I’m not sure this is the right direction.

The French Muslim terrorist who recently killed three Jewish children,a Rabbi and three French army men may have played a role in fluctuating polls. But Camarade Melenchon’s impact after rounding up support of protesters,has been more significant. In fact,protester votes made the Extreme Right become,for the first time,the second party against Jacques Chriac in France’s 2002 election. This extreme right score scandalised both France and the world. But Chirac’s run-off victory by 80 per cent confirmed that France had 20 per cent protesters. CSA polls predicting the May 6,2012 run-off shows Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande win 54 per cent and reigning President Nicholas Sarkozy of Rightist UMP party lose with 46 per cent votes. Tracking details,CSA 2012 polls of February 6 and April 2 show Marine Le Pen fall from 17.5 to 13 per cent while Melenchon rose from 8 to 15 per cent. This heralds the imminent return of the Communist Party that peaked 21.27 per cent votes in 1969,dropped to 8.66 per cent in 1995 at the end of Socialist President Francois Mitterand’s second term,and plummeted to 1.93 per cent in 2007 election. Hollande best personifies French liberty. He reduced 10 kg for aesthetics,appreciating the French electorate. He won the Socialist party primary candidature fighting his former partner and mother of their four children—Segolene Royal,who lost the 2007 Presidential race to Sarkozy. Just imagine,a couple,both Enarques who graduated from France’s Ecole National d’Administration,both from the same party,but they didn’t like each other becoming Presidential candidate. But on April 4,2012,Segolene reversed this image,appearing in public with Hollande. Traditionally,the Left eats cheese with Socialists,considering them camarades. With Segolene and Melenchon beside him,will Hollande clinch victory at the May 6,2012 run-off? Touche!

Shombit Sengupta is an international creative business strategy consultant to top management. Reach him at http://www.shiningconsulting.com