Talk:French presidential election, 1981

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This article is rather like an essay, with a lot of suppositions about what motivated people, why they voted this or that way. Furthermore, it seems to contain several inaccuracies:

  • The electoral system was not considerably changed "in the years before". The majority was lowered from 21 to 18. "Universal suffrage" was not that recent: the last reform in the matter was suffrage for women in 1945, and universal suffrage for males was much older.
  • The article used the word "liberal" in a typically American sense of "left-wing". In France, liberals are right-wingers who oppose government intervention.
  • Was Giscard's desdain for senior civil servant a major reason while he failed to connect with the people? I don't think so. In any case, it should be sourced and justified.

Etc. David.Monniaux 07:04, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

  • Ive edited out some of these and changed the language etc.. to make it a bit less POV. I think the final point re: disdain is probably valid. Giscard - as other politicians have been - was viewed as aloof. Hard to source a "feeling". How, for example, would one source the hatred (or approval) felt for Thatcher? But the hatred was real nonetheless. I think it reads better now. But the outcome section still needs some work. Marcus22 15:12, 31 October 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Where did this article come from?

The opening poetic lines date from the first contribution - is this just an essay, or possibly a copyright infringement? It's very odd. Stevage 11:14, 10 August 2006 (UTC)