French Presidential election 2012

[Deadlock]

France has a coporation tax of 33.1/3 % . Sarkozy has tried hard to get Irish tax reduced so that France can compete.

Not quite true. France has a nominal 33.3% rate which savagely applies to the SME sector. Huge French based MNCs like L'Oreal and Total-Elf, as 'national champions', pay little or no tax.

This apparently reduces the effective corporate tax rate in france to just over 8%

Effective EU Corporate Tax Rates - Blogs - IIEA - The Institute of International and European Affairs

I'm based in France and will be filling the P.ie community in on the forthcoming French elections through threads like this one.

[sport02]

Zarkosy running into bigger trouble. Latest poll has Hollande on 31% with Sarko on 24.5%.

That is the biggest difference I have seen and first time that Hollande has been ove 30% in the recent polls.

Socialist Hollande, Who Wants Full European Treaty Renegotiation, Increases Lead Over Sarkozy | ZeroHedge

[Spanner Island]

We need more information on this, in this form and in our media
It is of great importance to us.

Over the last few weeks and in the months to come there will be many articles in the news papers, news on TV and threads on this site about the US presidential election.

However the French presidential election will have far more implications on us than that od the US (and for that matter Irish presidential election)

While Ireland may have an historical link to the US I cant think of anything in the last 4 years the US president has done that has adirect effect on Ireland or for that matter the last four years of Bush II
I am sure someone while come up with something but it doesn’t take away from my point that the French election is more important

Hollande is at 60% in the polls (round 2)
What will the effect of having a PS president in the Eurozones second largest economy
How will this effect French/German relations or for that matter irish/French relations
Will Eammon Gillmore make immediate contact with him (they come from the same EU grouping) as Kenny has tried to do with Merkel

What is his and PS opinion on the fiscal treaty will he have to sign it into power.

These are the issues we need to ask
We have no say in the outcome but we have no say in the US election either.

France swinging left is in no-one's interests, not even the French.

French unions would love it obviously, but the reality is that France can't afford France's standard of living.

One of the main reasons Sarkozy was elected was because a growing proportion of French citizens are sick to death of French bureaucracy and the stranglehold French unions have.

Needless to say Sarkozy has failed miserably to deliver and to such an extent, that in the last year or so, instead of trying to sort out France he's been trying to force the unsustainable and unaffordable French model on everyone else.

Shifting left will only make things worse for France and by extension, the EU.

[Clanrickard]

Any chance of Le Pen getting to the run offs? That I would like to see.

[Analyzer]

If Hollande has any self-respect he will want nothing to do with the Irish Labour Party, or the British Labour Party.

Both are liabilities, to anybody seeking left of centre credibility.

[Verhofstadt]

Decades of "Socialism" in Portugal, Greece and Spain had the wonderful results we all can see. I cringe to think the impact on France.

However, as someone else noted, this could mean more business to Ireland, especially if the policies followed are of similar nature to the one's in the other European socialist paradises mentioned above. If that is the case, then there should be an exodus of companies from France to Ireland and other EU countries. However, since Socialists can not really be socialists if they don't have someone else's money to spend, I doubt that will be the case in the current situation.

Socialism my arse.. what age are you?

You fail to note that all of these countries were right wing military dictatorships for a lot longer.

Would you prefer that to the current mix of centre left and centre right democratically elected governments..warts and all?

Have you ever checked out the economic development of these countries since democracy?

[Verhofstadt]

Not quite true. France has a nominal 33.3% rate which savagely applies to the SME sector. Huge French based MNCs like L'Oreal and Total-Elf, as 'national champions', pay little or no tax.

This apparently reduces the effective corporate tax rate in france to just over 8%

Effective EU Corporate Tax Rates - Blogs - IIEA - The Institute of International and European Affairs

I'm based in France and will be filling the P.ie community in on the forthcoming French elections through threads like this one.

Correct, and when you remove the multiple expenses that have to be excluded for corp tax calculations, add in all the order little taxes for this that and everything the effective rate for my company is close to 40%.

[forest]

Any chance of Le Pen getting to the run offs? That I would like to see.

not based on present polling

[Lauderp]

Don't forget that Hollande is a graduate of HEC - Hautes Etudes Commerciales - France's top business school (No. 1 in Europe by the Financial Times ranking 2011). He's not unaware of the pressures on Business. And while setting up the world of Finance as Public enemy no.1 when talking to French voters, he told the UK Guardian that business has nothing to fear if he is elected. A classic politico - just says what people want to hear.
But will he get elected? He is front runner, but the ultimate result will depend on how far left he positions himself in the final weeks of campaigning, and how the minor candidates' votes go in the second round. And the minor candidates can't be left out of the equation
See about-france.com/presidential-election.htm

[Catalpa]

I think Hollande winning would cause the EMU a lot of problems

The only thing holding it together is the close relationship between Merkel & Sarkozy

I just can't see Hollande and Merkel having anything like the same level of co operation between them

Obviously I hope Marine Le Pen wins!