Civil war loomed among France's feuding Socialists after a party leadership ballot ended yesterday in a virtual dead heat between the two female contenders amid accusations of cheating and calls for a rerun. Martine Aubry, the 58-year-old mayor of Lille, declared victory by a margin of only 42 votes that was immediately contested by Ségolène Royal, her bitter rival, who demanded another ballot. The official results gave Aubry, a former minister, 50.02% of the 134,784 votes cast by party members, compared with 49.98% for the 55-year-old Royal, the party's presidential candidate last year. Royal's supporters complained of "irregularities", vowing to challenge the result. "We contest these results," said Julien Dray, an MP and Royal backer. "There are things that don't add up. The only possible solution is another vote."
Civil war loomed among France's feuding Socialists after a party leadership ballot ended yesterday in a virtual dead heat between the two female contenders amid accusations of cheating and calls for a rerun.
Martine Aubry, the 58-year-old mayor of Lille, declared victory by a margin of only 42 votes that was immediately contested by Ségolène Royal, her bitter rival, who demanded another ballot.
The official results gave Aubry, a former minister, 50.02% of the 134,784 votes cast by party members, compared with 49.98% for the 55-year-old Royal, the party's presidential candidate last year.
Royal's supporters complained of "irregularities", vowing to challenge the result. "We contest these results," said Julien Dray, an MP and Royal backer. "There are things that don't add up. The only possible solution is another vote."
Anyway, sad situation. Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.
Secondly, it's not telling people to exercise critical thought. It's reminding them (and they are not all retired British teachers who know this perfectly well) that the once-prestigious Times is no longer a newspaper of record but part of the Murdoch empire.
Hey, and it also makes some people smile! :-)
I still think it encourages prejudice rather than critical thinking.
"What is needed is not the courage of one's convictions, but the courage for an attack on one's convictions." Nietzsche
So more useful might "One of our pals - be especially critical - alert" :-) Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner - that I moved to Nice.
I'd still rather judge each piece quoted here on its merits
I can't imagine you're being prevented from doing that.
