Martine Aubry's narrow win over former presidential candidate Segolene Royal has further divided French Socialists. Aubry vows to take the Socialists further to the left than the more centrist Royal. The current mayor of the northern city Lille has been chosen as the new leader of the French Socialists, ending the infighting that left the party unable to provide effective opposition to President Nicolas Sarkozy's right of center UMP party. Martine Aubry, 58, won by a razor thin margin of only 102 votes out of 134,800 cast, the former socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal according to official ballot results made public on Wednesday, Nov. 26. Aubry, a former labor minister best known for introducing the controversial 35 hour work week in France, is also the daughter of Jacques Delors, the former president of the European Commission. Over the weekend, Aubry had claimed victory with an initial lead of only 42 votes out of nearly 137,000 cast, prompting Royal to cry foul and demand verification of the vote count. Then on Monday, a party commission convened to look at claims by both camps and by Tuesday, decided which candidate was the winner.
The current mayor of the northern city Lille has been chosen as the new leader of the French Socialists, ending the infighting that left the party unable to provide effective opposition to President Nicolas Sarkozy's right of center UMP party.
Martine Aubry, 58, won by a razor thin margin of only 102 votes out of 134,800 cast, the former socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal according to official ballot results made public on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Aubry, a former labor minister best known for introducing the controversial 35 hour work week in France, is also the daughter of Jacques Delors, the former president of the European Commission.
Over the weekend, Aubry had claimed victory with an initial lead of only 42 votes out of nearly 137,000 cast, prompting Royal to cry foul and demand verification of the vote count. Then on Monday, a party commission convened to look at claims by both camps and by Tuesday, decided which candidate was the winner.
Aubry is the product of a makeshift coalition (essentially: Anyone but Segolène) whereas Royal's strength lies in our own independent political machine and supporters. Europeans think a hundred miles is a long way. Americans think a hundred years is a long time.
