French centrist candidate Francois Bayrou

posted at Wayne Madsen Report

April 27-29, 2007 -- When defeated French centrist candidate Francois Bayrou said he considered French right-wing candidate Nicolas Sarkozy to be a French version of Italian dictatorial media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, he hit the nail on the head. As we reported yesterday, the Regional Daily Press Syndicate (SPQR) turned down a request to host a debate between Bayrou and Socialist candidate Segolene Royal but then Canal Plus television network, in coordination with France Inter Radio and i-Tele agreed to host the broadcast the May 2 debate between Bayrou and Royal.

However, the French government CSA broadcasting watchdog, according to the Socialist Party, intervened with Canal Plus citing equal time provisions and had the debate scrapped. The Royal campaign pointed to intense "political pressure" on Canal Plus to cancel the debate. Although the televised debate has been canceled, other venues are being weighed. However, the interference by Sarkozy's neo-con friends and media tycoons with the Royal-Bayrou debate may have been enough to sway Bayrou. The Paris daily Le Parisien reported that Bayrou will not vote for Sarkozy.

It appears that the global neo-cons, having lost their bases of operations in Rome, Madrid, and likely soon, London and the World Bank, are trying to move their operations to Paris. In this respect, the French presidential elections have significant ramifications for Europe and the rest if the world. Neo-ccon chicanery could be seen in the response by Sarkozy spokesman Claude Gueant to Bayrou's charge that Sarkozy used his business and media contacts to pull the plug on the debate. Gueant accused Bayrou of "slander" and "Stalinist tactics." We have heard the same phraseology from neo-cons in the United States in their response to criticism, especially one noted American neo-con who maintains a home in France and who has more than a passing interest in the election of Sarkozy as president of France. In fact, according to a French DST officer, French law enforcement wiretaps of this neo-con's international phone calls, especially those to the United States and Israel, have yielded much more than a passing interest by American neo-cons in Monsieur Sarkozy's political future.

April 26, 2007 -- Defeated French centrist candidate Francois Bayrou lashed out at right-wing candidate Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday by calling Sarkozy a French version of Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi governed with the support of Italy's neo-Fascist party.

Although Bayrou has, so far, refused to endorse either Sarkozy or Royal, Bayrou's vigorous denunciation of Sarkozy compared with his mild criticism of Royal's economic policies is certain to influence which candidate Bayrou's 18% of the vote in the first round will go in the second round. There is the possibility that Bayrou may still endorse Royal after a surprise agreement by Bayrou to debate Royal before her much anticipated debate with Sarkozy on May 2. Bayrou  said Royal is more well-intentioned "as far as democracy is concerned."

Bayrou said Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy "by his taste for intimidation and threats, will concentrate powers like never before." Bayrou attacked Sarkozy's pro-business platform as worse than that of either Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher.

An "anyone but Sarko" coalition forming in France. Segolene Royal (above) picking up centrist support.

As an indication that Sarkozy is indeed another Berlusconi, with deep links to France's media elite, the Regional Daily Press Syndicate (SPQR) turned down a request to host the Royal-Bayrou debate. The Royal camp suspects that Sarkozy pressured SPQR to reject the offer. Bayrou has commented that Sarkozy resembles Berlusconi because of Sarkozy's close links with the "media powers." Sarkozy's neo-con media friends are now denouncing Royal and Bayrou for their debate, which is having the blowback effect of driving the Royal and Bayrou forces together. If Royal picks up a majority of Bayrou supporters, she could experience a convincing win at the polls, that is, if election fraud with e-voting machines has not been pre-planned by Sarkozy and the neo-cons.

While Royal and Bayrou use carefully couched language to describe Sarkozy, WMR's French sources have unabashedly referred to Sarkozy as a "little French Hitler" whose candidacy is supported by neo-con interests in the United States, Britain, Italy, and Israel.

The second round election is May 6.