Page 8 - aruba-today-20170130

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 30 January 2017
Hard work starts now for France’s Socialist candidate

JOHN LEICESTER but handsomely paid job
SYLVIE CORBET as a parliamentary aide.
Associated Press Financial prosecutors are
PARIS (AP) — Beating a investigating.
politically weakened ex- At a campaign rally in
prime minister proved easy Paris on Sunday — where
for Benoit Hamon, who will a boisterous crowd gave
represent France’s ruling Penelope Fillon a stand-
Socialist Party in the coun- ing ovation and chanted
try’s presidential election. her name, Fillon said, “We
Far harder will be convinc- have nothing to hide.”
ing voters that his hard-left “Through Penelope they
platform isn’t the recipe for are trying to break me,”
ruin his critics claim. he said. “I will never forgive
Hamon’s comfortable vic- those who chose to throw
tory Sunday in a Social- us to the wolves.”
ist primary runoff against A priority for Hamon, a
Manuel Valls owed much 49-year-old former junior
to his radical proposal to minister and, briefly, edu-
give all French adults a cation minister, will be to
regular monthly income rally the Socialists, split
to protect them in an au- ideologically and wound-
tomated future where ma- ed by Hollande’s five-year
chines will take their jobs. tenure as president.
Hamon’s winning mar- Benoit Hamon greets supporters after winning the socialist party presidential nomination in Paris, “Our country needs the
France, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017. Benoit Hamon, rising from left-wing obscurity on a radical proposal
gin — nearly 59 percent to a pay all adults a monthly basic income, will be the Socialist Party candidate in France’s presi- left, but a left that is mod-
of the votes in the three- dential election this spring, after he handily beat ex-Prime Minister Manuel Valls in a primary runoff ern and innovates,” Ham-
quarters of polling stations vote Sunday. on said.
tallied — also appeared as (AP Photo/Francois Mori) Early polling has suggested
a resounding rejection of wing, which consistently is proposing a coalition may now shift to Macron’s the Socialist candidate will
unpopular outgoing Presi- criticized Hollande and with Melenchon that might independent run for the struggle to advance to the
dent Francois Hollande Valls policies, and the ad- have a better chance of presidency. presidential runoff in May,
and Valls, his prime minister vocates of more center-left winning the general elec- The outcome of the two- where far-right leader Ma-
for more than two years. views. tion. round vote in April and rine Le Pen could be wait-
But the path forward for Another major challenge Hamon will also face tough May looks increasingly un- ing, campaigning on anti-
Hamon is littered with ob- for Hamon will be negotiat- competition from outspo- certain. Europe, anti-immigration
stacles. ing with fiery far-left leader ken centrist Emmanuel Leading conservative can- and anti-Islam themes.
First, he will have to unite and fellow presidential Macron, who has found in- didate Francois Fillon, who In defeat, Valls didn’t throw
the Socialists behind him, candidate Jean-Luc Me- creasing popularity with his also is a former prime minis- his support behind Hamon,
which could be heavy lift- lenchon, who is trying to pro-business views. ter, was rocked in the past but cautioned against the
ing. Divisions are deep be- attract votes from disap- Such are the left’s divisions week by allegations that his risk of the country shifting
tween the party’s hard-left pointed Socialists. Hamon that some Valls supporters wife, Penelope, held a fake to the right.q

Merkel challenger wants ‘fairness’ pact in German election

FRANK JORDANS western Germany who rose of decency in debates, the chancellorship, a post last week. Polls put Schulz’s
Associated Press to become president of the that shocked me deeply,” that traditionally goes to popularity close to that of
BERLIN (AP) — The man European Parliament, said he told an audience in the party which receives Chancellor Angela Merkel,
nominated to lead Ger- he wouldn’t shy away from Berlin. “It opened up rifts the greatest share of votes who is running for a fourth
many’s center-left Social debates with his political and destroyed much in a in a general election. term in the Sept. 24 vote.
Democrats into the coun- opponents, but that fake country which once stood The executive’s decision A policeman’s son from
try’s upcoming election news about candidates for freedom and tolerance. needs to be confirmed at a Wuerselen, near the Dutch
said Sunday that he would and the use of so-called That mustn’t happen to us party convention on March border, Schulz has spoken
ask all parties to agree on bots to spread messages in Germany.” 19, when the 61-year-old openly of his descent into
a fairness pact, to prevent on social media need to Members of the Social also is expected to be- alcoholism following an in-
vitriol of the kind seen dur- be stopped. Democratic Party’s nation- come party leader. Incum- jury that ended a promising
ing last year’s U.S. election “What we saw last year dur- al executive agreed unani- bent Sigmar Gabriel unex- soccer career, saying he is
campaign. Martin Schulz, ing the election campaign mously Sunday to make pectedly stepped down grateful to have had a sec-
a small-town mayor from in the United States, the lack Schulz their candidate for to make way for Schulz ond chance in life.q