Ségolène Royal on Monday received the nicknames of “Maman Ségo” and “Big mother” for her raft of promises to ease France’s social injustices and nurture the nation as she would her own children.
But the Socialist candidate prompted right-wing criticisms that she had not spelled out how she would fund her promised bountiful state aid to the vulnerable. The right said her plans, which included raising the minimum wage, building public housing, free healthcare for under-16s and raising pensions, would plunge debt-ridden France further into the red — public debt is now at 64% of GDP.
The 53-year-old mother of four is now awaiting four opinion polls. For months, she held the edge in a close-run campaign, before dropping five points behind her right-wing rival, Nicolas Sarkozy, the interior minister.
The left-wing press had lampooned Royal for insisting on touring France in a “listening phase” rather than spelling out policies. But on Monday, the once-critical left-leaning daily Libération praised her for finding a “voice”, winning “credibility” and giving the left a “real reason” to believe it could win power. The Dauphiné Libéré newspaper mused on her image as Supermaman, a mother of the nation.
Ten weeks before voting, Sarkozy’s camp, which has been ruthlessly exploiting her gaffes, attacked her for failing to say how she would fund her promises. Lionnel Luca, of the rightwing ruling UMP, said Royal seemed to be “leafing through a mail-order catalogue that had only left-wing pages and where they forgot to give the prices”.
The Socialist party said it would price Royal’s election programme, saying Sarkozy’s own policies would cost â,¬50-billion. A Royal spokesperson said the plans would be funded without raising taxes. – Guardian Unlimited Â