French presidential candidate Sarkozy prefers U.S. to Russia

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by Salaün

No, he's (a liberal) Catholic :

Je suis catholique pratiquant

Aha, like Sarkozy pretends to be. He crossed himself afterall, he must be one...



Both are Béarnais and Protestants.

But in fact it doesn't really matter since he's a Europeist, supporting gay marriage, pro-laicity, etc...

Indeed he's an assimilationist immigrationist and knows where to take his orders, but still religion does matter too. Our kings used to be Catholics, our Presidents should be too. I wouldn't want a Protestant for President, he would have to convert.

[Errigal]

"Paris is worth a Mass!"

Originally Posted by Carnyx

Our kings used to be Catholics, our Presidents should be too. I wouldn't want a Protestant for President, he would have to convert.

That's bit much though; France is a Republic. The role of the office is much more ceremonial in Ireland, but we have had two Protestant Presidents.

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by A Few Acres of Snow

That's bit much though; France is a Republic. The role of the office is much more ceremonial in Ireland, but we have had two Protestant Presidents.

What's "president" if not some sort of "democratically elected king"?

[Errigal]

Originally Posted by Prometheus

What's "president" if nott some sort of "democratically elected king"?

Especially under France's 5th Republic Constitution. Nevertheless an old-stock Protestant is as qualified to be President as an old-stock Catholic, whether in the French or Irish Republic.

[Carnyx]

Qualified he may be, no doubt. However, perhaps we should not exempt a President from filling a few basic criterions.
Otherwise, how would you think a Protestant would request his duty, serving his nation whose people is majoritarily Catholics and contenting them while he is not representative of the majority? I fear that he should serve the interests of his co-religionists first. What do you think?

[Marcus Marulus]

Latest news: Le Pen has jumped to the third place in opinion polls (from the Italian newspaper Corriere della sera):

Francia, Le Pen balza al terzo posto - Corriere della Sera

[Errigal]

Originally Posted by Carnyx

Qualified he may be, no doubt. However, perhaps we should not exempt a President from filling a few basic criterions.
Otherwise, how would you think a Protestant would request his duty, serving his nation whose people is majoritarily Catholics and contenting them while he is not representative of the majority? I fear that he should serve the interests of his co-religionists first. What do you think?

I think it would depend on circumstances at the time. If French Protestants had proven by their actions that they did not put the nation's interests first in public life, and if the Protestant candidate had shown he may favour his own group, then anyone would be right in voting against him based on religion. If, on the other hand, Protestants had acted like any other group it would be unjustified.

In any case a citizen can vote agianst anyone for any reason he chooses, but in a republic a citizen cannot be fairly excluded from a public office because of religion.

Originally Posted by Prometheus

Latest news: Le Pen has jumped to the third place in opinion polls (from the Italian newspaper Corriere della sera):

Francia, Le Pen balza al terzo posto - Corriere della Sera

If I were French I'd vote for him.

[Marcus Marulus]

Every country has some specific traditions of its own. If tradition of some country deems it just to allow only Catholics to run for a presidential office, than it's OK for them.

It doesn't mean that non-Catholics should be discriminated against in other areas of life, though.

I think Argentina has such a law: that only a Catholic can be president (Erasmus, correct me, if I'm wrong).

[svin]

I know that in Lebanon it's Christian prime-minister and Muslim President (or vice versa?).

Edit: Correct information

"The President, for example, has to be a Maronite Catholic Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, the Deputy Prime Minister an Orthodox Christian, and the Speaker of the Parliament a Shi’a Muslim."

[Errigal]

The Republic of Lebanon was created by the French in order to create a majority Christian state instead of being a part of majority Muslim Syria. Even within Lebanon's small territory many Muslims and Druze were included so a constitution which assigns certain positions to certain religious communities was written. It has not worked very well, no thanks to the PLO and Israel.

[Lucas Corso]

Originally Posted by Carnyx

Bayrou is a Protestant.

Really? Wikipedia says: "A practising Roman Catholic"

[Errigal]

Originally Posted by Lucas Corso

Really? Wikipedia says: "A practising Roman Catholic"

In any case, it will be Sarkozy and Royal in the 2nd round. Friend to the neocons versus champagne socialist it would seem.

Royal and Sarkozy head for 2nd round