FRENCH SOCIALIST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES TO DEBATE

BBC:

Three candidates vying for the French Socialist Party's nomination in next year's presidential election are to take part in a televised debate. Former Environment Minister Segolene Royal, the front-runner, will face former Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn and ex-PM Laurent Fabius. Thursday's televised debate will be the first of three between the contenders. The Socialists' candidate, to be chosen in November, is likely to face current Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. Mr Sarkozy is the leader of the conservative UMP party.

This strikes me as less than an exercize in futility. It's like midshipmen arguing in an sinking lifeboat as their ship is sinking, too. France is in BIG trouble and returning to the discredited and failed policies of SOCIALISM will only make things worse. Of course, given the idiotic structure of French politics and elections, this may very well happen.