of the right wing.
THE UNION of the Left may have broken up but the hosses are still jittery about election result. One symptom: the price of gold on the Paris market has shot up because of punic buying.
"Favourite parchases," sccording to Tune, include 'one-*kilo ingots [worth $5,738), MICTUT LINIST maltresses, and the sock-sized S61 Napoleen d'Or and 546 demi-Napoleon colas."
For the past month opinion polls have showi a left lead of around 5l per pent to 44 per shaked a wider gap: 52 10 44 çent. more tecent per cent.
The right's failure to take dvantaj ot the lent sput is a eult of its owo polarisatio DOIL CUIE Gaulist Rally for the Republic (RPR) and the recently formed Union for French Democracy • bloc of Giscard d'Estaing's Independent Republicans, the Centrists and the Radicals.
DISSOLVE The Giscard-Chirac erupted in March 1976 after major 1et1 gains in the cantonnl elections. Chirac, then Prime Minister, ureed biscard dissolve the National Assembiy carly CELERS reasoning that things would set WOI- OCEOTC LEE NEEHDTSIE that time was on the lefr's side.
Giscard disagreed and Chizac resigned. Bur that tactical SL C BESKU & UCVOLEu division within the ruling class Gilles Giacomin reports from Paris on the erisis as to how to deal with the rising support for the telormist the workers parties.
The Giscard tendency ted to constructa liberal party that could extend a hand" to the Socialists (PS). Tho aim was to group the 'centre" and try to erode PS electoral support cheap reforms the CONCHRU the abortion and divorce and Ultimately if the ould be cut dowe to size, thert covernment, breaking tee could from its alliance Chirac's GauLlists favoured a head-on attack on the workers" movement, arguing chal "mini reforms", far from PS support, workers for In late 1976 Chirae founded the RPR and announoed his Cnaac tor maper 0i 2ar Installed In the March clestions, Chirac turned it into a base to challenge RPR slogans echo the classic Gaullist bid for the traditional pety bourgeoitie: Tor Tree enterprise" asid 'colectivisation'; Tor "natiobal Jodepenld ence to France against the "Uimiration sovereigary" imposed NAID: agrinst the CosnDunis! danger' BaLaR DEH ECH The Cliscardian are soft on CUMEDLEITA tone of an RPR rally of 60,000 LUTUELEL anti-Glscard propagan been stepped ap in recent weeks:
In carly Giscardiana issued their own election platform, the Prog ramme de Blois. It listed wan- DanCEUTCE grouped four chapter headings cypitying vapid American-styk liberal phrase-abonpering: protected citizens': "cconomic by progress in the service of social fustice', and 'raising UU.
Gaulüists anything the continuation Centre-Left slan nursued by the GiscardPS Raymand Barre Goveroment Ebe eating into give the MOTE:
Ciscard *genuine againar the of sucD wai tht bas the was a clever mhove.
Gaullists WEEC formally majority bloc. *free and service their -Union *solidarity in the French OUHLEUSEMEE RPR.
suicidal Thetoric, the President, The Giscard for a year and a haif, with little WEEOCI But launching the placform Tor thie put the coopertle embarrassing position of not Prime Minister. being able to oppose it without opting out of the Ai the same time, bowever, the Giscardians rigged logetber SETETHE Democracy (suspiciously bkı çontrary They annoubced that they would field their own candidates in the first round, in competition with the per centl a year.
Chirac reacted angrily ("Tbe Economic
lifting' SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 2 March 1978 page 13 Naturally, it annoys them baving to
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POUR LA REPUBLIQUE/ RASSEMBLEMENT