-Caveat Lector-
From
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Paris dispatch
Sexual politics
Sexual charisma has always been central to the popularity of France's
leaders - so it's no surprise that the presidential race is getting
particularly steamy, writes Jon Henley
Jon Henley
Thursday February 21, 2002
The Guardian
Is Lionel Jospin sexy enough to be the next French president?
In a country where women make up 53% of the electorate, the question
is by no means irrelevant - and it is increasingly preoccupying his
supporters.
In an announcement whose only surprise came in the timing, the Socialist prime
minister confirmed y
esterday that he would challenge the incumbent Jacques Chirac for the presidency in
this spring's e
lections.
He might have hoped for a resounding roar of approval from France's women. Besides
appointing a rec
ord number of women ministers to his cabinet, Mr Jospin has, after all, done some
undeniably good t
hings for women.
Over the past five years, his government has pushed through legislation extending the
legal period
for abortion, forcing political parties to field as many female as male candidates in
elections, an
d encouraging companies
to review same-job salary discrepancies between the sexes.
But that is not, it seems, enough to win him the lion's share of the female vote.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't give a damn about the political parity law," said
Francoise le Cornec,
editor of Jeune et Jolie magazine.
"The problem is that Lionel Jospin isn't in the least bit seductive. He has no
charisma whatsoever,
he's gangly and gauche and far too serious. In fact he's the absolute personification
of anti-sexy
."
A survey published in Elle magazine last week showed 52% of women planned to vote for
Mr Chirac, ag
ainst 48% for Mr Jospin. Although most said they based their choice on the candidates'
programmes,
22% cited "personality"
as the main factor and 3% put "charm" first.
So while the candidates' sex appeal may not prove central to the outcome of the
two-round president
ial vote on April 21 and May 5, it could very well tip the balance if, as almost all
the polls are
predicting, the Chirac-
Jospin race proves a genuinely tight one.
Mariette Sineau, a poll organiser, points out that Mr Jospin tends to attract
marginally more votes
from younger, active women, while the conservative Mr Chirac wins hands down with
older women. The
real problem for the S
ocialist candidate, she says, is structural: once past the age of 65, there are far
more women vote
rs than men.
But many younger women disagree with Ms Sineau's analysis.
"Women don't appreciate Jospin because he's just not sexy," said Claire Dabrowski,
head of the wome
n's cable channel Teva.
"He has these big bulging eyes and always looks as if he's about to tell you off. In
short, you can
't exactly imagine a wild night of love with him."
Jacques Chirac's image among women voters, on the other hand, is apparently that of
the warm, dynam
ic and loveable rogue. "There's just a lot more to him," said Ms le Cornec.
"Plus he's got the reputation of being a bit of a ladies' man, that's always an asset
with women. P
hysique is important for us, you know."
For Ms Dabrowski, Mr Chirac "is plainly much more of a lover of life, an epicurean,
which appeals t
o women too. Women expect a political leader to be a bit sexy, to protect them, to
take them under
his wing. Jospin just d
oesn't have that, he's too internalised. Chirac very much does."
So Mr Jospin, whose oft-stated aim is to be judged on his record in government alone,
is being forc
ed to reconsider his image, albeit with reluctance. He recently changed his spec
frames, has ditche
d his dull blue suits i
n favour of smart pinstripes, and even attempted the odd smile during television
interviews.
He has also told the nation that he wants to be the "candidate of desire" - a theme Mr
Chirac picke
d up and clearly tried to improve on last week, when he officially launched his
re-election campaig
n, by declaring himself
the nation's "candidate of passion".
"I think the rhetorical strategy itself says a lot about the two candidates'
personalities," said p
sychoanalyst Jean-Pierre Winter.
"Jospin's whole attitude says: 'I desire you if you desire me', while
Chirac's says: 'How can you not be passionate about me when I am
passionate about you?'"
So there you have it. Desire, passion and sex-appeal could decide who
becomes the next president of France. Whatever happened to politics?
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002
End<{{{
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