Conservative Says Replacing Chirac Could Take France from Bad to Worse

by Chad Groening
June 24, 2004

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(AgapePress) - A pro-family leader says although the recent behavior of France's President Jacques Chirac demonstrates that he is clearly anti-American, there may be no better alternative to the French leader right now.

Paul Weyrich is chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation (FCF). He says Chirac was elected as a conservative by French standards but has proven to be no different from the socialists that preceded him. And, Weyrich says, Chirac continues to slap America in the face and most recently showed contempt for the U.S. when "he skipped the Reagan funeral, even though he was in the country and could easily have attended it."

FCF's chairman says Chirac has not only been a major disappointment as a leader, but he has become dangerous. Unfortunately, the FCF spokesman says, the only alternate choice the French have is Jean Marie Le Pen, who is a far-right extremist. Le Pen was defeated by Chirac in the last French presidential election.

However, Weyrich contends that the current president of France has been a liability for his own people, who are likely to turn to someone like Le Pen for relief. The pro-family spokesman says Chirac's administration is "proving to be repressive, and his government has actually considered closing the Catholic and private schools in the country."

Weyrich feels that the French people are already ripe for rebellion under these circumstances. He says, "Unfortunately in France those who are upset tend to drift to the party of Le Pen, which is really a far-right party that I think takes irresponsible positions."

Still, the head of FCF notes, "If the regular political parties don't address serious problems in the country then people are going to go after a demagogue and vote for him because they have no other way of expressing themselves."

As problematic as Chirac's leadership has been, Weyrich has concerns about the possibility of the French replacing him with someone like Le Pen. Weyrich says Le Pen's party, with its extreme right leanings and irresponsible policies, is not something that he, as an American, could support.