Word: socialists
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...first round, at least, the voters of France had trooped to the polls in record numbers to give an unexpected boost to Giscard's coalition, confounding pollsters and causing discreet jubilation in most democratic capitals of the world. When those votes were counted, the Socialist, Communist and Left Radical alliance had failed to gain a majority, lagging 1.2%, or 334,213 votes, behind the center-right coalition headed by Giscard and Gaullist Leader Jacques Chirac. A number of ultraleftist parties not affiliated with the coalition polled 952,661 votes. Although the Socialist-Communist alliance could conceivably recoup its losses...
...strength came only minutes after the first-round polls closed. It was obvious that the left's early lead was fast shrinking to invisibility. Computers tallying the vote on television soon made it clear that the leftist upset was caused by an unexpectedly poor showing by the Socialists. Watching TV in a hotel in Burgundy, Socialist Leader François Mitterrand turned to an aide and asked, "Is that really all?" Shortly thereafter, Mitterrand appeared on television to concede that "we expected to do better...
...exchange for Mitterrand's surrender. Marchais agreed to back better-placed Socialist candidates in the second round. Both men calculated that the combined left parties could still pick up a slim majority in the National Assembly, provided Communist voters could be commanded to back Socialist candidates; at the same time, wavering Socialist voters would be persuaded to vote for Communist candidates in districts where they were stronger than the Socialists...
...part, Marchais proclaimed that a victory for the government forces would mean that "tomorrow there will be even more daily difficulties and privation, layoffs and unemployment, authoritarianism and degradation in the quality of life " For the left, the crucial question was how well the votes would be transferred from Socialist to Communist candidates. It was generally assumed that in the disciplined Communist electoral corps, 80% could be counted on to obey their leaders' instructions to vote for a front-running Socialist. The heterogeneous and individualistic Socialist Party, however, could not be so reliable. It all depended, said a Socialist...
France's center-right political coalition, which has held power for the last 20 years, won a decisive majority in the second round of national elections yesterday, staving off a strong challenge from the Socialist-Communist alliance...