France: Bernard Tapie, president?

Okay, I was watching the french-francophone Planète(+?) channel, a documentaries- and such shows themed channel. There was a serie on grands escroqueries, like Fernand Legros, the greatest arts fraud plan, and the Ponzi Scheme creator.

And there was this case I heard vaguely about in the past, the famous fall of Bernard Tapie, the man who had Rebock and the Marseille Olympique soccer team.

I learned then it was actually not him who frauded, but he was a victom, apparently - and to complexify thing, he had dream of being THE politician in France, president of the republic. Or at least settle for something like Marseille's mayordom for a good while.

But apparently, there was also some shades of conspiration and backstabbing, as some peoples did REALLY not want him at neitheir posts, and manipulated things around to screw his position, his estate and his bids. Backstabs hath happened.

So, what if the things turned differently? What if the manipulations failed, his presidential bid was kept around? First, had he any serious chances, and how he would change things then if not? He was centrist turned originally, I heard, and caused... problems both on right AND left. And how a Tapie presidency would have turned, then?

You can also work him as a minister, or at the very least, his 'consolation price', the mayordom of Marseille.

Disclaimer; I am quebécois and don't know much the politics of France, honestly.
 

Archibald

Banned
What I can say is that Tapie is a man of contradictions - to say the least.
Bernard Tapie was very much France, real-world Gordon Gekko. You know, a symbol of the 80's love for greed, those kinds of things.

Tapie was a member of the radical party (PRG), one of the oldest political party in France, rather centrist politically - although the party switch back and forth between center-left.
Sometimes the PRG goes with the socialists, as did Tapie, and sometimes they are center-right - as of today, with Sarkozy UMP - Jean Louis Borloo is one of Tapie good friends.

The PRG is a rather small party; De Gaulle used to said they could hold their national congress into a telephone booth. :D

Tapie was actually minister in the 90's - "Ministre de la ville" - wikipedia translate that as "minister of city affairs".
It was the end of Mitterrand 14 years reign, a very bleak period marked by suicides and corruption. Tapie very much belonged to the second category.

I think the mayordom of Marseille is a more realistic option.
 
He would be a poor choice since while he has had some real success in business, you really can't compare him to a truly self made man like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and so on.

The Berlusconi comparison is apt to a degree in my opinion. But then corruption in French politics is nothing new :rolleyes:.
 
I dunno - the tv show portrayed him as an ok man, naive on some things of life and power, and bad at business. He was screwed, he didn't partake in it - he was okay to drop his buisness to enter the political arena clean, so to speak.

Then, it was tv, so you guys may know something more I guess..

Corruption in france, someone is bitter?
 
Tapie was actually Mitterand's preferred heir according to Anne Stevens' excellent book on French politics. However, by 1995 Mitterand's popularity within the PS was waning (in a manner similar to Thatcher's declining popularity with the Tories in the late '80s/early '90s) and it would be difficult for him to force the nomination of a non-Socialist, even without the corruption scandals. If he isn't nominated and the Tapie Affair doesn't occur or become public, than he can run for Mayor of Marseille in 1995. If he wins, than he retains his position as a national political figure and could become a part of the Jospin Government or run for President in 2002. Ultimately, Tapie is limited due to two major problems: timing and a lack of a clear political allegiance. The best he can realistically hope for is to become a popular political French political figure who could act as a direct foil to Le Pen (his arch nemesis). Ultimately, that's probably a good thing.
 
Corruption in france, someone is bitter?

Yes some countries definitely are far better than France with regards to corruption, starting with your native Canada, the United States, Britain and Scandinavian countries.

The problem with corrumption in France is that it is hushed up by the medias, as they are de facto controlled by the government trhough the printing press monopoly and the distribution monopoly. When the truth eventually gets out, it is far too late to matter.
 
Yes some countries definitely are far better than France with regards to corruption, starting with your native Canada, the United States, Britain and Scandinavian countries.

The problem with corrumption in France is that it is hushed up by the medias, as they are de facto controlled by the government trhough the printing press monopoly and the distribution monopoly. When the truth eventually gets out, it is far too late to matter.

You'd be surprised. I always thought it was some anti-latins/southern europeans feelings at times, anglo-saxon nations can be quite corrupt - in very subtile ways. :rolleyes: They are just more respectfull of the APPARENCE of law.

Just checking at the hypocrisy around the scandals in my province - I bet Ontario, who is close and share many ways working, is actually facing the same issues.

N'importe quoi. AHAHHAHAHA. this is ridiculous. Man.
 
Top