The Press WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1965. De Gaulle, The New Politician

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30940, 22 December 1965, Page 12

The Press WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1965. De Gaulle, The New Politician

The 55 per cent vote for General de Gaulle in the “ run-off ” for the'-French presidential election is a little higher than many of his supporters had expected, though not as high as his party officials had hoped for. In the first ballot, contested by six candidates, the general received 44 per cent of the votes cast; his nearest rival, Mr Francois Mitterand, 32 per cent. In the second ballot, a straight contest between these two candidates, the vote for General de Gaulle increased less than the vote for Mr Mitterand.

General de Gaulle’s popularity in France has waned steadily since 1958, when, in the referendum setting up the Fifth Republic, the general received a massive 80 per cent vote. In 1962, with 62 per cent support for the constitutional. referendum, he was still the undisputed ruler. Today, after a majority of voters have voted against him in the first ballot, and little more than a bare majority have voted for him in the second ballot, the myth of national unity has been exploded. The virtual dictator of 1958 has become the leader of a political party in 1965. In one sense, the appearance of an effective opposition is a measure of the success of President de Gaulle's rule. When four-fifths of the population turned to the country's war-time leader in 1958 it was an appeal for strong government after a succession of weak coalitions. General de Gaulle’s authority carried through the necessary financial and economic reforms and set the country on the path to prosperity. Increasingly in later years, however, the president’s attention has turned to foreign affairs. His vision of a strong, independent France brought him into conflict with the United States, with France’s other partners in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and with France’s partners in the European Economic Community. The president’s “ go-it-alone ’’ foreign policy has probably earned him as many admirers as detractors within France, though he may have gone too far this year with his refusal to allow the E.E.C. to take the next step (the abolition of national vetoes) towards what he regards as a supranational institution. There is a growing realisation in France that " independence ” is costly: costly for the French businessman and farmer, denied better access to the rest of the E.E.C.; costly, too, for the taxpayer, called on to meet mounting bills for nuclear research, for ambitious aviation projects, 'and the other status symbols of a great Power. The French taxpayers and voters are becoming more aware of the comforts of an easy life and less concerned with notions of grandeur. There is, moreover, a strong “ European ” faction in French politics which is genuinely concerned to realise the ideals of the Rome Treaty, the “blueprint” for the European Economic Community. These are some of the trends which were forcibly brought to General de Gaulle’s attention during the last month. His tactics next year must be shaped to the requirements of the next parliamentary elections, due in 1967. In the presidential election he has lost votes and prestige; if, in the parliamentary elections, his party loses its majority, he will have lost power as well.