Today I exercised my French rights. I'm not talking about the existential rights that exist in France like letting your dog crap wherever it wants or 2 hour lunches. I'm talking about voting.
Since I am technically French, I do take voting seriously, even if I don't know much about the candidates or the actual electoral system in France! Today was the first round of the municipal elections. And as I learned over a couple glasses of "méthode" a few weeks back, I wasn't actually voting for the mayor. I was voting for the mayor and her list of 40+ people. I have a hard time actually understanding that you are voting for the mayor's councillors since, in the US, you vote for the big wig and the big wig chooses his/her councillors, second in command, or what have you. So I was a little surprised to see such a long ballot...
And as with the presidential elections, I really had the intention of voting green in the first round but when it came down to it, I just couldn't. The two party rule kicked in and that little voice in my head said "make sure your vote counts" so I voted socialist...also because the person who is indirectly responsible for my job was on the list so I kind of felt obliged in some way. Old habits die hard.
As for voting in presidential elections, I learned a lot over a glass of grape juice about a week ago. In fact, you vote for the president who is kind of like a king in many ways. He/she then chooses his/her ministers including the Prime Minister who has more power than the president. Seems rather strange to me that the PM, the person who is actually out there leading the country, isn't even elected by the people...or maybe I misunderstood.
So, I may not be physically voting in the US this year, but at least I get to exercise my physical right to vote in France. Even if I won't get the same pleasure of seeing that dip shit president of mine (which one you ask?) leave office...
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Exercising my Franco-American rights
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4 comments:
Oh! I didn't know you were French!
How long have you been a Frenchie?
Been French for a little over 2 years now. It just makes stuff a lot easier (otherwise, I wouldn't have done it)!
I am in the opposite situation, French and residing in the States. And no, I haven't become a US citizen and don't plan to. I will not pledge an oath that requires me to denounce any further allegiance to my country of birth even though it would facilitate my re-entry into the US after each trip, among other things. To my knowledge, France doesn't require such a pledge from its newly naturalized citizens and actually recognizes multi-nationalities for its citizens. Until the US affords me the same recognition, I will CHOOSE to remain French. I know many naturalized US citizens actually become citizens out of convenience or interest, but the requirement of that spoken oath in and of itself already takes away a liberty I am not willing to give up: That of being first and foremost a citizen from the country which welcomed me into the world. And today, I am a citizen of France not only by birth but by CHOICE. France has my heart, always will...
I shouldn't even get into this, but there are obviously other reasons I became French, like love of the country, my family, this is where I've lived for most of my adult life. I wouldn't have become French though if I were forced to give up being American though. That's for certain.
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