Is France leading the way?

While looking over articles about the upcoming French election (of which I must admit I haven't paid much interest),I was surprised to read some of the party names:

Francois Bayrou (Union for French Democracy)
Olivier Besancenot (Communist Revolutionary League)
Jose Bove (Anti-Globalist)
Marie-George Buffet (Communist)
Arlette Laguiller (Workers' Struggle)
Jean-Marie Le Pen (National Front)
Frederic Nihous (Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Traditions)
Segolene Royal (Socialist)
Nicolas Sarkozy (Union for a Popular Movement)
Gerard Schivardi (The Mayors' Candidate)
Philippe de Villiers (Movement for France)
Dominique Voynet (Greens)

I know that the French haven't really got over the fact that the words English and Lingua-Franca often appear together, but to be honest they seem to be speaking a different language to the rest of Europe. Reviewing the list one gets the feeling that this is a 1950s election portfolio (albeit with the addition of the Greens) and not one for the 2007 Election.

Maybe I have been clouded by the sameness of the UK political scene and am just unused to seeing political parties with real opinions and issues to debate and fight for. However, the issues that are being fought for could tear France and Europe apart.

I don't know who I want to win; and not being French its not really any of my business, which is a fact that Blair seems to have forgotten as he voices support of one of the candidates Nicolas Sarkozy . Anyway, I am digressing here, the point is whether the French have it right, and British people have forgotten what the real issues are about or whether the French are stuck in a time warp. If we look at the Polish electoral scene then we see a similarly diverse spectrum of parties. However, we all know the resultant problems of sustaining a credible and workable government.

Then there is the question of voter apathy, would a more diverse choice encourage more voters. Turnout at the Polish 05 election would suggest not as there was definitively plenty of choice, but few choosers. In terms of issue politics, recent gains by the British National Party in Britain would suggest that even in Britian, we are seeing a return to diverse issue dominated political parties.

For now we will have to wait and see for Sunday's first round results to show if France can indeed unite behind a candidate, when the options are so different.