French Election

As soon as the polling stations closed at 7pm they were announcing that Macron had won.  How can they know this when it takes hours to count all the votes - or do they have a computerised voting system (which IMO is open to manipulation).

It does sound a bit odd!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39839349

During the day they take a small sample of votes from what they believe to be representative areas around the country. It proved to be remarkably accurate in round 1

Also they don't reveal anything about the results of this sample until voting has closed , for fear it may influence votes still to be cast

I'm very happy with the result of these elections: Macron is EXACTLY what France needs right now. E.g. firing 120,000 civil servants is EXACTLY what I have promoted ever since I started to understand the [non-existing] "system" in taxes and social security ... Bringing back the French franc and closing the borders would have thrown the country in even deeper debt, then they are already right now. Do you know, that I am taxed - despite my next to non-existing income as an AOP - for ± 7 social security contributions, one of which they have to nerve to call it " Solidarity with the Deficit in the National Treasury" ...

Châtelaine wrote:I'm very happy with the result of these elections: Macron is EXACTLY what France needs right now. E.g. firing 120,000 civil servants is EXACTLY what I have promoted ever since I started to understand the [non-existing] "system" in taxes and social security ... Bringing back the French franc and closing the borders would have thrown the country in even deeper debt, then they are already right now. Do you know, that I am taxed - despite my next to non-existing income as an AOP - for ± 7 social security contributions, one of which they have to nerve to call it " Solidarity with the Deficit in the National Treasury" ...

Are you saying that those who have reached the official pension age still pay social security contributions ?

This is crazy as normally such contributions are to give you a social security record on which you may need to claim benefits if the need arises. Obviously such contributions normally stop at retirement as you have your pension for which you have paid over your working life and social security claims are no longer relevant as you dont need unemployment benefit, sickness benefit etc.

However, if you fire 120,000 civil servants are there other jobs for them? And if not there will be heavy claims for unemployment benefits for them, and the salary savings may not in the end save the french state all that much.

I`m not happy that Macron wants to let all the migrants cross the channel, so moving `the Jungle` from Calais to Kent.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/08/theresa-may-vows-fight-emmanuel-macron-tries-scrap-calais-border/