AN AMERICAN OBSERVES: IN CONTRAST TO THE UNITED STATES...
Main parties present their candidates (farther along rue Nationale).
- Voting is on Sunday.
- Voting sites are numerous.
- There is no gerrymandering.
- Businesses cannot contribute.
- Candidates are elected by direct popular vote (as opposed to the American two-tiered system that favors conservatives).
- Far-right media are far less prominent.
- The parliamentary system allows a number of parties.
As well:
- Students are admitted to the top universities on the basis of competitive national examinations and receive salaries as government officials (they teach for at least three years after receiving their diplomas).
- Government-run health care is free for life-and-death cases and relatively inexpensive for the rest.
- There are no privately-run prisons.
Americans who before Trump's second presidency said
"We are the world's most admired democracy,"
knew nothing of European systems.
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