Advertisement

Chirac in Alsace--Distinct Lack of Interest Reflects His Bigger Political Woes

Share
Times Staff Writer

Mayor Joseph Klifa of Mulhouse issued a call to his citizens to crowd into the square beneath the ornate 16th-Century City Hall and welcome Premier Jacques Chirac to this industrial town of 115,000 in Alsace on the German border.

But when the tall, smiling, hand-waving Chirac arrived Monday, no more than 500 townspeople stood in the square to greet him, including a score of Socialists who whistled and held up jeering signs.

The conservative premier, who has watched his popularity plummet in a succession of recent polls, told reporters later that he did not attract huge crowds on his tour of Alsace this week only because he had not asked his party lieutenants to organize political demonstrations for him.

Advertisement

“I did not want them,” Chirac said. “This is a working trip, not a political campaign. You must not mix the two. It is much too early to start campaigning.”

Picture of Confidence

Chirac, smoking a cigarette and leaning forward on a sofa in the mezzanine of a Strasbourg hotel near midnight, looked relaxed and confident, and there was no reason for reporters to doubt his word. Yet the evident lack of interest in Chirac, the lack of even curiosity about him here in Alsace, did not augur well for a politician who wants to be elected president of France in 1988.

At the moment, all the polls indicate that President Francois Mitterrand or any other prominent Socialist would defeat Chirac. A series of crises--student protests that culminated in police repression and the death of a student, public service strikes that left France without most of its railways and much of its electricity, even a snowstorm that paralyzed Paris--have tarnished Chirac’s image and made him seem too headstrong, combative and impatient to govern well.

Chirac, who has been premier only since last March, needs to turn the mood around, and his trip to Alsace, which will be followed by tours of other regions in the months ahead, was an anxious first step in a campaign to stop his skid and rebuild his strength. The premier clearly wanted to show, during his two days in Alsace, that he is a political leader of dynamism and stature ready to listen attentively to the worries of his people.

Official tours by French presidents and premiers follow a ritual: The leader shows up at City Hall, listens to a speech by the mayor outlining the concerns of the town, and replies with a few promises and a large display of understanding. The itinerary also includes similar polite exchanges with various interest groups, the placing of wreaths before monuments to fallen soldiers, and some cultural sightseeing.

Retinue of Journalist

A large retinue of journalists from the national newspapers, television and radio follow the president or premier. From their dispatches, the rest of France finds out a good deal about the region toured. On top of this, reporters, who do not usually see the president or premier so often so closely, may acquire some insight into the nature of the politician.

Advertisement

Chirac has long had the reputation of a man who is neither reflective nor patient, a man who likes to get things done and get them done in a hurry. He was obviously overscheduled on this first official trip, rushing from one meeting to another, almost always late. He allowed himself only two hours for Colmar, one of France’s most magnificent medieval cities, and he scheduled no time at all to see its great treasure, the altarpiece of Issenheim with its celebrated 16th-Century painting of the Crucifixion by Mathias Grunewald.

Despite this rush, however, Chirac spent enough time in meetings where others did most of the talking to leave the impression that he is a leader who knows how to listen with care and concern.

Alsace is a very different region from the rest of France. It was a Germanic-speaking region for centuries and, in fact, was part of Germany from 1870 until the end of World War I and during World War II. A large number of Alsatians, though no longer a majority, still speak a German dialect. This history has created a special Alsatian sensitivity to any hint that the central government in Paris may be treating Alsace less fairly than any other part of France.

Businessmen’s Complaint

Yet Chirac seemed at home. In last March’s parliamentary elections, Chirac’s conservative coalition won a majority of the seats from Alsace. And most of his meetings--for example, a long public session where businessmen politely complained about the economy and the public service strikes--put him among his supporters.

In a somewhat surprising turn, Chirac returned Monday night from a pleasant dinner of Alsatian chicken in Riesling wine to meet with reporters at the hotel and field a barrage of questions. Chirac was in a confident, almost joking mood.

He mocked the reporters for putting question after question to him on national political issues. “I see that Alsatian affairs really fascinate you,” he said.

Advertisement

Asked if he had been surprised by the lack of crowds waiting for him on the streets of Alsace, Chirac replied: “Oh, no. Why should I be surprised? It is a Monday. All the stores are closed on Monday.”

Combative Spirit

On Tuesday, Chirac addressed the deputies of the Council of Europe, headquartered in Strasbourg, and there he showed some of his combative spirit.

Swedish and Austrian deputies rose to angrily attack the French requirement that their nationals but not those of European Common Market countries obtain a visa for entry into France. “You are dividing Europe into two,” said Hans Hesele of Austria.

Chirac was firm and almost testy in replying. He told them that the visa requirement, while it may have inconvenienced some Europeans, had helped France in its battle against terrorism, and that, as far as Chirac was concerned, mattered far more.

Advertisement