'No alternative': President Hollande emulates Thatcher
The late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher famously said: “There is no alternative”. This phrase, abbreviated to TINA, became a symbol of her liberal economic approach to government. Now, faced with potential rivals from the Left ahead of the 2017 presidential election, the French president François Hollande has coined his own version of TINA by declaring: “There is no alternative on the Left outside the line that I represent”. Hubert Huertas examines Hollande's high-risk strategy.
ItIt was clear whom he was targeting. On Tuesday May 17th President François Hollande told listeners to Europe 1 radio: “There is no alternative on the Left outside the line that I represent”. This was a clear shot across the bows of his economy minister Macron, already seemingly a candidate for the 2017 presidency, and his former industry minister Arnaud Montebourg who appears to be planning to be one.
