Elections

Well, today's word in an easy one, as French voters return from the urns:
une election = an election
but it also allows me to introduce some of the acronyms that you need to be aware of if you happen to speak to a French national in the next couple of weeks, as these are sure to be part of every conversation:

• UMP: Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement) - right, candidate Nicolas Sarkozy who came in 1st in the first round
• PS: Parti Socialiste (Socialist Party) - left, candidate Ségolène Royal who came in 2nd in the first round
• UDF: Union pour la démocratie française (Union for French Democracy) - center, candidate François Bayrou who came in 3rd in the first round
• FN: Front National (National Front) - extreme right, candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen who came in 4th in the first round.

And for the smaller ones:

• LCR: Ligue communiste révolutionnaire (Revolutionary Communist League)
• MPF: Mouvement pour la France (Movement for France)
• LO: Lutte ouvrière (Workers Struggle)
• CPNT: Chasse, pêche, nature et traditions (Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Traditions)

If you are interested in reading about these and the fascinating process of French presidential elections, feel free to read more here. The climax will happen in two weeks (on 5/6), with the 2nd round face-off of Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal.