We have criticized le Parti Socialiste as an empty opposition, more adept at riotous rule from the streets than the legitimate seats of power. So imagine our surprise when we read of a prominent PS deputy, Ségolène Royal, actually proposing policy, to wit, the incarceration of delinquents in the army.

GIVE OFFENDERS MILITARY SERVICE, FRENCH SOCIALIST CONTENDER SAYS

PARIS June 3, 2006 (Guardian) - Ségolène Royal, the Socialist frontrunner for France's presidential election next year, has sent a shockwave through her party by proposing that teenagers who commit an offence should be sent to do military service.

"We need a return to the heavy hand," said Ms Royal on a visit to Paris's run-down suburbs in the wake of two nights of rioting in which youths burnt cars and attacked police. Ms Royal, the daughter of a retired army general, said "the abolition of military service was a mistake" and it was time to reinvent it.

Ms Royal, the president of the southwestern Poitou-Charentes region, made the comments on a visit to Bondy, a suburb east of Paris that was hit by weeks of rioting last November. New riots broke out this week in nearby Montfermeil and Clichy-sous-Bois. She said that as soon as any teenager over 16 committed a criminal offence they should be sent for army training. Compulsory military service in France was abolished in 2001.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former finance minister and rival contender for the Socialist presidential nomination, said: "We already have one Sarkozy in this country, there's no point having two."

Like you, we thought, this is strong meat for a Frenchie! And a socialist Frenchie at that! But Mme. Royal quickly set us straight. She is not envisioning shipping delinquents off to an army that fights wars or mucks in the martial arts. No, no, no. Mme. Royal envisions an army of community service warriors.

Ms Royal yesterday denied she was stealing Mr Sarkozy's ground. "The word military might have surprised people," she said. "The military training isn't a military service training where one learns to shoot or drive a tank - although that might interest the young, or amuse the boys. But it's about giving back a certain number of reference points for young people in terms of respect." She described the type of army training she envisaged as vocational "humanitarian" work.

The impressment of criminals in armies was a popular solution back in the day when pillage and rape were tactical elements of a military campaign. What -- other than creaming off the Front National vote and eating Sarko's lunch -- is Mme. Royal really up to?

PFFT (What is this?): Amusing the boys 0 | Rayonnement français 0

Thanks, Damian, for the promised update on Ms. Royal.

Wow. Military training to teach troubled youth “how to behave as citizens”. Pretty right-wing for a Socialist!

I do have a question on this part of the article:
Ms Royal, the daughter of a retired army general, said "the abolition of military service was a mistake" and it was time to reinvent it.
...Compulsory military service in France was abolished in 2001.

The article in my Washington Times this morning (from the London Daily Telegraph) states “France eliminated compulsory military service in 1996".

Any one know off the top of their head which is correct?

Andy,

The CIA World Factbook says:

FRANCE
Military service age and obligation: 17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription ended in the 1990s; women serve in non-combat military posts (2001)

There are few things more annoying than a reference work that ballparks its facts.

While trying to suss this out, we came across this interesting item:

Modern conscription was invented during the French Revolution, allowing the Republic to defend itself from European monarchies' attacks. Deputy Jean-Baptiste Jourdan gave its name to the September 5, 1798 Act, whose first article stated: "Any Frenchman is a soldier and owes himself to the defense of the nation." It enabled the creation of the Grande Armée, what Napoleon Bonaparte called "the nation in arms", which successfully battled European professional armies.

And this:

Jean Jacques Rousseau argued vehemently against professional armies, feeling it was the right and privilege of every citizen to participate to the defence of the whole society and a mark of moral decline to leave this business to professionals. He based this view on the development of the Roman republic which came to an end at the same time as the Roman army changed from a conscript to professional force.

Finally, we came across this:

Since the Algerian War of Independence, conscription has been steadily reduced and was abolished by the government of Jacques Chirac in 1996.

We found nothing connecting 2001 with French conscription. So it would appear The Washington Times got it right.

Regards,
DGB

Thanks for the research.