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PAGE 01 PARIS 32630 041627Z
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ACTION EUR-12
INFO OCT-01 ARA-06 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 INR-07 NSAE-00
PA-01 USIA-06 PRS-01 SP-02 TRSE-00 /036 W
--------------------- 094527
R 041619Z NOV 76
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6801
INFO AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY MADRID
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMCONSUL BORDEAUX
AMCONSUL LYON
AMCONSUL MARSEILLE
AMCONSUL NICE
AMCONSUL STRASBOURG
AMCONSUL MARTINIQUE
C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 32630
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: FR, PGOV, SOCI
SUBJ: PRESIDENT GISCARD D'ESTAING'S BOOK DEMOCRATIE
FRANCAISE
1. SALES OF FRENCH PRESIDENT VALERY GISCARD D'ESTAING'S
BOOK DEMOCRATIE FRANCAISE HAVE REACHED A MILLION COPIES
SINCE ITS PUBLICATION ON OCTOBER 11TH OF THIS YEAR.
THE BOOK'S MAIN THEME IS THAT NEITHER MARXISM NOR
CLASSICAL LIBERALISM ARE APT FOR CONTEMPORARY
FRANCE. GISCARD PLEADS FOR A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY IN
WHICH POLITICS WILL BE MORE IN TUNE WITH THE REALITY
OF A GROWING SOCIOLOGICAL MIDDLE BLOCK. EXALTING THE
INDIVIDUAL IN A FASHION THAT SOME CRITICS HAVE SEEN FIT
TO CALL ROUSSEAUNIAN, GISCARD LEVELS AN ATTACK ON
"COLLECTIVISM" AND PLANNED ECONOMIES, BOTH FOR THEIR
UNVIABILITY AND THEIR ASSAULT ON INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES.
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AT ONCE FLATTERING AND ADMONISHING THE FRENCH, GISCARD
CLOSES WITH A PLEA FOR TOLERANCE, SELF DISCIPLINE AND
NATIONAL UNITY.
2. DEMOCRATIE FRANCAISE AS A PUBLISHED WORK HAS RECEIVED
UNPRECEDENTED PUBLICITY. FOR DAYS FOLLOWING ITS PUBLI-
CATION IT WAS NEWSPAPER HEADLINES, WIDELY DEBATED ON
TELEVISION AND RADIO, HAWKED IN THE STREETS BY GISCARD-
IAN MILITANTS AND FURNISHED THE MAIN TOPIC OF CONVERSA-
TION FOR THE PARISIAN POLITICAL CLASS. THE BOOK PROFFERS
NO SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AS TO HOW A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY
MAY BE IMPLEMENTED, BUT SETS FORTH INSTEAD THE BROAD
GUIDELINES TO WHICH THOSE WHO ADVOCATE A LIBERAL ADVANC-
ED SOCIETY MAY REFER TO. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF VALERY
GISCARD D'ESTAING'S BOOK IS TO SERVE AS AN ELECTORAL
WEAPON FOR HIS MAJORITY, AND IN THIS HE SEEMS TO HAVE
SUCCEEDED. IN ADDITION, IT HAS CONTRIBUTED SOMEWHAT TO
VGE'S IMAGE AS A STATESMAN. THE PRESIDENT PLANS A
SECOND BOOK TO APPEAR APPROXIMATELY A YEAR FROM NOW, JUST
IN TIME TO HELP THE MAJORITY IN THE 1978 LEGISLATIVE
ELECTIONS. WHETHER OR NOT DEMOCRATIE FRANCAISE WILL
SUCCEED IN ITS MAIN PURPOSE OF RALLYING BROAD ELEMENTS
OF THE FRENCH ELECTORATE TO THE PRESIDENT'S CAUSE RE-
MAINS QUESTIONABLE, BUT IT HAS AT LEAST ACHIEVED STATUS
AS AN IDEOLOGICAL COUNTERWEIGHT TO THE COMMON PROGRAM
OF THE LEFT.
3. THE ABOVE CONSTITUTES THE SUMMARY OF AN AIRGRAM ON
THIS SUBJECT TO BE POUCHED TO ALL ADDRESSEE POSTS.
RUSH
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