Chapter 49
March 29th, 1993
Great Hall, Hogwarts
Harry was sitting in the Great Hall eating when he saw an owl fly up to his table.
He saw that it was a Newspaper from Fleur
Opening it he saw the headline.
Breaking News from the French Senatorial Elections of 1993
Reporting from Paris
It has currently been a good day for Minority Leader Delcour indeed
By our own reports, his party the RPR has had a strong showing against the UDF
As of five, this morning election results are as such
Valérie Kaprisky has won the Open Seat of Pierre Guyotat
Valéry Larbaud has defeated incumbent Senator Catherine Deneuve
Marie Agathe has defeated Senator Georges Feydeau
Annie Girardot Won Hervé Villechaizes Open Seat
Lucien Gaudin Won Jacqueline Auriols Open Seat
Émile Delahaye Won François Rozenthals Open Seat
Jane Avril Defeated Senator Charlotte Fréhel
Now before the election RPR held 44 Seats in the Senate and they have now reached the necessary 51 Seats to gain a majority
Now the RPR has managed to gain so many seats in this season due to the large numbers of seats UDF was defending due to their gains in 1981 and 1987 as well as a low number of retirements amongst the RPR Causus.
Also in terms of RPR Retirements their where three retirements in the party where
Jules Dumont Won the Seat Held by the Retiring François Vatel
François Caron Won the Seat Held by the Retiring Nathalie Sarraute
Auguste Escoffier Won the Seat Held by the Retiring Victor Hirtzler
Now the balance of power is currently 51/48
There is an open race still where UDF Senator Nathalie Roussel is facing a tough challenge from former Auror Captain Gérard Debreu
That race is still to close to call and is expected to result in a runoff election to happen sometime in April after a court ruling by Judge Kamel Messaoudi granted Senator Roussel's request for a recount.
Debreu is still projected to win even after a recount allthough the curent vote margin is to close to call.
Soon after midnight it was projected that Senator Delcour and his party would gain the majority He appeared in front of the Aman Le Melezin Hotel to receive the oath of office.
Shortly before heading in he spoke in front of a crowd of supporters flanked by Senators Ranhofer and Bayard.
Having a good time everyone
On a night like tonight, we are grateful, above all else for the people of France who have put their trust and confidence in us. And I want like to thank them tonight for that trust.
I will work hard to bring your concerns to the Presidental Mansion. And I will not let up. You know, every election is a job interview. In this case, a very long one. I shared my vision with you, you shared your stories and your concerns with me.
A little while ago, I spoke with my opponent. Secretary Loiseau ran a spirited campaign. She earned a lot of votes. And she earned my respect. It took a lot of guts to take on a race like this. Because of the business we are in, it also meant she would take some heat. I admire her willingness to step into the arena and fight as hard as she did. We need more people who are willing to do that, not fewer. She deserves a lot of credit for it. This was certainly a hard-fought contest.
And I have been so proud - so proud to have my wife beside me every step of the way. You know - you know, Appoline told me early on she wasn't ready to have me sitting around the house working on my resume again And she has gone above and beyond to prevent that.
She has been the most valuable player on our team. And I am so blessed to have her in my life and by my side.
And to my campaign manager, François Bellamy- my friends, he pitched a perfect game. Thank you, Francois. Of course, there are so many others I could thank. They know who they are. Thank you, every one of you, for giving so much of yourselves to this race. Nobody has been blessed with a better team than I have had over the years, and I want to thank them all.
My thoughts also turn back tonight to two other people who aren't here but to whom I owe a great deal: my parents. I learned a lot from them both. From my dad, a combat veteran of the War against Grindelwald, I learned an abiding love of this country and all that it represents. From my mom, I learned the value of perseverance
In many ways, my folks were just like any other parents of their generation. They were optimists.
As I've traveled through France over the past year, I've sensed new doubts. People are hungry for new leadership. They want a reason to be hopeful. Above all, they want some reassurance that people who run the government are actually on their side. So tonight, I pledge you this, I have heard your concerns. And I have made them my own. You will be heard in Paris.
And, look. When you get right down to it, that's what this campaign was really all about. It wasn't about me or my opponent. It was about a government that people no longer trust to carry out its most basic duties, to keep them safe Too many people in the Presidental Mansion have forgotten that their job is to serve
So tomorrow the papers will say I won this race. But the truth is - the truth is, tonight we begin another one - one that's far more important than mine - and that's the race to turn this country around - to restore hope and confidence and optimism to this nation of ours.
Some things won't change after tonight. I don't expect Senator Aznavour to wake up tomorrow and view the world any differently than he did when he woke up this morning. He knows I won't either.
But, look. We do have an obligation to work together on issues where we can agree. I think we have a duty to do that. Just because we have a two-party system doesn't mean we have to be in perpetual conflict. I think I've shown that to be true at critical times in the past.
I hope our colleagues can give me the chance to show it again. There is so much that we can and should do for the good of all of our fellow countrymen. France is tired of a government that only seems to work when it is working against them.
I'm also so honored to have my two daughters with me tonight.
These women behind me are the reason that I run. They are the reason I do what I do in the Senate. I know that we can make a difference and we do every single day.
Tonight, France rejected the approach of the current administration Tonight we said, that we can do better as a nation. Tonight, we said that we can have real change, real change.
And that's just what I intend to deliver.
So, friends, tonight turns a corner and it is time to go in a new direction. Its time to turn this country around. And I will not let you down. Thank you so much.
Shortly after speaking and receiving the oath of office the new President Delcour released his nominations for Cabinet Members
Minister of State Hubert Latham
Minister of Justice Nicole Belloubet
Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner
Minister for Health Guillaume Canet
Minister of Finance Fabien Cousteau
Minister of Labour Muriel Pénicaud
Minister of Agriculture Laurent Garnier
Minister of Education Frédérique Vidal
Minister of Sports Roxana Mărăcineanu
The new Senate Majority Whip Adolphe Bayard then shortly afterward released a statement stating their new Committee Chairs for the new Senate session that will convene on April 5th
Agriculture Isabelle Adjani
Appropriations Gérard Lenorman
Armed Services Marcelle Lender
Housing Maria Deraismes
Budget Stéphane Peterhansel
Transportation Maurice Blanchot
Energy Louis Faidherbe
Environment Charles Perrault
Finance Olivier Martinez
Foreign Relations Laurent Garnier
Education Raymond Roussel
Homeland Security Maximilien Rubel
Judiciary Christian Louboutin
Ethics Jean Giraudoux
Intelligence François Vatel
The new Senate Leadership teams will be thus
President pro tempore Charles Ranhofer
President pro tempore emeritus Fernand Braudel
Majority Leader Sebastian Delcour
Minority Leader Charles Aznavour
Majority Whip Adolphe Bayard
Minority Whip Vincent Cassel
President Delcour has pledged to pass as much of his campaign promises as possible in his first one hundred days in office.
It remains to be seen on how that legislative agenda will take place as new bills get sent to the Senate floor to be debated.
Well, that was interesting Harry thought finishing the article.
He hurried to get to an abandoned room so that he could try and contact Fleur on the locket and so that he could talk with the daughter of the new French President.
Author Note Well Sebastian won his race and is now the new President of France
