French socialist presidential candidate, Segolene Royal

Royal travelled to Guadeloupe, and Martinique because the islands represent about 600,000 voters. Since this election race could be very tight, it’s important to capture these votes. The socialist candidate arrived in Martinique last Friday, where she met most of the country’s left wing leaders. She paid a special visit to Aime Cesaire, the 94 year old poet and ex Mayor of Fort de France, capital of Martinique. During a political rally, Cesaire, declared his support for Royal.

Birth of a linguistics controversy

Royal, 52, spent some of her childhood years in Martinique, leaving the island when she was about 9. Almost 43 years later, she still remembered some Creole words, which she added in her political speeches. French media reporters had a difficult time translating the Creole into French.

In Guadeloupe and Martinique people speak Creole, which is the native language, the same as in Dominica and St Lucia, the neigbouring English-speaking Caribbean islands.

Saturday morning, continuing her tour, Royal arrived in Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe. This island is considered by French political observers and media to be a left wing one.

Victorn Lurel, President of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe is a socialist. Jack Gillot, President of General Council of Guadeloupe is also very close to the socialists.

In one of her meetings held in Les Abymes, a suburb close to Pointe à Pitre, Royal again used Creole words in her speech. She declared, “nou ké kasé sa“. This Creole expression means both “we gonna break everything” and also “we gonna change the situation”. Most French media reported this but, as they do not speak or understand Guadeloupean Creole, they have all mistaken the inference.

From Paris, Nicolas Sarkozy, leader of the French centrist UMP party, said, “Mrs Royal wants to break the French Republic.”  A new controversy started immediately in Paris about the Creole words Royal had used.

The voters from the islands used to boycott French presidential elections, because they didn’t really feel concerned with French political affairs. France has a population of almost 60 million, and in the French speaking islands -- Guadeloupe, Martinique, La Reunion and French Guiana -- there are now about 600,000 voters. A French presidential candidate can no longer ignore them, which is why Royal was here this weekend.  It’s certain that other French presidential candidates will come to Guadeloupe and Martinique, but only Royal knew some creole words. Is it a true advantage? The vote will take place next April and we will know the answer at that time.