Honesty – Lies and Politics 217issues in a single legislative proposal, is just as legitimate, to unify dif-
ferent opponents around a single proposal. The important thing is that
the government explains its approach in a way that people are ready to
accept it. Otherwise, cunning risks becoming bad faith, a devious and
malicious approach that voters will punish as a lie, as they punished Jose
Maria Aznar in 2003 when he tried to make them believe that ETA was
behind the terrorist attacks in Madrid. Cunning can then become a lie
that cannot be tolerated.
Nevertheless, there are many lies that are acceptable both socially
and in a democracy. In private life and in politics, it is a happily accept-
ed cliché that one takes pleasure in a visit or that the food tasted wonder-
ful. President Chirac said on television in his farewell address of 11
March 2007: “Mes chers compatriotes! Pas un instant, vous n'avez cesse
d'habiter dans mon coeur et mon esprit. Pas une minute je n'ai cessé
d'agir pour servir cette magnifique France. Cette France que j'aime au-
tant que je vous aime ...” (“My dear compatriots! There was not a single
moment when you were not in my heart or my thoughts, not a minute in
which I failed to continue to serve our magnificent France, this France
that I love as much as I love you ...”) Such obvious exaggerations do
people good, or at least do not hurt, even if they obviously do not corre-
spond to the truth.
Some things are more questionable. Many untruths are uttered be-
cause we do not know the truth or do not want to admit it, because we
repress it. Some candidates who promise the moon get carried away
with what they are saying and genuinely believe they could actually
carry out their promises. It’s a fine line between a lie and innocently
repressing the truth.