Politique

Hello again

2008-02-08T14:24:00.001-05:00

Though I haven't responded lately I really do appreciate the very kind comments left here, so thank you! It's been just shy of a month since I stopped updating this site, but between a lightening of work and the incredibly exciting campaign going on here I've decided to start a new site, Sarkozy the American, which will focus on French politics and foreign affairs...and of course the US campaign as well. Hope you enjoy it and suggestions/comments are always welcome.

2008-01-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately real world obligations have made keeping this blog updated regularly a bit too difficult at this point. Thanks for all who have followed along, and I'll be sure to update this page if anything changes.

Hold on!

2007-12-18T09:01:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed that I have not posted very frequently over the past week or two. I'm working on something that should be done after the holidays...

Kouchner can't win

2007-12-15T15:33:00.000-05:00

Whatever he deserves, Bernard Kouchner has had rough sailing lately. First he was lambasted by former socialist colleagues for not condemning the Muammar Gaddafi's visit, and now that he did speak out, he is being attacked by the Libyan foreign minister:

"If he doesn't want to see us, we don't want to see him either...(he is) someone who comes to Libya, who eats with us, who talks to us and who signs (deals) with us, and then when we come to Paris he changes everything, notably the ideas he shared with us in Tripoli.

We were surprised by his latest statements. We have seen him on several occasions make statements in the morning and take them back in the evening.

Libya is not a country that receives lessons...Because human rights in France or in Europe means the marriage of homosexuals and, on the other hand, polygamy is not a human right."

Why buy a reactor when you can get a jet?

2007-12-13T10:11:00.000-05:00

France appears to be getting tired of being fourth in the global arms trade:

France announced measures to boost its annual €6 billion (US$8.8 billion) arms sales Thursday, spurred by the prospect of the first foreign sale of its Rafale jet fighter.

Defense Minister Herve Morin, flanked by Dassault SA and Thales SA defense chiefs, said in a Paris news conference he plans to bolster France's defense industry by reducing approval times in vetting arms deals and cutting red tape...

"The arms we sell are arms whose principal vocation, and that's why they are sophisticated, is to avoid killing, to kill the minimum of people and to destroy material and not people," (Dassault chief executive Charles Edelstenne) he said.

Nothing wrong with developing weapons systems, but Mr. Edelstenne is a bit cavalier about the whole matter. Does he not read the instruction manuals?

Sarkozy steps into Iran "war" debate

2007-12-12T17:11:00.000-05:00

Le Nouvel Observatuer snagged an exclusive interview with Nicolas Sarkozy during Moamer Kadhafi's rather controversial visit. Two interesting bits came out foreign policy-wise, the first on the situation with regard to Iran:

...The problem for us is not so much the risk that the Americans will launch themselves into a military intervention but that the Israelis consider their security truly threatened. The danger of a war exists. If Iran allows the IAEA to do its checks, I will be ready to come to Tehran and examine a civil nuclear cooperation. I have the confidence of the Israelis and the Americans on this question. The Americans are not, here, the warmongerers.

Sarkozy certainly hit the nail on the head; the US NIE, despite the fact that it has nothing to do with the Iranian ability to enrich uranium (the hardest part of the bomb-making process), has taken the life out of a concerted UN sanctions effort that actually means anything. Politically, it makes it look like the US has left Sarkozy hanging after he stepped out to voice his support for more sanctions. Militarily, this increases the danger that Israel will feel that once again it's on its own, and might launch a desperate unilateral attack. That being said, Sarkozy's ability to interject French business interests into a fragile geopolitical problem leave me rather speechless.

Second thing foreign policy related, Sarkozy clarified his policy vis-a-vis the US, distancing himself from Bush more directly than usual:

I wanted to reconcile France and the United States, not with the Bush administration. When I delivered my speech in Congress, I was applauded more by the Democrates than the Republicans. By renewing these relations, I obtained two things. Firstly that the American objections to European defense are lifted. The influence of France in Europe is much more great in this way now than when we opposed the United States. Secondly, I obtained advances on the environment and the Kyoto Protocol. If a man like Al Gore comes regularly to France to support me and if the question of the environment has become central in America today, that is also because I made things happen.

I can't tell if he is trying to convince the French that he has achieved something of if he is trying to convince himself.

Kouchner attacked from Lebanon

2007-12-09T19:11:00.000-05:00

Perhaps no where else has Bernard Kouchner invested so much credibility in Lebanon, where the deadline to choose a new president has long past. Regardless, a political scientist from the American University of Beirut has an absolutely vicious op-ed against his activities in Lebanon's The Daily Star:

Seven trips to Beirut in six months and seven boycotted parliamentary sessions to elect a new Lebanese president later and Bernard Kouchner, the flamboyant French minister, has done very little except speed up global warming...

French diplomacy is effectively seeking to readjust Lebanon's historic balance of forces, and indirectly change the course of its political future in order to be able to claim success in its endeavor. More worryingly, Paris is suspiciously looking like it is exploiting diminished US influence in the region by tacitly securing concessions for the regime in Damascus and restoring its role as a Middle East patron...

A bad compromise pushed by Paris would have, among other negative repercussions, a dreadful impact on an already crumbling economy. Investments will dry up if the crisis continues to simmer and the Lebanese lose faith in the future. Kouchner, considering his humanitarian past, would not want to be associated with the political and economic impoverishment of a nation and the suffering of its children.

Camping at the Elysee

2007-12-09T19:04:00.000-05:00

Apparently Libya's Moamer Kadhafi doesn't like Parisien hotels:

Staying in a heated Bedouin tent pitched near the Elysee presidential palace, Kadhafi is expected during the five-day visit to approve the purchase of three billion euros (4.4 billion dollars) of Airbus planes, a nuclear reactor and possibly Rafale fighter jets.
Kadhafi's son Seif el-Islam said the official visit, the veteran leader's first to France since 1973, would celebrate "the new relations" between the two countries. Kadhafi and Sarkozy will meet at least twice, Monday and Wednesday.

But despite getting the prime real estate for his tent, Khadafi will not be as warmly welcomed in parliament, where the Socialists intend on boycotting his visit.

MU takes on more critics

2007-12-06T14:21:00.000-05:00

Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union has taken a beating in recent days, despite his recent sales tour in Algeria. Yesterday German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that an MU could cause "a corrosion of the EU in its core area" and "could release explosive powers in the EU." Just today the Egyptian Foreign Minister voiced his doubts:

"There is a lot to be worked on...We are still in the very, very early stages of discussions on this proposal, but as a matter of fact, yes, why not?

The European Union is not only composed of France, Italy, Greece and Spain and Portugal. It extends to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Germany and the Nordic countries. We have to see how such players will react to that proposal."

He also "questioned how the plan would be financed, how it could be implemented without Israeli-Palestinian peace."

And this all follows a proposal by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband to extend the EU single market into the "Middle East and North Africa," thereby undercutting a possible rationale for the separate organization. So what to make of all this? For the moment, at least, Turkey's misgivings aren't even on the radar screen.

Royal's Christmas Present

2007-12-04T21:47:00.000-05:00

Need a last minute gift? Segolene Royal delivers. At 336 pages, Royal's Ma plus belle histoire, C'est Vous (My most beautiful story, it's you) is now on the bookshelves - and offered for a measely 5% off on Amazon.fr. Royal is also hitting the book tour with an appearance on TF1 tonight. According to the reviews, Royal's account does what any political book these days seems to do: settles all her scores:

In one short passage, she reveals her bitterness towards François Hollande, the party leader and father of their four children, for his failure to support her candidacy. Her “secret humiliation”, over Mr Hollande's affair with a magazine journalist, undermined her campaign, she writes. The couple kept their separation secret until announcing it during the May 6 run-off when Ms Royal won 47 per cent of the vote.

She says that Mr Hollande kept a damaging distance from a campaign which he warned her against, telling her: “You won't make it; you haven't seen anything yet of their brutality. You're not strong enough.”...

She writes: “I was caught in a pincer movement between apparatchiks from my own party on one side, and the Right (Sarkozy) on the other . . . How is it that the attacks came more from the Left than from the Right?”

Despite this, The Times points out that one interesting political nugget has been revealed among this mass of pseudo-history. Apparently Royal went so far as to offer UDF candidate Francois Bayrou the post of Prime Minister between the two presidential rounds, but he backed out. Explaining this in a way that can only the French can, Royal wrote "The horse flinched before the obstacle . . . like a lover who fears that he can't perform or shies from a dangerous adultery." Bayrou, who subsequently witnessed the fracture of his party under l'ouverture, and just days ago made official his new Mouvement Démocrat, is now being mocked for the small number of loyal followers. Nevertheless, the prospect of a joint Royal-Bayrou ticket going into the second round would have been one for the books. Bayrou consistently beat Sarkozy by a sizeable margin in hypothetical runoffs - and now it will remain unknown whether his weight could have pushed Royal over the edge. However, the fact that much of his party deserted him to join Sarkozy suggests that he still would have struggled to keep the middle from Sarkozy's grasp.

Note: This is the same book that was rumored to have been ghostwritten by Bernard-Henri Levy...

Sarkozy's South American adventure

2007-12-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

Also known as Libya 2.0:

The Colombian government will ask French President Nicolas Sarkozy to attend a meeting with leftist rebels or send an envoy to discuss a potential exchange of prisoners, a legislator said Tuesday...

The president of the Peace Commission in the Colombian House of Representatives, Mauricio Lizcano, cited (President) Uribe as saying that his government wants Sarkozy to intervene more directly in the (Ingrid Betancourt) case, to maintain an international element in talks with FARC. (Read more...)

Sarkozy in Algérie

2007-12-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

Despite being accused of being part of the Jewish lobby by an Algerian government minister several days ago, French President Nicolas Sarkozy embarked on a three day trip to the former French départements. And just like China, the money is flowing:

Sarkozy is accompanied by some 150 French entrepreneurs eager to profit from Algeria's economic recovery following a ten-year civil war in which an estimated 200,000 people were killed.

His delegation also includes eight cabinet members, including Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Justice Minister Radhida Dati, who is of Algerian-Moroccan ethnic background.

Contracts worth some 3.4 billion euros (5 billion dollars) are to be either signed or agreed during the visit, half of them in the energy sector.

In addition, the two countries are expected to formulate an agreement on closer cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.

But green (or euro) tinted glasses cannot hide the fact that things aren't so rosy. Despite the recent Jewish flap, Sarkozy raised eyebrows before when he refused to apologize for French colonialization of the North African country. This is actually his second visit to Algeria since becoming president, but this will be crowned with the signing of a "10-year partnership agreement" called by David Martinon a "simplified friendship treaty." One wonders what they have to fear from the word "complicated."

Update: Even Le Figaro seems to be catching on these utterly cash-centered voyages: Après la Chine, Nicolas Sarkozy vend en Algérie

France to reintegrate into NATO in 2009

2007-12-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

The latest from Jim Hoagland at the Washington Post:

...France has launched an ambitious effort to split the difference by reaching a final agreement with Bush on terms for rejoining NATO's military command -- and then have the deal formally adopted by the alliance shortly after Bush's successor has been inaugurated.

That would be accomplished at a spectacular 60th-anniversary NATO summit being planned for the spring of 2009. The meeting is to be hosted jointly by Germany and France, according to diplomats involved in the previously undisclosed planning. It would provide a powerful symbol of the alliance's contribution to the durable peace that has been created between two nations that sparked two world wars in the 20th century.

The summit celebrations are to take place partly in Alsace-Lorraine -- the subject of Gambetta's injunction to the French to think always of the province lost to the Germans in 1870 while avoiding inflaming passions with nationalist rhetoric. Holding these meetings on French soil buries the hatchet not only with the Germans but also with the Americans over Charles de Gaulle's withdrawal from and expulsion of NATO's military headquarters in 1967.

French riots in perspective

2007-11-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

Violence has finally subsided after several nights of arson and police assaults, relieving those who feared a 2005 deja vu all over again. The IHT has found some of the most dramatic quotes in describing the last few days, notably with one policeman telling them that this was no less than guerilla war - Paris on the Eurphrates? Here's an excerpt from today's report:

...the calm, enforced by 1,000 police officers deployed at sunset every night, had a precarious feel to it Thursday as locals, caught in the middle between angry youths and the police, tried to make do with an undeclared state of emergency that has hobbled their daily lives in multiple ways.

"It feels like we live in a war zone," said Nadège Tanier, a 40-year-old mother of two, as she walked by the burned-out hulk of a garbage truck still reeking of burned tires. "I feel safer for having all those cops on the streets and the helicopter at night making sure the kids are not planning more riots, but it sure is hard to live like this."

One can only hope that Fadela Amara, who is due to issue a "a proposal in January for improving conditions" in the poor suburbs, offers more than just window dressing.

Le Monde had a pretty good editorial today on the many comparisons made between the past few days and the several weeks of riots in 2005. It ends with this rather stark reminder:

"In its analysis, the government has chosen to not reconsider the organization of the police in the field. It has given the Secretary of State charged with urban policies, Fadela Amara, the mission to bring a new "plan banlieues", that doesn't arouse any hope among the elected and associative officials...2007 is not 2005, save on one point: the public authorities still do not know how to react.

Racialle going on Criminel

2007-11-27T16:33:00.000-05:00

Prime Minister Francois Fillon, perhaps finding his first opportunity to step out of the shadow while his boss was returning from China, spoke forcefully against a second night of violent riots in the suburbs of Paris. Calling the riots "inadmissible, unacceptable, and intolerable" and those who fired on police "criminals", he referred back to the accident that precipitated the crisis, saying that "in a democracy there is not vengeance, there is justice," which sounds curiosly similar to the late Simon Wiesenthal's memoir Justice Not Vengeance.

In any case, Fillon's action will be short lived, for first thing tomorrow morning Sarkozy will visit a hospital in the area, followed by a meeting with the Socialist mayor of Villiers-le-Bel, another meeting on the security situation, and perhaps even a meeting with the families of the two men killed when their motorbike hit a police car.

The International Herald Tribune is running a story that compares these riots to those of 2005, and the social problems still unadressed. Things don't sound good:

"From what our colleagues on the scene tell us, this is a situation that is a lot worse than what we saw in 2005," Patrice Ribeiro, a police officer and senior union official, told RTL radio Tuesday. He added, "A line was crossed last night, that is to say, they used weapons, they used weapons and fired on the police. This is a real guerrilla war."...

More than 80 police officers already have been wounded the clashes, several of them seriously, Ribeiro said later by telephone. Thirty of them were hit with pellets from shotguns, and one of the wounded was hit with a type of bullet used to kill large game, he added. It is legal to own a shotgun in France - as long as the owner has a license - and police circles were swirling with rumors that the bands of youth were procuring more shotguns.

Riots obscure New Deal in China

2007-11-27T06:38:00.000-05:00

Paris' suburbs have experienced a second night of riots, for a change. This all began after two adolescents from North African heritage ran their motorbike into a police car on Sunday, killing them both and leading to accusations that the the police did not do anything to help them before emergency services arrived:

Gangs of youths attacked police with petrol bombs and stones. Police say firearms were used against them, injuring several officers. They responded with tear gas and rubber bullets...Cars were set on fire and two schools, a library and shops were badly damaged. The French Interior Minister, Michele Alliot-Marie, said she believed the trouble was organised.

Meanwhile, Sarkozy spoke in China on the need for greater efforts in the fight against global warming, once again invoking his "New Deal" metaphor:

"I propose that China join a new global contract for an ecological and economic New Deal...(it) must be implemented quickly, thoroughly and over a long period, cover the modes of production and energy consumption and conform to (China's) size and might...Your nation can take this strategic decision. We are not asking you to give up your development... you can make this development an example for the world."

Chinese gold finds France

2007-11-26T06:36:00.000-05:00

Nicolas Sarkozy's entourage has picked up quite a few business deals over the past few hours:

Areva won an 8 billion euro ($11.9 billion) agreement to build nuclear reactors, a record for the French company. Airbus was awarded a contract of about $17 billion for 160 planes, and Alcatel-Lucent SA, Alstom SA and Suez SA also sealed deals.

Sarkozy also publicly said that he opposes a planned referendum in Taiwan on whether the country should apply for UN membership as Taiwan (not China).

Trains back and running

2007-11-24T06:54:00.000-05:00

With enthusiasm for further strikes waning over the last few days, Reuters reports that the Metro and train system is finally back to normal - or at least almost. However, Reuters also gave some new poll numbers which could point towards lower public approval of the government in the coming months:

An IFOP poll for regional newspaper Ouest France published on Saturday found 65 percent of respondents felt their purchasing power had fallen over the past 12 months, compared with 59 percent when asked the same question in January.

Sarkozy and a strange Mossad saga...

2007-11-23T20:39:00.000-05:00

A Strange Story
In mid-October Le Figaro reported a rather strange spy story. At the end of this past March, on the eve of Sarkozy's presidential victories, a mysterious email was sent to major French security and public officials. According to this anonymous email (marked with the DGSE logo), the Israeli government directed the Mossad to infiltrate the French Gaullist Party in the late 1970s, dispatching Rafi Eitan, who had made his name capturing Adolf Eichman and would later be involved in the Jonathan Pollard affair, to lead the operation. What's more, the email claimed that several politicians were recruited, including Patrick Balkany, Patrick Devedjian, Pierre Lellouche, Manuel Aeschlimann, and yes, a young Nicolas Sarkozy.

Obviously such an inflammatory email, sent in such a politically sensitive climate, was not going to be ignored; Le Figaro adds that the Direction centrale de la police judiciaire was immediately charged with investigating the email's origin. As of the this report, the letter had been traced to a cybercafe in Val-d'Oise, but from there the investigation had run into a brick wall.

A Strange Aftermath
So who fabricated this remarkable conspiracy theory? Le Figaro quotes a Interior Ministry official as saying that it smells like the dirty work of the far-right. As far as I know, no other newsworthy articles have actually been written about it, so information remains limited.

However, this small article, lost amidst the tumult of the daily news, has taken on an internet life of its own. Search "Sarkozy Mossad Agent" on Google and you get 132,000 results. TheSpoof.com even wrote an article in which Sarkozy admits it all to be true:

"Oui, my heart belongs to Israel, and Mossad has asked me to sell out France to Zionist interests which I am doing. They have ordered me to agitate for an unjust Iran war and to suck up to America."

But there is a more sinister side. Iran's Press TV picked up on the incident, reporting it as truth, and nicknaming him "Sarko the Sayan" (Sayinm are foreign Jews who volunteer to help Israeli intelligence). Before Sarkozy's speech to the US Congress, CSPAN was running a call in show with Le Figaro's Washington correspondent, and a somewhat inappropriate caller even asked on-air about the article; the Le Figaro journalist had not even heard about his own paper's report.

Even more, one of Egypt's largest papers, Al-Ahram, ran an editorial that not only reported the allegations as truth, but claimed that "Such talk sends chills down spines, especially Arab and Muslim ones. Indeed, the revelation did not go unnoticed in Arab capitals..."

The motivations of the original author of this email may have been purely political, wanting to smear Sarkozy with a fabricated scandal just weeks before Le Pen's grand defeat. If, however, such a story gains legs in a conspiracy fertile Middle East, mixed with Sarkozy's support for Israel, this could only inflame anti-French sentiment in the Muslim world, and possibly even at home. Then again, maybe that's just what the author had in mind.

Chirac supports Clinton

2007-11-23T12:03:00.000-05:00

No, this is a wives only affair. The former French President's wife, Bernadette Chirac, has said that not only does she support Hillary Clinton, but would love to campaign with her:

"She's a woman who is not liked by everybody. But she's strong and she has convictions...From the first look, the first words, Hillary Clinton is a friendly, smiling person who never lets herself be caught out...And if I can be of any use to her somewhere in the campaign, I'm available. I'd like to go with her and I'm going to suggest it to her."

One wonders what the Hillary campaign has to think of all this, considering that it is stage-managed to a fault. She notably rebuffed a proposed meeting with then candidate Segolene Royal last December, likely fearing that any pictures of her with a French socialist would only provide further ammunition to her opponents on the right, who believe she is nothing but a closet American socialist. And despite the fact that Bernadette comes from another end of the French political spectrum, Chirac is still thought of as a villain for many Americans. One thing can be clear: Bernadette sure won't be at the next Clinton stump speech anytime soon. More analysis here.

Chessman Kasparov criticizes Sarkozy

2007-11-23T08:07:00.000-05:00

Chess champion and current Russian presidential candidate Garry Kasparov, marginalized in Russia for his opposition and vocal citicism of President Vladmir Putin, took the bold step of scolding Sarkozy in his own backyard:

"Whether it's President Sarkozy or other leaders of the free world, we expect from all of them to state the obvious and to publicly, and let me emphasise publicly, and not between main course and dessert, publicy criticise Putin and Putin's regime for violations of democracy and human rights."

This slight affront might not get much press, but with Sarkozy's grossly all-business trip to China starting this Sunday, and with the notable absence of human rights czar Rama Yade in his entourage, this should be too much to resist for the left-wing opposition - and rightly so. Granted, this isn't George Bush writing a heartfelt letter to the Chinese in the days after Tiananmen Square, but it is a step away from the "brutality" that Sarkozy used earlier in describing Russia's current record.

French mix up homophone, "strike" French rails

2007-11-21T06:51:00.000-05:00

The SNCF state railway executive, Guillaume Pepy, told the French radio station RTL that arsonists had destroyed cabling, preventing many trains from running.

Further "coordinated" attacks on the country's network had also led to serious delays to commuter services this morning.

In one instance, saboteurs started a large fire that damaged 18 miles of signalling on the western side of the network. (Read more...)

What an excellent way to garner public support. Everyone has the right to strike, but this is ridiculous. In all fairness though, most transport workers are back at work.

Update: This just in from La Tribune. Sarkozy has been quoted as saying "When inacceptable lines are crossed, that should be denounced." Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie has also sent instructions to the police "so that everything is put in motion in order to identify those responsible quickly." Union leaders have also sharply rebuked the acts, this from the CGT Secretary General: "These commando operations, of which we still do not know the authors or backers, have the goal of discrediting the social movement in course, the rail workers, their unions..."

Scattered strikes, might clear up later in the day

2007-11-20T20:22:00.000-05:00

Only in France can a news group give a forecast of tomorrow's strikes like others give the weather report. Then again, if all your meteorologists are on the picket lines, you've got to get creative. Let's just hope Le Nouvel Observateur doesn't start doing the five day forecast. Traffic on the twos, weather on the fives, strikes on the...you give us 22 minutes, well, you'll probably have more time than that in traffic today...

Sarkozy talks to greater Axis of Evil

2007-11-20T18:32:00.001-05:00

While US presidential candidates parse over whether or not they might possibly consider directly or indirectly one way or another talking to leaders of countries hostile to the US (read Iran), Nicolas Sarkozy is appears to be going all out. Today he met with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who had this to say after their meetings:

"I'm sure it's (Iranian nuclear weapons program's) just another excuse, another invention, another big lie by the imperialist government of the United States to justify any aggression against the Iranian people. Europe should not, in my opinion, follow this path..I'm sure the Iranians would be willing to withstand an attack by the U.S. and...counterattack...The United States is like Count Dracula who at six o'clock in the morning has not sucked (any necks)."

Paris of the Middle East
Meanwhile, Sarkozy has broken a nearly three year suspension of high-level talks with Syria today when he called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (top right) to try and deal with the current political deadlock in Lebanon. As of now, the Lebanese parliament is going set to meet on Friday to elect a new president; the deadline is Friday at midnight.

Sarkozy's direct engagement is welcome, but with Iran, Russia, and the US also working the telephones, he is but one voice in what has become the center of great power geopolitics this week. Yet with Kouchner dispatched to Beirut and Chief of Staff Claude Gueant in Damascus, Sarkozy's at least showing that he is walking the walk as well. Ms. Rice is apparently too busy sending out invites for her show in Annapolis to avert another civil war.

PS As I was writing the title of this section I couldn't help but notice the irony between the political situations in France and Lebanon at the moment, not that France is on the verge of civil war, but it is rather amusing nonetheless...

France's day off

2007-11-20T07:34:00.000-05:00

The British Times has labeled today Sarkozy's "darkest day", with several overlapping strikes affecting everything from the distribution of newspapers to air traffic control:

The "Black Tuesday" stoppage delayed flights, closed schools and reduced hospitals to minimum service. No newspapers were printed because the communist-led distribution union joined the one-day strike. Thousands of leftwing students are joining the civil servants and transport strikers in marches in Paris and big cities all day today...

The transport strike has been winding...(but) the disruption has nevertheless infuriated commuters and cost an estimated 400 million euros a day to the economy.

Oh, no wonder where all that lost spending power is going...if you don't work you don't earn, and if you stop others from going to work, neither do they. And it is worth remembering that some of these (such as for the special retirement regimes or for the univerities) are frankly not that radical. Is asking someone to retire a few years later that terrible? Or pay some tuition when your American pals are coughing up $50k a year? Welcome to the 21st century.

Update: More bad economic news:

The government on Monday said the transport strike is costing France at least $440 million a day.

Marc Touati, the founder of conservative-leaning economic think tank ACDEFI, estimated that the strikes are actually costing the country between 1.5 billion and 2 billion euros a day, based on an assumption that they lead to a 25% decline in activity.

As a result, Touati predicted that French GDP growth in the fourth quarter could be flat sequentially. If the strikes don't stop soon, he cautioned that GDP could decline in the latest quarter of the year.

Only Strikes on the Horizon, time for a Socialist visit

2007-11-19T21:33:00.001-05:00

The New York Timesis finally getting into the act with a sizeable aricle on the strike situation in tomorrow's paper.

The country faces more chaos and paralysis on Tuesday when many of its teachers, hospital workers, tax agents, bank tellers, postal carriers and telecommunications, airport and other public-sector workers — even meteorologists — are set to stage a one-day strike in a separate protest over salaries and job cuts.

French lawyers and judges are scheduled to strike next week to protest structural changes that could eliminate 200 courts. Tobacco shop owners are planning to protest over the country’s new antismoking law.

Students have halted courses "at more than two dozen of France’s 80 universities" and despite the start of negotiations, some transit workers are still playing hooky.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's very colorful president Hugo Chavez is in France for meetings with Sarkozy, especially with regard to the "latest efforts to free French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt." Hopefully he won't travel a few hundred miles south, otherwise he would hear half a million ringtones of Spain's King Juan Carlos telling him to shut up. Heck, Chavez could even by a T-shirt.

Sarkozy breaks even in new poll

2007-11-18T21:36:00.001-05:00

Despite general support for Sarkozy's labor reforms, new polls show a marked drop in support for the French president with the latest transport strikes. According to a Le Parisien/I Télé poll, only 51% of the French now have a favorable view of Sarkozy, lower than the number he was elected with, and possibly even lower depending on the margin of error (usually 3%ish). CSA also reports that more people now distrust Prime Minister Francois Fillon than have confidence in him (43% to 41%).

That being said, all predictions pointed towards a difficult Christmas season for Sarkozy. Now that that storyline is finally playing out, it will be up to him to write the ending. Too bad French strikers will likely be too busy this week to reflect on what they should be thankful for...

Kouchner doesn't take Iranian strike off the table

2007-11-17T20:11:00.000-05:00

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is in Israel for talks with both the Israeli and Palestinian leadership ahead of a US planned peace conference in Annapolis. In an exlusive interview with Haaretz, Kouchner did not explicitly take the military option off the table with regard to Iran:

Will France support the use of force by the United States or Israel? Will France be willing to participate in an attack on Iran? Kouchner did not respond directly to the questions but used language that suggests that for France, all options, including that of military force, are open:

"I intend to continue with great determination along this path [of pressuring Iran] which is the only way to bring about an agreed solution, the only one that will prevent us from having, one day, to be faced with a dilemma of 'an Iranian bomb or bombing Iran.'"

Worst case scenario number...?

Times: Sarkozy wins over strikes

2007-11-17T19:47:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow's The Sunday Times has two articles on the strike situation in France by its Paris correspondent Matthew Campbell. The first, entitled "France rallies to Nicolas Sarkozy over strikes", covers the growing public indignation over the paralyzing pickets:

Various groups have sprung up to protest against the strikers’ struggle to keep their retirement privileges under a “special regimes” system that Sarkozy wants to abolish. Organisers hoped to attract 40,000 to today’s demonstration in an attempt to persuade the unions to back down.

Meanwhile, a mammoth-sized feature article entitled "Saying adieu to their riotous past" attempts to chronicle the entire modern history of French strikes in one long column. Campbell relies on several quotes from French economist and Le Point contributor Nicolas Baverez:

“While Margaret Thatcher had a real ideological vision, Sarkozy is more like Blair,” he said. “What was it that Blair said? Whatever works is what is right? That’s exactly what Sarkozy believes.”

Baverez added, however: “Sarkozy was elected to reconcile France with the modern world. He must do so quickly. The world will not wait.” ...France’s record of letting street protests, rather than the president or parliament, determine policy has prevented it from ditching an outdated system and implementing the sort of reforms that have invigorated Britain and much of the rest of Europe...

“This is a symbolic conflict that he has to win,” Baverez said. “Otherwise, no other reforms will be possible.”

A poll last week showed that 79% of the public hopes that Sarkozy will not back down. The new France, it seems, is on the march.

Tehran dismisses Le Monde article

2007-11-17T19:39:00.000-05:00

A senior advisor to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency that the letter sent by Ahmadinejad to Sarkozy, as reported in yesterday's Le Monde, was purely diplomatic in tone:

"President Ahmadinejad has elaborated the existing situation of Iran-France relations in the letter...Most of issues mentioned in President Ahmadinejad's letter have been distorted."

One has to wonder at this point why Tehran even bothers sending letters at all. A call for talks with the US immediately following the invasion of Afghanistan was utterly ignored by US officials, the personal letter to Bush was similarly discarded, and whoever leaked to Le Monde obviously had an agenda against the Iranian leader.

Ahmadinejad sends letter to Sarkozy

2007-11-16T06:50:00.000-05:00

Le Monde is reporting that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to Nicolas Sarkozy, which, confirmed by spokesman David Martinon, was received this past Monday. According to their sources, the letter qualified Sarkozy as a "young and inexperienced" leader, and included "veiled threats." Martinon added that the letter simply "reiterated the public position of Iran" on the nuclear program.

Ahmadinejad sent another letter to George Bush in 2006, which was received with derision. That letter gave rather long explanations of religion, ending with "Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things."

MU hits some speedbumps

2007-11-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

Sarkozy's much touted Mediterranean Union has hit some speedbumps in the foreign policy community, just weeks after an unofficial "launch" in Morocco. The first (found via French Politics) is a proposal by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband to greatly expand the EU's common market without extending membership, perhaps undercutting the idea of a separate MU structure:

In another bold move, he (Miliband) will suggest that by 2030 "we should consider extending the single market beyond our immediate neighbours, and to the Middle East and north Africa". This extended free trade area would not be an alternative to EU membership, but complementary.

In an expression of support for Turkish membership of the EU, he will argue membership should be based solely on adopting EU rules, not arbitrary geographical limits or religion.

Also, two fellows at Johns Hopkins University have come out with an article in the EU Observer that, after going through the reasons for the creation of an MU, strongly condemns the idea:

Within the EU, the Commission and the Justice and Home Affairs pillar would be the greatest losers, resulting from a duplication of policies, and a clawing back of responsibilities by member states. While cracking down on immigration would be a hard sell for third country elites, an emphasis on police cooperation and counterterrorism measures would further diminish Europe's claim to defence of democracy and human rights in the southern Mediterranean...

Far from being 'just' fluffy politics and empty rhetoric, it (MU) bears serious consequences for Euro-Mediterranean relations. Any combination of explanations would undermine EU competencies, without spelling any major improvements.

Kouchner's Next Worst Case Scenario

2007-11-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

With all the strikes going on it's easy to forget that Bernard Kouchner is currently on a Mideast crusade to get Lebanon safely through a much more dangerously divided presidential selection due to take place sometime within the couple of weeks. As it stands now, Maronite Christian Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir still has to draw up a list of possible Maronite contenders, and then allow parliament to choose one. But, as Kouchner readily reminds, there is a worst case scenario:

"...the worst could also happen...This process may fail and then a very difficult period will begin."

The worst, in this case, would be the possible formation of a parallel government by Lebanon's current pro-Syrian president, or of course, simple chaos. Stay tuned for Kouchner back in Lebanon next week.

Strike Two, Sarkozy

2007-11-14T06:34:00.000-05:00

The second round of nation-wide strikes have hit France in full force today, causing massive transportation problems:

Early on Wednesday, more than 300km (190 miles) of traffic jams were reported on roads heading into Paris, twice the daily average...

Rail employees stopped work at 2000 (1900 GMT) on Tuesday. Only 90 of the country's 700 high-speed TGV trains are said to be running. Commuter train services are also severely reduced.

The metro service in Paris is running at 20% capacity, metro operator RATP said. Bus services are also affected.

Le Figaro notes rather optimistically that this is better than the 10% metro capacity originally announced, likewise for buses (15% compared to 10%). Labor Minister Xavier Bertrand is currently negotiating with both the CFDT and hopefully will soon have several other unions at the table.

No backdoor for Sarkozy's Turkey opposition

2007-11-13T13:48:00.001-05:00

When Nicolas Sarkozy announced that he would not veto Turkish EU talks so long as a group of "wise men" was set up to determine the future borders of the EU, some (at least I) assumed that he was setting up a perfect way to back out of his long-standing opposition to Turkish entry: he could continue his rhetorical opposition in the meantime, and if Europe finally came to the consensus that Turkey belonged, he would conveniently come around.

That idea seems to have gone up in flames today, with the EU almost ready to set up a 12 member committee to conduct a 2-year study on the EU's future. Although an anonymous EU government leader told The Guardian that the panel envisioned by the EU today is being created in part because "We have to do something to help Sarkozy," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made clear that the panel should stay away from "negative debate about the geographical limits or borders of Europe. That would be divisive." Yes, Mr. Barroso, borders are divisive, it's their purpose. Coupled with a reiteration by Sarkozy today in a meeting at the European Parliament of his opposition to Turkey's entry, it appears that Kouchner's hope to change Sarkozy's mind on the issue now lacks any graceful flip-flop.

War on the streets, Peace towards Iran

2007-11-12T21:39:00.000-05:00

Things are set to go offline tomorrow and Wednesday across much of France, in what has spurred a newspaper frenzy comparing Nicolas Sarkozy to the UK's Margaret Thatcher:

"Mrs Thatcher warned that things would be hard. Some found her reforms odious, but she had the courage to be unpopular. The question is, does Sarkozy have the same courage to be unpopular?" said Eric Brunet, author of "Being Rightwing -- a French taboo."

Thankfully the AFP notes that not only was Sarkozy elected on these reforms, but that they hold at least a solid majority of support among the French people.

Le Pire is no longer war
Bernard Kouchner can rest a bit easier tonight. All signals so far point to at least the pretences of renewed effort to get further sanctions on the Iranian regime, with Sarkozy declaring after a day of meetings that he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel "are on the same wavelength: no nuclear weapons for Iran." At the same time, UK PM Gordon Brown declared in his first major foreign policy address:

"Iran has a choice: confrontation with the international community leading to a tightening of sanctions or, if it changes its approach and ends support for terrorism, a transformed relationship with the world."

Finally the US, perhaps at the suggestion of its European partners, has been toning down the rhetoric on action against Iran. Just a week or two ago Bush warned that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons could lead to World War III, but US CENTCOM Commander William Fallon, who would direct any strike against Iran, said in an interview with the FT that an attack is "not in the offing."

Brown to steal Sarkozy limelight in US

2007-11-11T21:37:00.000-05:00

Regardless of the streets of Paris, there is a current international jockeying going on between France, the US, the UK, and Germany. Within the past week Bush has hosted both Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, British PM Gordon Brown is set to retake center stage by declaring in his first major foreign policy speech since becoming prime minister that the US is Britain's "most important ally," and reminding Sarkozy and Merkel that they're the new kids on the block of trans-Atlantic relations:

"The great change that is taking place is that France and Germany and the European Union are...moving more closely with America. There's a great opportunity for all of us to work together to reshape the international institutions, to make them fit for purpose for the decade that we are in, rather than the decade in which the international institutions were created in the 1940s."

This is slightly redundant, considering that at the first Bush-Brown meeting during the summer they both agreed to try to play down Blair's departure by declaring their bilateral relationship the most important for both nations. Meanwhile, the Financial Times is reporting that Sarkozy's new focus on French reintegration into NATO's command structure could be derailed by "Britain’s reluctance to embrace a bigger role for Europe in defence."

French streets in turmoil

2007-11-11T21:14:00.000-05:00

The French streets are set for more turmoil tomorrow, a regular occurrence which continues to baffle most Americans.

Following the success of a one-day strike last month, seven out of eight railway unions have called for a “renewable” or indefinite strike from 8pm tomorrow night. Paris metro workers and power workers start a strike on Wednesday, which the more militant unions also hope to extend indefinitely...

The dispute could then merge with one day strikes called next Tuesday by civil servants, postal workers and teachers over pay and proposed job cuts. Later next week, magistrates plan a stoppage over proposals to close some local courts.

In fact the US is currently involved in a rare nationwide strike of the Writers Guild, which has thrown late-night TV into disarray.

France to annex Belgium

2007-11-11T08:55:00.001-05:00

Well not quite, but the French public seems ready for it. Here are the results of a just released Ifop poll for Le Journal du Dimanche, taken on November 8-9:

You know that there is currently heavy tension between the Flemish and Wallonians in Belgium. Personally, in the case of the breakup of Belgium, are you favorable to or against the reattachement of Wallonia, i.e. the French-speaking provinces, to France?

Very favorable 10%

Rather favorable 44%

Rather unfavorable 18%

Not at all favorable 23%

No opinion 5%

So a majority of the French wouldn't mind it a bit. Sarkozy's already been compared to Napoleon, don't give him any new ideas... By the way, LeJDD has reader reactions to the poll on its website, some of which are rather interesting:

"Still it would be necessary to ask the Wallonians if they wish for it! As for me, I am a Belgian francophone and I refuse to become French!"

"No thank you. We do not want to live in North Africa!"

France, 1984

2007-11-09T18:25:00.000-05:00

Like the UK, France seems to be quickly falling into the convenient trap of widespread video surveillance. This comes from an interview with Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie by Le Figaro:

LF: You have just installed the commission on video surveillance. What is your plan?

It's better to talk of video protection. It is an element of dissuasion and a help to the clarification of infractions. The mayors say this: the cameras have allowed (them) to bring down crime in their districts by around 40%. I want to triple their number on public roads in two years in order to go from 20,000 to 60,000...

An issue as serious as this certainly deserves a full and frank debate; labelling surveillance with the basest of euphemism does nothing to bring this about. Just two days ago Sarkozy told the American Congress that the only thing the world asks of the US is "to always be faithful to its founding values." Let's hope he does the same at home.

Kouchner of Arabia

2007-11-09T15:09:00.001-05:00

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner will return to Lebanon early next week, the fifth such trip in just six months, with the hope of resolving the political deadlock that has prevented Lebanon from choosing a new president by the November 23 deadline. Sarkozy's general secretary Claude Gueant, who is currently in Lebanon, added that the president himself would like to visit at some point as well (surprise?).

Kouchner's trip is not only focused on the crisis in Lebanon, but will also include stops in Israel and Palestine on Friday and Saturday. Next Friday he is to have a "working dinner" with Mideast Quartet representative Tony Blair and Norwegian Foreign Ministern Jonas Gahr-Stoere. This is to set the foundation for a French hosted "donors' conference" in the near future, a follow-on to the Bush hosted peace summit in Annapolis.

Sarkozy better than Brown? Not so fast.

2007-11-08T20:13:00.000-05:00

The Telegraph has a an op-ed on Nicolas Sarkozy's just finished visit to the United States, which does an excellent job of putting the fireworks from Sarkozy's speech to Congress into perspective:

...before the Americans get too excited about their new entente cordial, they would do well to judge Mr Sarkozy by what he does, rather than what he says. It is all very well making grandstanding speeches before impressionable American congressmen; it is quite another delivering on the promises Mr Sarkozy has made about fighting the war on terror...

With the exception of the Iranian nuclear issue, where any military action would, in any case, be undertaken almost exclusively by the US, the French are still a long way from being seen as reliable allies in Washington. For all Mr (Gordon) Brown's awkwardness, the fact that British troops remain committed to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan counts for far more in the White House than Mr Sarkozy's vague promises.

Efforts to get the French more involved in the fight on the ground in Afghanistan has run into two challenges, the article states: the first simply being a French unwillingness to introduce more ground forces ("too many commitments in Africa") and the second being interoperability problems between French troops and other NATO forces ("We had to lend them some of our radios just so they could communicate").

No one, of course, would dream of asking the French to commit troops to Iraq, the British themselves will be gone sooner rather than later, but an unwillingness to aid what is increasingly an Anglo-alliance (US, UK, Canada) doing the heavy fighting in Afghanistan will not be easily forgotten in the Pentagon. And making the assumption that there will be a Democratic administration in the White House in just over a year's time, the US is going to be freshly focused on getting Afghanistan into better shape. Remember, Sarkozy, ensemble tout devient possible.

Sarkozy Time's Person of the Year?

2007-11-08T16:28:00.000-05:00

Each year since 1927 the editor of Time magazine has chosen a Person of the Year, someone who "has done the most to influence the events of the year." Recent selections have been Bill and Melinda Gates and Bono in 2005 and the highly ridiculed "You" in 2006. According to MinOnline, Time magazine editor Rick Stengel asked the opinions of several prominent figures at a luncheon yesterday for whom they would choose:

1. Al Gore -- from Chris DeWolfe (myspace.com co-founder/CEO)
2. Mother Earth -- from Brian Williams (NBC Nightly News anchor/managing editor)
3. Green -- from Whoppi Goldberg (The View co-host)
4. Gen. David Petraeus -- from George Allen (ex-Virginia governor and U.S. senator)
5. Nikolas (did they really just write that?) Sarkozy -- from Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Somali-born human-rights activist)

No guarantee that the the French president is even in the official running, but Stengel added that he would not be picking a pronoun this year, so Sarkozy won't have to worry about I, he, she, it, we, and them. As seen in the photo on the left, this is one award that Sarkozy's biggest fan already has.

The woman who recommended him, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, has become quite the celebrity in the US with the publishing of her memoir Infidel this past February. However, this endorsement is but another example of some of the foreign support that could someday cause domestic problems for Sarkozy. Hirsi Ali is a fellow of the American Enterprise Institute, a hotbead of neoconservative thought.

Sarkozy chats with Hillary Clinton

2007-11-07T20:46:00.000-05:00

The New York Times is reporting that sometime over the course of Sarkozy's 26 hour stay in Washington he made a phone call to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton:

An American source familiar with the conversation said Sarkozy told Clinton he had caught one of the Democratic debates while he was in America over the summer and was impressed with her performance. Sarkozy told Clinton "the only thing harder than running for President of France is running for president of the United States," said this source, friendly to Clinton, who did not want to be quoted publicizing a private conversation

It would be hard to fault him for reaching out, but anything more than this at such an early stage in the race would really get inappropriate; he is no longer the interior minister on a pre-campaign tour.

Protocol Problems
The Washington Times is covering a specific moment that occured during today's Mount Vernon press conference with Bush that led to several seconds of awkward translations. According to the Times:

Traditionally, there are four questions allowed at bilateral press conferences. Each leader calls on two reporters, typically choosing members of the press from their own country.

But apparently after Bush chose his first favorite, Sarkozy did nothing, and when asked by Bush to call on someone, he responded "You know, in France, I don't choose. I don't pick the journalists." Sarkozy then made a "vague gesture" towards in his words a "general direction." But his American travails were not yet over:

When it came time for Mr. Sarkozy to call on a reporter a second time, he again made a vague sweep of his hand towards the reporters, looking annoyed.

This was actually the second time in the day when odd American habits might have caused some confusion. The first happened this morning at Sarkozy's speech to a joint session of Congress:

When Mr. Sarkozy, entering the chamber, found himself met by a standing ovation and occasional whoops, he at first appeared to revel in it, but as it extended to 2 minutes and longer, he began to appear almost embarrassed. He finally brought the applause to an end with the words “Madame le Speaker ... “

He did look somewhat agitated, but then again so was I for having to wait through two minutes of clapping...on C-Span of all channels. Congressmen, next time you complain about the time you spend in Washington away from your districts, please think of what you're spending it on.

Sarkozy speaks to Congress: "America can count on France"

2007-11-07T11:49:00.000-05:00

Nicolas Sarkozy just finished speaking to a joint session of Congress in what ended up being a roughly 40 minute speech. Sarkozy began by speaking of the long history of French-American relations, noting that he was speaking in front of the portraits of both George Washington and the Marquis De Lafayette. He then continued into the American intervention during the First World War, followed by the Second World War, followed by the Marshall plan, and finally the Cold War. Sarkozy said that this created an eternal debt between France and the US, and that it shall not be forgotten.

He then went on to describe the ideals that France and the United States have stood for, and how the only thing the world asks of America is to stay true to those values. This transitioned to the current issues that both nations face, the first being that of terrorism. After a brief tour of the Middle East (and Iran) he moved on to the issue of climate change, where he asked the US to be a leader in fighting this common threat to humanity. After all that, Sarkozy concluded that such an agenda requires both a strong US and a strong EU, which the US must learn to trust. Somewhere in there he again said that it is his eventual aim to rejoin all the command structures of NATO. He is now heading off to lunch with Bush, and should be in the air by 3:00 pm EST.

If you missed the show you can catch it here, just scroll down to Recent Programs. The homepage of the Elysee is also currently running Sarkozy's speech to the French community in Washington yesterday.

Bush on French TV

2007-11-07T06:42:00.001-05:00

It looks like George Bush is following Nicolas Sarkozy in giving a primetime interview with the other country's press. Tonight TF1 will broadcast an interview between Bush and Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, which was conducted yesterday at the White House.

Sarkozy sings to Bush at black tie affair

2007-11-06T21:33:00.000-05:00

I'm sure that image will play well across France... Here's some Sarkozy quotes from tonight at the Bush's:

"I come to Washington with a very simple message. I want to reconquer the heart of America, and to reconquer the heart of American in a lasting way. I have come to tell you one thing, it is that France and the United States, we are friends, we are allies, always and forever (that is mangled from "depuis toujours et pour toujours," sorry). I have come to tell you that we can be the frined of America and win elections in France, it is not a mirable, it is a reality. (laughter) ..."

Sarkozy also assured the audience that he had no electoral ambitions in the US:

"So here I am in Washington on a first Tuesday in November. (Laughter.) Now, I have no electoral ambitions when it comes to the U.S.even though I know it's a very special day because it's the day on which Americans elect their President."

Finally, despite language that was at time painful in its diplomatic and historical niceties, Sarkozy did briefly touch on common foreign policy challenges:

"We need to take up a challenge of nuclear proliferation, of religious extremism and of fanaticism. And we need to respond to the demands and challenges of peoples who wish to claim their rightful place in a new world, the world of the 21st century -- and a new order, that of the 21st century, which is no longer the order of the 20th century. And we need also, together, to find a new balance between man and nature, in order that we may save this planet of ours -- and not only save it, but leave it as a legacy to our children in a better state than that in which we found it. Together we must vanquish abject poverty, because it is on abject poverty that terrorism worldwide feeds."

By the way, I translated the first few quotes before I found the White House translation, so that's why it might not match up with the link. You can watch a video of the two presidents' comments here

I see Sarkozy! Kind of.

2007-11-06T17:59:00.000-05:00

Apparently meeting with the one American willing to wait two hours in the cold to have the chance of seeing the French president for 5 seconds was not on Nicolas Sarkozy's agenda today when he arrived in Washington. So I actually had to wait.

In reality it wasn't that bad; after landing and speaking to the French-American Business Council, Sarkozy awarded several American WWII veterans the Legion of Honor at the residence of the French Ambassador. So after waiting for 45 minutes outside the residence in the freezing cold, having my bag searched and then being asked to move down the street by the security officials nearby (in fact, the secret service guys were very friendly), several police bikes, a cop car, and a motorcade of at least 5 black cars and SUVs pulled up. Of course, being about 40 yards away and with dozens of people in black suits, I couldn't tell if I actually saw Sarkozy walking up the steps of the mansion and going in. Twenty mintues later, everyone leaves, and again, in the rush of people (this time with TV cameras), I couldn't be sure exactly who the French president was, although there's no way I didn't see him. Oh well, seeing a motorcade like that speed off is pretty impressive, and whichever car he was in, I was within 30 ft. In retrospect, binoculars would have helped...but that would have looked really suspicious.

But anyway, Sarkozy has quite the schedule, and he is still due for dinner at the White House tonight. Tomorrow will highlight a speech to both houses of Congress (broadcast by C-SPAN at 10:45 EST) and a joint press-conference with George Bush at Mount Vernon. Finally, Reuters has some quotes from Sarkozy's first meeting with the business group:

"A great economy needs a great currency...You have quality labor, some extraordinary companies, you don't need a dollar that is too weak."

"We love America, but we love America that is true to its values...We love an America which supports creators but not speculators, we love an America that believes in free trade but also in honest competition."

"I will say to our Chinese friends, 'you have been spectacularly successful...you don't need an undervalued currency to win...It is not even useful. It creates imbalances and, at the end of the day, these imbalances impact you too."

Oh, and here's the Sarkozy crew zooming off to the next meeting.

Sarkozy in Washington tomorrow!

2007-11-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

Well tomorrow's the big day. Sarkozy will be landing in Washington DC around 2:00pm, speak to the French-American Business Council, present the Legion of Honor to several American WWII veterans at the French Embassy, and then dine with George Bush at the White House.

The following day is even more hectic. Sarkozy will first meet with some American Jewish groups, give a speech to a joint session of Congress, meet with the Congressional French Caucus, lunch at George Washington's Mount Vernon with Bush, and leave by 3:30pm. All in all, he will have spent just over 24 hours in the US. Was New Hampshire really that bad to lead to this?!

Sarkozy in Africa

2007-11-04T06:31:00.000-05:00

Well it appears that Sarkozy knows when a scandal has gone too far to delelgate, and just days before his Washington visit Sarkozy is heading to Chad:

Mr Sarkozy will meet his counterpart, Idriss Deby, in the capital, N'Djamena. They will discuss "the situation of our compatriots and the other European citizens being prosecuted", a statement from the Elysee Palace said.

Mr Deby said on Thursday TV he hoped the three journalists and air crew members who are among the 17 European accused would be released soon

Al Qaeda chief threatens France

2007-11-03T10:26:00.000-04:00

One more challege for the yet unformed Mediterranean Union:

Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri called for a holy war against North African leaders and their French, Spanish and US allies in an audiotape message Saturday in which he announced a new Libyan arm of the militant network...

"Islamic nation of resistance and jihad (holy war) in the Maghreb, see how your children are uniting under the banner of Islam and jihad against the United States, France and Spain," Zawahiri said.

Giuliani mentions Sarkozy, again

2007-11-02T20:59:00.000-04:00

Former NYC Mayor and now Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is mocked for including the word "9/11" in every other sentence. It is now clear that every sentence without that reference is about Nicolas Sarkozy. Here's an excerpt from his latest interview with Bloomberg News' Al Hunt (Judy Woodruff's husband):

MR. HUNT: Sir, you have proposed a dazzling array of tax cuts. Keep all of the Bush tax cuts, new tax cuts for investors, individuals, cut the corporate tax rate. Experts like Alan Greenspan say, however desirous, they are not a free lunch; they cost something. Will you offset them with comparable spending reductions?

MR. GIULIANI: Sure, absolutely. I would offset them with a lot of spending reduction...

MR. HUNT: Non-defense or defense (spending)?

MR. GIULIANI: Non-defense. Civilian employees. When I first announced this, people said it can’t be done. The reality is – it’s very interesting – Sarkozy is doing the same thing in France. (Chuckles.) And the reality is it can be done because the government has not taken the benefit of high technology yet.

I guess the only challenge left is to combine the two. Perhaps some possibilities?

Sarkozy and I are both national heros, I'm the hero of 9/11, he's the hero of the Human Bomb. (Chuckles.)

Chinese warm on Sarkozy visit

2007-10-31T22:37:00.000-04:00

The Chinese have been very bullish on Sarkozy's visit to the country sometime later in November:

China warmly welcomes French President Nicolas Sarkozy on a state visit next month, which will "be a great event for China-France relations", Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said at a joint press conference with his French counterpart Wednesday...

"The two sides share broad common interests in intensifying mutual political trust, expanding economic and trade cooperation, jointly tackling the challenges of climate change and combating traditional and non-traditional security threat," Yang said.

Behind all this lies the fact that Sarkozy and British PM Gordon Brown have put significant political energy into resolving the issue of peacekeepers in and around the Darfur region of Sudan, and many voices in France are pressing for a boycott of the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. Not that Sarkozy would ever go that far, but it is something that the Chinese certainly are aware of.

Sarkozy to go to Jerusalem

2007-10-29T17:21:00.000-04:00

An Israeli website is reporting that Nicolas Sarkozy will travel to Israel soon after visiting President Bush in Washington:

...sources report that president Nicolas Sarkozy plans a state visit to Jerusalem in a few weeks, during which he will the address the Knesset on the Iranian nuclear threat, counter-measures and his commitment to Israel’s security.

Meanwhile, French Defense Minister Herve Morin today rejected IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei's statements that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapon:

"Our information, which is backed up by other countries, is contrary (to ElBaradei's comments)...If ... ElBaradei is right then there is no reason that Iran stops ElBaradei and the IAEA from carrying out inspections. If (the nuclear programme) is only civil what would be the reason to stop international inspections?"

Sarkozy 60 Minutes update, Royal in Latin America

2007-10-29T06:44:00.001-04:00

You can now watch most of the end of the interview here. It really was terrible questioning, I can't imagine anyone from over at 60 Minutes doing this to an American leader.

Today's Washington Post has an op-ed on Sarkozy's gambit to reenter NATO.

The French president is scheduled to visit Washington next month, and NATO will undoubtedly be discussed. There are good deals and bad ones. In the months ahead, American diplomats and soldiers will negotiate hard to achieve the former. But the conditions France has thus far laid out, while still vague, should be achievable if the political will and strategic imagination exists. Let's not miss this window of opportunity again.

Former Presidential Candidate meets Future President
Expatica is reporting on Segolene Royal's meeting with soon to be Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who just won elections yesterday:

The one-hour private chat between the two -- both known as snappy dressers and sharp political operators -- was held on Friday shortly after her own arrival in the capital on a private trip, Royal said.

The 53-year-old French Socialist said she had found the 54-year-old left-wing Argentine senator, wife of President Nestor Kirchner, to be "very determined" ahead of Sunday's election.

She lauded Fernandez for "inventing a new alliance between the exercise of authority... and at the same time keeping her femininity," and said the two spoke of the problems of being a woman in politics.

Sarkozy storms from 60 minutes

2007-10-28T20:00:00.000-04:00

Apparently in tonight's 60 Minutes on CBS Sarkozy walked out after a question about his personal life:

A clearly disturbed Sarkozy stood up muttering in French about the question, which was not heard, in a short publicity clip put on the Internet ahead of the 60 Minutes broadcast Sunday night.

"You asked me that question," Sarkozy seems to say as he pulls off the microphone, stands up and walks away from the interviewer, who appears confused.

If this was his way of introducing himself to the American people (as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did recently), it sounds like it didn't work out too well. You can watch the clip here.

According to this site:

Sarkozy walked out when Lesley Stahl asked him about his wife (“What’s going on with your wife?”), who filed for divorce two weeks after the interview.

“You asked me that question?” Sarkozy says as he pulls his microphone off and storms off.

The entire interview summary can be found here. It sounds like this was filmed 2 weeks before the announcement of the Sarkozys' divorce.

Sarkozy to speak to Congress

2007-10-26T07:55:00.001-04:00

On the second day of his two day visit to the United States, Nicolas Sarkozy will give a speech to the US Congress, according to the Elysee spokesman today. In English, perhaps?

Al Gore congratulates Sarkozy

2007-10-25T17:50:00.000-04:00

I don't know who enjoys this situation more: Al Gore being able to still play with the big kids, or Sarkozy being praised by one of the world's most popular figures (behind Bill Clinton, of course). Anyway, here's what the former next-president of the United States said:

"Today you (Sarkozy) become known as a great friend of the people of this planet...I want to offer my congratulations to the French people...This is the beginning of an historic process We need a 'Grenelle mondial' so that we can all go far quickly."

Gore better be careful...he just might be the next victim of l'ouverture.

Sarkozy goes Green

2007-10-25T12:55:00.000-04:00

Sarkozy has seized the ever more popular environmental issues today, committing himself to a sweeping variety of green projects:
*1 billion euros over 4 years to invest in energy of the future
*2000km of new TGV track
*A possible carbon tax, especially on products imported from countries that don't respect the Kyoto protocol
And more...

MU to be decided in 2008

2007-10-23T22:15:00.000-04:00

It's finally set in stone; after making the Mediterranean Union a highlight of his foreign policy campaign platform, Nicolas Sarkozy has officially invited the countries surrounding the Mediterranean for a meeting in 2008:

"I invite all the ehads of state and of government to meet in France in June 2008 to set out the basis of a political union, economic, and cultural,based on the strict equality between countres of a common sea, the Mediterranean...Europe has succeeded in overcoming these evils. France calls all the peoples of the Mediterannean to do the same thing...The European Union started with coal and steel, the UM will begin with sustainable development.

Olmert à Paris, Sarkozy in Morocco

2007-10-22T07:30:00.000-04:00

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is in France today for discussions as part of a European trip to sure up support ahead of this fall's peace summit in Annapolis and push for more sanctions against Iran. Today he will lunch with Sarkozy and Bernard Kouchner, followed by a meeting with Fillon, and also a meeting "with members of France's Jewish community." Tomorrow he will be in the UK to meet with British PM Gordon Brown. Reuters is also reporting that he will also meet Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday in London.

Sarkozy will have a busy schedule today, flying off to Morocco for a three-day visit. This will be his first official visit as president; Sarkozy was going to visit earlier, but he was to spend so little time in Morocco that they decided to display their displeasure by cancelling. As France's closest ally in North Africa, Sarkozy is going to be using his time here as a launching off point for his Mediterranean Union, which he hopes to push forward during France's EU presidency in the second half of 2008. And of course, there are also economics involved in the trip:

...the staunch allies prepared to unveil some 15 agreements in areas such as high-speed trains, military equipment and nuclear power, industry and political sources said.

A delegation of 70 French business leaders was expected to accompany Sarkozy, who would seek to boost France's economic interests in its former colony, as U.S. and Chinese investors make an unprecedented push into Africa...French companies including Alstom were expected to sign deals for a high-speed rail link from Tangier to the southern tourist city of Marrakesh, a project worth about 3 billion euros, a French government source said.

Sarkozy's visit could see further agreements on nuclear cooperation and the construction of an atomic power station. Morocco is also discussing the 500-million-euro purchase of a French FREMM frigate and of Airbus passenger aircraft.

Bush to see Sarkozy Nov. 6-7

2007-10-19T19:05:00.000-04:00

Yep, the day has finally come for an official trip by Sarkozy to Washington, and unfortunately for Bush, he definitely will not see Cecilia this time:

President Bush will welcome French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Washington on November 6-7, 2007, for his first visit here as President. The President and Mrs. Bush will host President Sarkozy at a dinner at the White House on November 6. On November 7, the two leaders will visit Mount Vernon, the historic home of George Washington, to hold further discussions. The President looks forward to continuing consultations on a wide range of issues with the President of France and reaffirming the deep historical bonds our two countries share. The two leaders will discuss our shared goals of strengthening security and democracy in Afghanistan, preventing Iran from obtaining the means to build nuclear weapons, bringing peace to the Middle East and working closely to support Lebanon's right to hold presidential elections free of external interference, ending the genocide in Darfur, fostering democratic change in Burma, forging a peaceful resolution in Kosovo, and further enhancing cooperation on counterterrorism and security and the promotion of democracy and freedom.

Cecilia speaks, first time after divorce

2007-10-19T07:27:00.000-04:00

Cecilia Sarkozy has granted her first interview to L'Est Republicain following the official announcement of her divorce with Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday. In what is an incredibly long interview for normally private woman, Cecilia didn't shirk many questions, even answering some of the most politically sensitive:

Is it this crisis of your mariage that explains your absences during the different official ceremonies, during the trips where you were expected?

The crisis didn't keep coming from one day to the enxt. I returned to the home one year ago. During a year, I tried to engage myself professionally, personally, but that didn't go every day. During the G8, I preferred to leave because my place was no longer there. If I did not go to vote, it is because I wasn't doing well, that that wasn't the moment for me to show myself. I think that the French can understand that there are moments during life where one is going to be going less well than others, these crisises can happen to everybody. So I preferred to not show myself, to not expose myself, I explained to myself that I need to live peacefully, hidden. At the same time, the fact that one doesn't see you there where you are awaited fed this phenomenon that one has called "the Cecilia enigma," "the Cecilia mystery," to which the media goes crazy about. There is not a single engima, a single mystery, there is only a couple that has traversed a crisis, that has trued to overcome it without managing to do so. And there is much delicay on my part to not want to lay it on, to speak in the press, to explain these things that as a matter of fact don't concern anybody.

Details emerge on Sarkozy split

2007-10-18T12:55:00.000-04:00

According to Le Figaro, Nicolas Sarkozy himself went to court in Nanterre with Cecilia on Monday to sign the divorce papers, which by law he is not obligated to do. However, Le Monde reported that this separation has actually been ready for months, but Nicolas Sarkozy decided to keep this quiet until it was finally made official, against the preference of Cecilia. In any case, the SNCF and RATP have announced their intention to continue the nationwide strikes into Friday, because of the absence of a "precise response."

Elysee: Nicolas and Cecilia Sarkozy split

2007-10-18T07:51:00.000-04:00

It's finally official, and it appears Nicolas Sarkozy decided to announce this on the most politically fortunate day possible. In a press release from the Elysee, the Sarkozy's announced their separation "by mutual consent." Not to make political hay out of a very personal decision, but this was certainly the way to do it. Sarkozy has managed to distract the entire media from the current transport strike, which the BBC reports some unions may be extend for another 24 hours. Then again, if he dosen't make any statements in person soon, it could look like he's hiding in the bunker. As Le Figaro points out, this will be the first time that a French president is also a bachelor. The only American president ever to be a bachelor during his time in office was James Buchanan, who is considered one of the worst in history for doing nothing to avert the secession of the South and hence the Civil War. Hopefully Sarkozy can do better.

Update: It's officially a divorce...apparently they were so intent on making the press release concise that they forgot to add this important fact.

Strike One, Sarkozy

2007-10-17T22:44:00.000-04:00

He may not be in the playoffs, but this is certainly no ball. A 24-hour transport strike beginning at 8:00 pm local time Wednesday is underway across France, the first major test of Nicolas Sarkozy's resolve on labor reform; specifically, this comes in response to proposed reform of the special pension regimes, a relic of the Second World War, which allow certain workers in more "physical" jobs to retire earlier than their civil service counterparts.

The SNCF state rail network said only a fraction of trains would run, while bus and tram services faced disruption in 27 major cities over the pensions row, and a law forcing transport staff to provide a minimum service during strikes from January.

"Traffic will be very reduced today with less than five percent of trains running compared with a normal day," Guillaume Pepy, the SNCF's executive director general, said in an interview in Thursday's Le Parisien newspaper.

But what do the French think of all this? Earlier polls showed a very strong majority in favor of special pension regimes, yet the strike itself is drawing more mixed reactions:

Surveys yesterday gave conflicting views. A poll for the right-leaning daily Le Figaro found 55% of French people felt the strike action was unjustified. Another poll for the communist daily L'Humanité found 54% in favour.

On the bright side of things, tomorrow's headlines will be dominated by strike news. This would be a perfect time to get rid of any dirty laundry - can you think of anything, Nicolas...

Observateur: Sarkozy's divorce underway

2007-10-17T06:21:00.000-04:00

Le Nouvel Observateur reports on what has been the source of the greatest speculation since the days of Bill Clinton: Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia are said to have seen a judge this past Monday evening to formalize their divorce procedure. Again, no comment coming from the Elysee.

But just to make things more complicated, LCI reported that Cecilia saw a judge in Nanterre on Monday along with Georges Kiejman as her lawyer, and Nicolas was visited by a judge on Tuesday. Whatever the case, this is easily the worst kept secret in Europe.

No Comment from Elysee

2007-10-15T08:06:00.000-04:00

Nicolas Sarkozy's spokesman David Martinon responded simply "no comment" when asked during his weekly press conference about the reportedly imminent separation between Sarkozy and Cecilia. When asked whether she would accompany Sarkozy on a trip next week to Morroco, he said:

"I already said that to my knowledge the wife of the president will not be on the trip."

Finally, La Tribune has reported that the official announcement will come this Wednesday. Stay tuned.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy and Fillon slide in poll

2007-10-14T22:50:00.000-04:00

The latest LH2 poll of Liberation shows what is now popping up in every recent poll: a slow but marked fall in Nicolas Sarkozy's favorability. Since the last such poll on September 20-21, Sarkozy has fallen from 66% to 61% of the French with a positive opinion, and Francois Fillon has fallen from 59% to 51%. That being said, they are both polling above their party base, meaning that while much of the initial good will from Bayrou voters and centrist-Royal voters has disappearead, the "ouverture" has created a bigger base from which to draw steady support. The challenge will be to keep these numbers at a plateau above 50%, and Wednesday's strike may have a say in that regard.

Le Monde reveals Balladur recommendations

2007-10-13T07:18:00.000-04:00

According to Le Monde, the Balladur committee on reform will have its recommendations on Sarkozy's desk by October 22, and some should become law before the March 2008 municipal elections. So what kind of reforms? Le Monde has a sneak peak:

*Article 20 of the constitution stipulates that "the government determines and drives the policy of the nation"....the committee should suggest this new formulation: "the president of the Republic defines the policy of the nation. The government carries it out."

*The President will now be limited to only two consecutive terms, but he/she will be able to directly address both houses of legislature, so long as no debates or votes immediately follow.

*Le Monde notes that perhaps the "most spectacular" recommendation is to prohibit deputies and senators from simaltaneously being the president of a region, department, or commune.

There are several more that you're free to review untranslated.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Say it ain't so, Cecilia

2007-10-12T21:27:00.000-04:00

Okay, this news has simply gotten to the point where there's no point in trying to ignore it:

L'Est Republicain – the only newspaper to be granted an interview by Mme Sarkozy since her husband was elected in May – said on its internet site yesterday morning that the Elysée Palace planned to confirm the rift at its weekly press conference in the afternoon.

The press briefing was later cancelled. The presidential spokesman, David Martenon, said he would not comment on "press rumours, especially on a subject like this"....

L'Est Republicain said it had been told by Elysée Palace sources that a separation, and then divorce, were imminent. "Things should move quite rapidly because a divorce petition is expected to be filed with the court in Nanterre in the near future," the newspaper said.

In stranger news, Le Canard Enchainé reported earlier this week that the presidential staff was drawing up a list of "previous French or foreign leaders who had divorced while in office" (what is this, a statistical analysis?). But just for fun, what are the odds that both presidential candidates separate from their respective partners within the course of months? Divorce Magazine lists French divorces as a % of marriages to be 43% (yes, I know Royal wasn't technically married), so if each marriage has a 43% failure rate, .43 * .43 = .1849 for two couples. Then of course you have the competing pressure of a stressful campaign and the need to keep up appearances, but the fact that this hasn't happened before gives greater credence to its improbability. Then again, Sarkozy will have one more thing in common with Rudy Giuliani...

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

EU sanctions a "no go"

2007-10-12T06:20:00.000-04:00

After failing to get any concessions from Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Iranian nuclear issue, Nicolas Sarkozy is no facing the fact that his proposed EU sanctions against Iran are currently dead in the water:

EU foreign ministers are set to warn Iran that it faces tougher sanctions if it does not give up its nuclear activities but they will refrain from moving towards extra European penalties as favoured by France due to persistent disagreements among member states.

The meeting in Luxembourg on Monday and Tuesday (15 - 16 October) is set to conclude that the EU would "consider what additional measures it might take in order to support the UN process," a draft statement writes, according to Reuter

This will end just one day before a UN Security Council meeting on another resolution, though China and Russia are currently against a third round of sanctions. Overall, Sarkozy's proposal and Kouchner's letter to fellow EU members seems to have aroused little enthusiasm beyond the initial British support, and "his call sparked opposition..in Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria." Whether this should be seen as a remarkable failure in French diplomacy or a remarkable obstinance on the part of fellow EU members is likely in the eye of the beholder.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Economist: Kouchner in profile

2007-10-11T22:07:00.000-04:00

This week's Economist has a profile of French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, headed by a picture of Kouchner wading onto the Somali coast with a bag of rice. The article does a pretty good job of summarizing his travails so far, the shifts in policy from the Chirac era, and his diplomatic faux pas with regard to Iraq...and later Iran. While it presents an upbeat picture of the possibilities of a renewed French diplomacy on the world stage, The Economist warns that Sarkozy's "ouverture," which has already shown its cracks over the immigrant DNA controversy, could eventually catch up with the new diplomatic partnership:

So far, Mr Kouchner and Mr Sarkozy have kept remarkably in step. Mr Kouchner has put aside differences, notably over Turkey's membership of the EU—though as a personal advocate of Turkish entry, he hints that, though he applies official French policy, he has not given up “advancing a few arguments” to his boss. Yet their co-operation has not been tested. For all the tough talk on Russia, Mr Sarkozy announced in Moscow this week that French companies were eager to invest more. It remains to be seen whether the president will always prefer Mr Kouchner's idealism to France's traditional regard for its national interest.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Nicolas-Cecilia separate?

2007-10-11T07:40:00.000-04:00

The Swiss paper Tribune de Geneve is reporting what many have already suspected:

The Tribune says the French media are ready to report the official separation of the Sarkozys, and reporters are sniffing around Geneva to see what brought Cécilia here. She came alone, although accompanied by bodyguards. Her absences from official functions have raised comment, leading to rumors that she has a boyfriend – perhaps in Geneva. The Tribune cites an unidentified French journalist from a magazine who said pages have already been prepared for publication about an official separation.

I don't know what the odds are that both candidates in a presidential contest separate with their partners within months of the election, but I can't imagine it's that common...

Russian visit debrief

2007-10-11T06:28:00.000-04:00

The AFP has a story out this morning of how the Russian press has made somewhat of a mockery of Nicolas Sarkozy's just concluded visit:

"Balancing on five-centimetre heels and gesturing passionately, Sarkozy tried to demonstrate not only the unbreakable friendship between Russia and France, but also between himself and the Russian leader," the Nezavisimaya Gazeta daily noted....

Almost every newspaper began their reports of Wednesday meetings between Sarkozy and Putin with Sarkozy happily telling his host of finally achieving his dream of waking to see Red Square -- a story that appeared to leave Putin cold...The Kommersant and Izvestia dailies meanwhile irreverently wondered how Sarkozy's dream had come true, noting that the National Hotel where Sarkozy stayed did not afford the view...(it) concluded that he must have slept in a bar on Red Square."

On a more serious note, Le Monde reports that Nicolas Sarkozy brought up with Putin the recent case of a suspected Russian missile dropped on Georgian soil several months ago:

"I clearly said what I think about the missile over Georgia, that it was not a good initiative - no knowing who took the initiative. I don't believe at all in the thesis of a return of the Cold War. However, there can be tensions, irritations, nervousness, which lead to decisions that are not helpful for Russia, nor for its partners."

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

So much for converging opinions

2007-10-10T07:41:00.000-04:00

Sarkozy's announcement yesterday that he and Putin were closer than ever on the Iranian issue seems a bit foolhardy after these words from Putin today:

"We do not have data that says Iran is trying to produce nuclear weapons. We do not have such objective data. Therefore we proceed from a position that Iran has no such plans but we share the concern of our partners that all programs should be as transparent as possible."

Update: He did add that:

"We agreed that Iran is taking steps'' to cooperate with international demands, Putin told a joint news conference today with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. He said work to bring Iran to cooperate was going on at the United Nations, and "we agreed that this will go on in the future.''

Guaino responds to BHL

2007-10-09T20:52:00.000-04:00

Henri Guaino has responded forcefully to Bernard-Henri Levy's accusation that he is "racist" for writing the speech Nicolas Sarkozy delivered in Senegal to a group of students several months ago:

"Ce petit con prétentieux ne m'intéresse pas. Qui est-il donc? Qu'a-t-il fait dans sa vie de si extraordinaire pour se permettre de juger comme ça? Je n'ai jamais rencontré BHL. Il ne m'aime pas, moi non plus. Il n'aime pas la France, moi si. Il a la bave aux lèvres, avec la haine qui suinte de partout."

And a very rought translation:

"This little snooty idiot doesn't interest me at all. Who is he then? What has he done in his life so extraordinary to permit him to judge like that? I have never met BHL. He doesn't love me, me neither (referring to him). He doesn't love France, I do. He has drool on his lips, with the hate that seeps everywhere."

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy and Putin on the same page?

2007-10-09T18:27:00.000-04:00

After a face to face meeting with Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo presidential residence, Nicolas Sarkozy said that he was confident that he and Putin held close positions with regard to Iran:

"On Iran, I have the impression that our positions have firmly moved closer together. There is a very clear convergence of views on the analysis of the state of Iranian nuclear research...We agree on the 'they (the Iranians) can'. We might have a minor difference on the 'they want to'."

Sarkozy's African troubles

2007-10-09T12:17:00.000-04:00

Months after Nicolas Sarkozy gave a speech in Senegal that was described by some African intellectuals as racist, French intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy absolutely ripped into Sarkozy's speechwriter, Henri Guiano, during an interview on France Inter:

Guaino, he's a racist.... He's the one who wrote this vile speech... saying that if Africa wasn't developed it was because Africans were not part of history...To say such a thing, completely forgetting colonisation, the destruction of the country by this shameful period of colonialism, that is pure Guaino, and it is racism."

The article states that BHL "stressed that Sarkozy, who 'himself is not a racist', must have 'discovered the speech on the plane'."

Sarkozy is also taking heat from one of his own appointees, Urban Affairs Minister Fadela Amara. Amara, herself from Algerian heritage, has come out strongly against a provision in an immigration bill which would allow immigrants to take DNA tests to match with current family members in France, thereby speeding up their applications:

"I'm not okay with this DNA business because I think we are touching something that is not good for our country. Speaking as an immigrant's daughter, I've had enough of seeing immigration exploited all the time, for very clear reasons. I think it's disgusting. I am a free woman, never forget that. Quite frankly, the day it really becomes unbearable, the day it gets too hard, I will leave."

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

A Hungarian goes to Moscow

2007-10-09T06:24:00.000-04:00

For the next two days Nicolas Sarkozy will be in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yesterday Russian officials appeared to be attempting to put a positive spin on the visit, telling The Moscow Times "We are putting an emphasis on pragmatism," and "We don't see a big contradiction between [Sarkozy's] intention to invigorate France's relations with the United States and his relations with Russia."

But if they were trying to cool the environment, Sarkozy was doing just the opposite. In an interview he granted to the state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily just hours before meeting Putin, Sarkozy clearly laid down that he will be uncompromising on Iran:

"Between resignation (to Iran's nuclear ambitions) and war -- and these two words are not in my lexicon -- there is a responsible stance: toughening sanctions with the aim of bringing Iran to its senses.

No one should put in doubt France's seriousness and resoluteness on this issue...We are talking about protecting our collective security from the danger of nuclear proliferation. I will not give ground on an issue which is of such great importance."

And even while declaring that Putin's pragmatism "should help us find a common language on these important international issues," Sarkozy also so fit to make recall some of that "certain brutality" he mentioned earler:

"I will not hide from you that when Russia, without warning, halts energy deliveries to a part of Europe, that damages trust."

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Kouchner speaks to Der Spiegel

2007-10-08T07:24:00.000-04:00

The German weekly Der Spiegel recently spoke with Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in a wide ranging interview, covering everything from Franco-German relations to his jog in Central Park with Nicolas Sarkozy. Here are some highlights:

SPIEGEL: Mr. Minister, is our impression correct that there is trouble in Franco-German relations -- despite kisses on the cheek between President Nicolas Sarkozy and Chancellor Angela Merkel?

Kouchner: I don't believe that there is trouble. Friends don't have to agree on all issues (sound familiar?). For example, we are indeed of different opinions when it comes to nuclear power, but that's normal. We agree on all fundamental issues.

SPIEGEL: Do you truly believe that sanctions will prevent Iran from nuclear armament?

Kouchner: Admittedly, three UN resolutions have not done anything so far, which is all the more reason for tougher action now. We want to target the regime's economic and financial nerve centers, not the Iranian people. Will sanctions alone be sufficient? I don't think so. They have to be accompanied by political offers.

SPIEGEL: What preliminary conditions would the Americans have to fulfill (for NATO reintegration)?

Kouchner: The Americans must accept that we act independently. We envision a Europe that is strong and plays a decisive role in all decisions worldwide. French and European interests are at the forefront. Our view of the world is not that of the Americans. Our perspective is absolutely multipolar. That is the fundamental difference.

SPIEGEL: Why did Kouchner, a socialist, offer his services to a conservative president, of all people?

Kouchner: I was convinced that constantly criticizing is counterproductive. I wouldn't have accepted any position other than that of foreign minister. I asked Sarkozy whether I would have political free rein -- under his leadership, of course. He said I would, and this agreement has remained in place.

All in all not much in terms of surprises, although his belief that sanctions alone will not be enough to stop Iranian nuclear armament is telling. The only kind of political offer that it seems Tehran would take instead would be some grand bargain with the United States (akin to what they offered in 2001-2), and for US-Iranian negotiations to even occur under Bush, Tehran will first have to stop enriching uranium. His line "friends don't have to agree on everything" appears to be the new codeword for "there are major differences but we're not going to argue in public about them." Besides, the analogy isn't exactly a peaceful one, for friends can get in fights as well! Finally, Kouchner's statement that the French view of the world is "absolutely multipolar" should put to bed any beliefs that France has given up on Chirac's multipolarity; rather, Sarkozy is just working within that system with a foreign policy "no longer based on anti-Americanism."

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

France maintains Rubik record

2007-10-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

Today the 2007 Rubik's Cube world championship wrapped up in Budapest, with 16-year-old Yu Nakajima of Japan winning the competition by averaging 12.46 seconds in five trials of solving a rubik cube. But some contestants brought something even more impressive:

Hungary's Matyas Kuti was fastest solving the 4x4 and 5x5 cubes and also won several of the blindfold events, which seemed to draw the biggest respect from his peers.

Blindfold contestants try to solve the game by memorizing the position of key cubes before covering their eyes. Kuti's best blindfolded time for the 3x3 cube was just over 1 minute, 7 seconds.

So what the heck does this have to do with French politics?! Nothing, except that France is actually the home of the record holder for the fastest time to complete a rubik cube. He is Thibaut Jacquinot, who this May 5 set a world record of 9.86 seconds for solving a single cube. He also holds the record for completeing a rubik cube with only one hand, which took him 15.81 seconds. You can watch one of his events from this summer below.

Iran filibusters the French

2007-10-07T13:09:00.000-04:00

For those who didn't think Bernard Kouchner's neverending controversial rhetoric could be topped, the Iranians are at least making an attempt. Following a letter Kouchner sent to EU leaders this week asking for cooperation on future sanctions, the Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottak declared he would match that letter with his own:

"I will soon, in the next few days, send him a letter and will send a copy of it to his European counterparts, the foreign ministers of the European Union, and will remind (them) how illogical and illegal comments by Mr Kouchner were. They should receive one clear message and that is that on this issue Iran's right (to obtain nuclear technology) cannot be traded. This is not something that anyone in the Islamic Republic will retreat from."

Today Mottak again attacked France for what it called an "illogical" position with regard to his country's nuclear program:

"The Islamic republic of Iran will legally confront the illogical stances and words of some French officials...France cannot continue this policy in the future and its interests are definitely not in line with the political objectives of America."

Not to be outdone, the Foreign Ministry spokesman gave his own advice:

"We have always announced that illogical attitudes have never been effective and France will lose its position in this region if it insists on such attitudes."

And perhaps to top off this weekend of words with something slightly more concrete, Mottak "announced that Iran has appealed for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council." That would certainly make for some interesting deliberation on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Giuliani's Sarkozy obsession continues

2007-10-06T13:46:00.000-04:00

Other than former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been the most outspoken Republican fan of Nicolas Sarkozy - publicly celebrating the newspaper headline "A French Rudy," giving a rave review of Testimony, and then making up some half-joke dream about Sarkozy coming to the US and the Democratic candidates going to France. And as of today, this Francophilia shows no signs of abating:

In recent years, it would have been safe to assume all things French-loving would be verboten at a Republican primary event. But while waiting for a town hall meeting to begin here (in Estero, Florida), we recognized the lyrics of that most French of all songs, La Vie en Rose. It was an English version, but still, it was an Edith Piaf tune. Perhaps it was the Sarkozy effect, reflecting the ascension of the new French leader that Mr. Giuliani has repeatedly expressed admiration for.

And indeed at the event, Mr. Giuliani did pay tribute to Nicolas Sarkozy, talking about the French leader’s book and how he wants to reform France. The crowd burst out laughing.

“He wants to get the French to work more than 35 hours a week.” More laughter. “In any event,” Mr Giuliani continued. “This a very good thing.”

Luckily for Sarkozy, Bill Clinton's pat on the back will ensure that all this Republican fawning will not result in awkward introductions should a Democrat be elected in 2008, and it is worth noting that Sarkozy actually met Barack Obama when he made the much publicized 2006 trip to meet Bush.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Bill Clinton backs Sarkozy

2007-10-05T12:22:00.000-04:00

Former American President Bill Clinton and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko met Nicolas Sarkozy today at the Elysee. Yushchenko is dealing with a tense situation back home, with recent elections narrowly favoring the pro-West forces parties; Clinton, needless to say, was just schmoozing on a book tour and promoting his foundation:

"I (Clinton) look forward to further partnerships with the president (Sarkozy) because I think he's a 'can-do' sort of politician and I like that...I was grateful to (Sarkozy) for saying that he wanted us to have a partnership in the future, and also for saying that he didn't necessarily agree with all of our policies, but we didn't have to have complete agreement on policies to have a general partnership in the future."

The politician that he is, Clinton parried a question on whether French-US relations will improve with this: "I think that's a two-way street," clearly implying that any such improvement will require a competent and ready person in the White House. Any ideas, Mr. President?

Yushchenko sounded like he was just glad to be there:

Yushchenko said he was glad to see two big friends of Ukraine - Sarkozy and Clinton. “People, who have done much to promote democracy in the world. I’m glad to see these two great men," Yushchenko emphasized.

In his turn Clinton said that Sarkozy had invited him to meet Yushchenko and he had agreed gladly.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy steals another

2007-10-05T07:33:00.000-04:00

Jean-Marie Colombani, the former director of Le Monde who most Americans would know as the writer of the editorial "Nous sommes tous Américains" on September 13, 2001, has become the latest in a string of left leaning public figures to take a job from Nicolas Sarkozy. A press release from the Elysee confirmed that Colombani will lead a mission on, of all subjects, adoption:

"The objective of the mission entrusted to Jean-Marie Colombani, because of his long interest in this question and his personal experience, is to propose the means to concretely help candidates for adoption and to better follow the adopted children to protect their interests...In France, the number of people who wish to adopt a child has doubled in 15 years...But the number of adoptions is low and diminished."

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

BHL denies ghostwriting allegations

2007-10-04T22:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I posted about a story from Nonfiction.fr, which reported that Bernard-Henri Levy had written or helped write a great deal of former presidential candidate Segolene Royal's new book, due to be released this fall. But when contacted by L'Express today, BHL vigoroulsy denied it:

"I have never written anything in my life that I did not sign with my name. Neither a speech, let alone a book."

He also called the supposed scoop an "absurd rumor." Perhaps, but this new site has certainly learned that any publicity is good publicity. By the way, today Nonfiction.fr is featuring a review of US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope," which was published in French under the title "L'Audace d'espérer." Ominously for Obama supporters, they title the review "Barack Obama, désirs d'avenir"...

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Rethinking French NATO reintegration

2007-10-04T21:31:00.000-04:00

The founder of the Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques, Dr. Pascal Boniface, has an excellent column in tomorrow's Gulf News on Sarkozy's gambit to reenter NATO's military command, framing the current news in a much more nuanced past. Boniface lays down the groundwork quickly, noting that this is not simply a pro-American president who wants a new Atlantic relationship, in fact, "the reality is far more complex."

Nearly every president of the Fifth Republic, including de Gaulle himself, has at one time or another seeked closer cooperation with the United States. Chirac wanted NATO reintegration, Mitterrand supported greater European deployment of US nuclear missiles, de Gaulle wanted a triumvirate Washington-London-Paris to lead NATO. The simple fact is, "every time Paris was asking for a closer cooperation, the Americans refused its demands," which leads us directly to today, with Sarkozy proposing two conditions: "the acceptance by Washington of this Europeanisation and a major role for France inside Nato." As Boniface concludes, this will either result in France reentering a military alliance whose structure is far different than 1966 NATO, or result once again in a US rejection. Interestingly, Boniface decides to end his otherwise concise piece with a much more sweeping policy statement:

There is also another condition: to cease with the project that tries to transform the Atlantic alliance into a "global" one by enlarging both its mission (war on terror) and its composition (adding Japan, Australia, South Korea and so on). This would turn Nato into a tool for a clash of civilisations.

As far as I can tell, France and Japan, not to mention Turkey and South Korea, are not exactly a homogenous bunch. And without a global focus and a global mission, greater French influence may find itself towering over an organization largely irrelevant.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Georgia: Sarkozy wants us in NATO

2007-10-04T15:13:00.000-04:00

Apparently yesterday French Defense Minister Herve Morin tempered French support for Georgian integration into NATO, saying that France would back it so long as "it weren't seen as a threat by Russia." Good luck with that. Today Georgian President Saakashvili, who previously described his meetings with Sarkozy as fantastic, quickly rejected the notion that French support was bending under Russian pressure:

“I want to confirm and probably President Sarkozy will also confirm that the position of France in all the issues, including this one, is extremely supportive...[The support] was expressed without any uncertainty.”

From Bulgaria with Love
Nicolas Sarkozy travelled to Bulgaria today for meetings with the president, prime minister, and the Bulgarian medics themselves:

"For us everyone who suffers is French and I could not accept this," Sarkozy said at a closed meeting with the five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor, who was granted Bulgarian citizenship shortly before their release.

The words reportedly brought tears to the eyes of the nurses, only to be checked by Sarkozy, who said they should be smiling, not crying now.

The French president assured the medics that they can depend on France every time they are in trouble because "his country values freedom above all".

Coming Soon - Sunday shopping
Yes, tourists may eventually be able to find a bathroom on Sunday if a new bill allowing French stores to open on Sunday is actually brought before parliament soon:

France's government is at work on a bill to authorize shops to open on Sundays, and it should go before parliament early next year, a top French economy official said Thursday....

The government is negotiating with unions on the issue, Chatel (consumer affairs officals) said, acknowledging that the situation is "complicated." France's current labor code says workers are entitled to rest on Sundays. "We have started the necessary consultations, and we hope to legislate in early 2008 on the subject," he said.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy to irritate Russian hosts

2007-10-04T06:24:00.000-04:00

The Boston Globe is reporting that a supposed scheduling fluke may be just another indication of Nicolas Sarkozy's shift away from Chirac's cosying of Russia:

A day before embarking on his first trip to Russia on Tuesday, President Nicolas Sarkozy is to hold talks with the leaders of Poland and the Czech Republic, two countries that are as openly suspicious of their large Eastern neighbor as they are pro-American, diplomats and officials said...

French officials said the separate meetings in Paris with the Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, and the Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek, were not deliberately scheduled ahead of the Moscow visit. But they said that Russia and a number of topics that have strained relations between Moscow and the European Union - from energy security to US plans to deploy an antiballistic system in Poland and the Czech Republic - are likely to feature in the talks.

"You cannot talk to these countries without talking about Russia," said a diplomat, who declined to be identified because the president's office had not announced the visits.

According to the report, the Polish President will try to sell Sarkozy on three Russian related issues: backing the "US missile defense plan, Georgia's ambitions to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and an 18-month dispute in which Moscow banned meat imports from Poland." I can see the latter two working out, but I would assume he would be more cautious on openly supporting the former, especially because this is another example of US defense work that has taken somewhat of a unilateral tone. The only mention I've found previously with Sarkozy and missile defense is a report from immediately after the Bush-Sarkozy rendevous at the G8:

Bartlett said Sarkozy was interested in hearing about Putin's missile defense proposal, but didn't go beyond that. Bush, who is scheduled to head to Poland later Friday, will discuss the matter with the Polish president, he said.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Royal writes a new book? Maybe not.

2007-10-03T21:02:00.000-04:00

The French expat blog What's Next? has a very interesting post on a Royal scoop coming from one of the most unlikely of places. This past Monday Nonfiction.fr published a review of an upcoming work by French intellectual Bernard-Henri Levy on the renewing of the French left. Nothing too groundbreaking here. But his publisher also happens to be publishing a book this fall written by Segolene Royal herself, and apparently, Royal and BHL share more than big ideas for the left:

"Incidently we learned today, from well-informed sources, that Bernard-Henri Levy has if not entirely written, at least given a big helping hand to the drafting of the new book of Segolene Royal, which will be published, like his, by Grasset at the end of autumn...BHL speech-writer of the candidate in the presidential election, ghostwriter of the former candidate, and quill of the new Segolene Royal, voilà qui n’est pas rien. A scoop, then.

Having a ghostwriter is of course nothing to be ashamed of, most public figures who choose to enter the literary world have some form of professional editing - it only gets problematic if not disclosed. For the cynic, who has seen Sarkozy's Testimony becoming a political success story in the US, Royal's partnership with BHL could ease her own entrance into the Anglo-publishing universe, which endured the much hyped "American Vertigo" a year ago. After all, considering she has five years free, there's plenty of time for book tours.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Cecilia stays home

2007-10-03T13:52:00.001-04:00

French officials have confirmed that Cecilia Sarkozy will not accompany her husband tomorrow in his first official visit to Bulgaria:

"Mrs Sarkozy's actions in July linked to the release of the Bulgarian nurses has drawn and continues to draw numerous criticisms," said Sarkozy's office, confirming the first lady would not join him on the trip.
"Mrs Sarkozy was very touched by the welcome she was given at Sofia airport. She does not want to rekindle the controversy and therefore will not accompany the president of the republic."

In other news, the Iranians seem to enjoy keeping themselves in the news, today summoning a French diplomat to scold for Bernard Kouchner's overplayed comments on war with Iran:

"French charge d'affaires Jean Graebling was summoned... to the foreign ministry to receive the protest and hear of the Islamic republic of Iran's dissatisfaction with France's recent positions and its negative tone," according to a ministry statement carried on state television's website.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy: Bulgaria going on Vietnam

2007-10-03T06:31:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow Nicolas Sarkozy will be travelling to Bulgaria, the first time since the 6 medics were released with great fanfare in teh summer. His schedule includes meetings with Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov and Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev; and the issues:

The two are to discuss progress on drawing up a simplified treaty to replace the defunct European Union constitution, the French presidency said.
Sarkozy will seek to rally Bulgaria to his proposal for a group of "wise men" to be set up to debate the EU's future over the next two decades - a proposal which has received a lukewarm welcome in Brussels.
France is also to offer Bulgaria a ship-building partnership in exchange for the purchase of four French corvettes, according to France's ambassador in Sofia. The 750-million-euro (one-billion-dollar) contract was pencilled in by Bulgaria's defence ministry in 2005 but has been held up by budget constraints.
Sarkozy will also deliver a speech aimed at Bulgaria's youth at a Sofia university.

Surely these are important issues that must be adressed, but there is no doubt that this is also an ego trip for the French president. Parvanov will present Sarkozy with Bulgaria's highest honor, the Stara Planina order, for his work in facilitating the release of the Bulgarian nurses. Who knows where this could go, perhaps Sarkozy could star in the upcoming movie The Benghazi Six, which is to be made by the same producers who filmed Hotel Rwanda...

Finally there's word that there's one more trip to add to Sarkozy's itinerary. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung just wrapped up an official visit to France, and before leaving he told reporters that "Sarkozy will make an official visit to Viet Nam in the first half of next year." Talk about frequent flyer miles.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy takes Blair's place?

2007-10-02T22:52:00.000-04:00

There have been too many editorials in recent weeks claiming that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lined right up to take the place of Tony Blair as Washington's European poodle. Needless to say, almost all seem to be written with glowing ignorance, for if anyone has defined the difference between "friend" and "poodle" more clearly on every possible occasion, it is Sarkozy himself. But according to a scoop in the UK's The Daily Telegraph, the White House doesn't see that great of a distinction:

"There's concern about Brown," a senior White House foreign policy official told The Daily Telegraph. "But this is compensated by the fact that Paris and Berlin are much less of a headache...Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, is seen by many as the man George W Bush can best do business with in Europe...The White House official added that Britain would always be "the cornerstone" of US policy towards Europe but there was "a lot of unhappiness" about how British forces had performed in Basra and an acceptance that Mr Brown would pull the remaining 4,500 troops out of Iraq next year.

And the British do not need telling:

A British diplomatic source said: "In the White House there's a sense of enormous change from Blair. They used to be on the phone to Blair all the time and that's no longer the case because Brown clearly wants to be the unBlair.

"At the Pentagon, there's a feeling that Britain is letting the side down on Iraq. The new best friend is Sarkozy and that means Brown taking a step back doesn't matter as much. In White House eyes, Sarkozy is taking up the slack from Blair. "When things get tough, however, they're likely to turn to Britain again."

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy speeding down

2007-10-02T12:27:00.001-04:00

Two interesting bits of news to report today. First off, a new CSA poll shows only 55% of the French have trust in Nicolas Sarkozy, and 47% in Prime Minister Francois Fillon. This brings each of them down 6 points since August, and while still relatively strong, certainly cause for greater concern. Again, we'll have to wait and see how these numbers fare after the railway union strikes October 17, and the public fallout that comes from those headlines.

Secondly, the French magazine Auto Plus has been doing a bit of snooping around the presidential motorcade, and found some not so surprising surprises:

...in a four week period ending on September 26 Sarkozy's convoy breached the speed limit eight times, went through eight red lights, and twice went the wrong way down a one-way street..."for the smallest journey" he takes the presidential Citroen C6 limousine, accompanied by four people-carriers and motorcycle outriders.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy attends Ramadan dinner

2007-10-01T20:16:00.000-04:00

Tonight Nicolas Sarkozy spoke at the iftar dinner (sundown meal during Ramadan) at the Grand Mosque of Paris:

"Thanks to you, our country has not seen any increase in tensions in relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. Many envy us for this peaceful situation. Some extremists want to end it. Those who want to kill or commit violence in the name of Islam, who detest others in the name of Islam have nothing to do on French soil. Those who do not want to spread the message (of peace) will be expelled from French territory."

Well that's a reassuring message to send to already paranoid French Muslims, would you like to add anything else?

"In France, we respect those who practice Islam. I wish countries with Muslim majorities had the same respect for differences and other people's identities."

You can't fault Sarkozy for speaking bluntly, even in somebody else's house. Then again, the leader of the Grande Mosque is also the head of the French Muslim Council, which so happens to have been created in 2003 under Sarkozy's watch.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Sarkozy to visit Washington in November

2007-10-01T20:09:00.001-04:00

That about sums it up. Everyone knew Sarkozy would be coming to Washington sometime this fall, and the AFP finally got a "senior US official" to confirm:

Asked whether the French leader, who has made it a point of seeking closer ties to the United States, would come to Washington next month, the US official replied: "Oui. He is likely to visit in November."

Sarkozy was expected "in Washington," said the official, who asked not to be identified because the trip has not been finalized or formally announced.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will also be in the US at the Crawford ranch on November 9-10.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Russian rumblings

2007-10-01T13:11:00.000-04:00

Russia
Many European leaders may have had their hopes dashed when Vladimir Putin announced today that it is a "quite realistic suggestion" that he will become the Russian Prime Minister once his term as president expires next year. Sarkozy spent some time irritating the Russians yesterday when he "informally" met Georgian President Saakashvili at a World Cup rugby match in Marseille. Their first meeting this past summer was described by Saakashvili as "absolutely fantastic," and led Sarkozy to welcome the possibility of Georgian membership in NATO.

American Neoconservative with a French passport

2007-09-30T15:29:00.000-04:00

Bolton

It is no secret that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has received praise from many quarters of the American political spectrum, but the most unwelcome praise certainly came today:

John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, told Tory delegates today that efforts by the UK and the EU to negotiate with Iran had failed and that he saw no alternative to a pre-emptive strike on suspected nuclear facilities in the country...

"There is too much of a view in Europe that you have passed beyond history," Mr Bolton told delegates. "That everything can be worked out by negotiation ... Democrats or Republicans, we [Americans] don't see it that way."

However, he praised the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and his forthright criticism of Iran in recent weeks.

John Bolton is likely the most abrasive neoconservative one can find, who seems to be ready to attack Iran one day and destroy the UN the next. Frankly, he gives some more reasonable necons a bad name. This from a 1994 speech he gave (via Wikipedia):

"There is no such thing as the United Nations. There is only the international community, which can only be led by the only remaining superpower, which is the United States...The Secretariat building in New York has 38 stories. If you lost ten stories today, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."

In any case, Bolton clearly hadn't done his homework, for if Sarkozy was encouraging Africa to "enter" history in his Senegal speech, he clearly meant that France was there, not "beyond".

Gingrich

The Sarkozy American fan club suffered a setback today when former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich officially decided that he would not run for president, thereby eliminating the possibility that France could rule the US as a puppet state. Not that that would have actually happened...but Gingrich's infatuation was seriously looking like it could lead to another divorce, which isn't great in campaign seasons!

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France

Bloomberg meets Borloo

2007-09-29T16:56:00.000-04:00

New York City mayor and once potential presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg met French Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo in Paris today, expressing a desire for cooperation between the Big Apple and the City of Light:

"If France and the United States, Paris and New York do things (for the environment), you will find an awful lot of the rest of the world coming along. Countries that people say aren't doing their share — like China and India — I think those countries are going to come along when they see, and their people see, it's possible to have a better environment and have it stimulate the economy at the same time."

The IHT also mentions that while Bloomberg "fiddled with the gear shift" of one of Paris' popular Velib bikes, he "did not go for a ride." Hmm, cultural difference?

Bloomberg said some parts of the idea could fit in New York, but noted that helmets were required in his city even for bicycle riders — not the case in Paris.

Technorati tags: Sarkozy, UMP, PS, politics, politique, actualité, news, France