Sarkozy, le comeback kid?
Daniel Korski 3:03pm
David Cameron may be talking about a new relationship with France, but let’s hope the Conservatives do better than Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP, which suffered a heavy defeat in local and regional elections, with a Socialist-led opposition alliance taking an estimated 52 percent of the vote.
This is bad. At least three of President Sarkozy’s enemies have now made a comeback: the French left, the far-right Front National and Dominique de Villepin, who appears to have been buoyed by UMP’s defeat and a new poll that showed the French preferred de Villepin to Sarkozy as UMP leader.
It will be interesting to see how Sarkozy copes. Until now, he has not had any significant set-backs, but a defeat of this kind halfway into a five-year mandate cannot be dismissed. So far, his reaction has been limited. He has reshuffled his government ousting labour minister Xavier Darcos and replacing him with the budget minister Eric Woerth. Darcos would have lead negotiations over the contested pension reform, something that now requires the greatest finesse if it is not to spark further problems. In a move intended to assuage conservatives, Francois Baroin, a confidante of ex-President Jacques Chirac, will take over from Woerth.
Marc-Philippe Daubresse was named youth minister and Martin Hirsch, the high commissioner for social affairs and youth employment, left the government and will head the state’s Civic Service Agency. But perhaps more important was the appointment of Georges Tron who will take on a new post in charge of the civil service. Tron is a de Villepin ally and his appointment is seen as an attempt by Sarkozy of weakening his sworn enemy. Finance Minister Christine Lagarde remains in her post as does Bernard Kouchner, the foreign minister who was rumoured to be on the way out.
This may be enough for now. The UMP still controls parliament with a big majority, and polls have shown that French voters know the country needs reform on difficult issues like pensions. The Socialists will savour their victory, but are still riddled with internal rivalries. Their leader, Martine Aubry, has been strengthened but once the race for a presidential contender gets under way, expect the fights between her, Segolene Royal and even Dominique Straus-Kahn to re-emerge. Don’t write off Sarkozy yet; he has emerged from political defeats before, and could bounce back after this setback too. Allons-y, le comeback kid.
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TomTom
March 23rd, 2010 3:10pm Report this commentHe should do a Mitterand and repeatedly change the electoral system to rig the result
Steven
March 23rd, 2010 3:29pm Report this commentVulture,
Over to you.
Liz Brown
March 23rd, 2010 3:35pm Report this commentThe majority of French people actively loathe and despise Sarkozy now - there is a huge amount of anger directed towards him
Vulture
March 23rd, 2010 4:03pm Report this comment@Steven
Always happy to oblige a reader. Actually I don't find Monsewer Korski's post QUITE so pointless as his one yesty abt the Ukraine - (a faraway country abt which we know nothing and want to know even less).
At least the French are our neighbours (from hell) and their politics do have a sort-of effect on us. Having said that, DK has told us nothing here that a casual reading of the AFP wire would not have told those of us who were interested.
Its his knowing air abt Europe that I find a teensy bit irritating when its often quite plain that he knows British Airways abt half the places and people he writes abt.
Still, at least his post is a little shorter than usual.
Patronisingly yours, Vulch.
Sir Graphus
March 23rd, 2010 4:18pm Report this commentI’m surprised the French voters have forgiven him for the fraud of masquerading as a happily married man, then dumping his wife immediately after the election. Then there’s the fraud of Lisbon, which the French people had decisively rejected in its previous incarnation.
If he said “good morning” in a crowded room, there’d be a danger of a stampede as everybody left to check if it were true.
oblomov
March 23rd, 2010 4:20pm Report this commentI doubt if Sarko will bounce back this time : he's just gone back on another election pledge : the carbon tax.
The aim of this tax was never to reduce pollution, but to monetarize it. (The biggest polluters would have been exempted.)
15 september 2009 Sarkozy likened the carbon tax to "the abolition of the death penalty..." Will he go back on this, too ?
The smart money's on the Guillotine, though it's probably to soon to guess whom it will be for !
Nicholas
March 23rd, 2010 4:34pm Report this commentSarkozy, le short homme, avec tous les hangups de tous les short hommes.
Retired bantamweight
March 23rd, 2010 5:05pm Report this commentNicholas,
Go and say that to Manny Pacquiao.
Idiot.
James Murphy
March 23rd, 2010 6:01pm Report this commentRetired Bantamweight - re.Nicholas' amusing comment, no danger of you coming within a postal district of a sense of humour then?
James Murphy
March 23rd, 2010 6:08pm Report this commentThe Sarko product promised much to the French people, but simply did not do what it said on the tin. They wanted an honest Gaullist revaluation of French values, they got watered down right-of-centre liberalism, Thus Sar-tea-Khozy's fault has surely been the wholly predictable one of all modern 'wet' right-wingers, namely that of trying to be all things to all men and ending up being bugger all to anybody. Step forward Cameron! You 'orrible little shower! what are you!
Chuck Unsworth
March 23rd, 2010 6:34pm Report this commentJust remember Wellington - never trust the French.
JohnPage
March 23rd, 2010 7:03pm Report this commentIt's an odd post. Baroin will have been a confidant rather than a confidante.
And "his appointment is seen as an attempt by Sarkozy of weakening his sworn enemy" just isn't English.
Nicholas
March 23rd, 2010 8:35pm Report this commentI thought I heard someone behind me squeak: "Nicholas, Go and say that to Manny Pacquiao. Idiot." avec le voix de "Jimmy Clitheroe".
But when I turned round I couldn't see anyone. ;-)
Les short, stroppy hommes avec les frites sur les épaules chercher la bagarre, ne c'est pas? Comme Napoleon. (q.v. "Time Bandits")
Noa Zrk
March 23rd, 2010 9:02pm Report this commentAhhhh, le President Sarkozy. Nous know who wears les high heels en votre Maison! Or do we?
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