Sarko's bloody Sunday
Daniel Korski 11:49pm
President Nicolas Sarkozy has struck again, forcing the resignation of his
dictator-friendly and gaffe-prone foreign minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie, in the hope of shoring up the French government after a terrible couple of weeks. She will be replaced by Defence
Minister Alain Juppé, a heavyweight conservative who was prime minister in the 1990s.
Speaking to the nation on Sunday, Sarkozy suggested re-launching the Mediterranean Union and called for a meeting of the European Council to discuss Europe's response to the Arab revolutions. Getting European leaders together is a good idea. The scramble by each European country to get their citizens out of Libya could probably have done with a little more coordination. And the EU needs to rethink its billion-euro support for the Arab countries in transition like Tunisia, Egypt and hopefully Libya as well.
But it is hard to see how this will shore up the French president. Polls suggest that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, would beat President Sarkozy in the first round of France's 2012 presidential election. The good news for the Elysée is that DSK's lead has narrowed since the last poll, as the President's aides have stepped up their attacks the IMF chief.
But the distance between the two remains. Worse – though it is still unlikely – some analysts think Marine Le Pen, from the far-right National Front, could outpoll Sarkozy in the first round of voting. In a CSA poll that gave Sarkozy 23 per cent, Le Pen received 18 per cent of the support.
It is all quite tragic. France needs serious reform and Sarkozy looked like he was just the man to deliver it. In fairness, he has accomplished a lot. But his erratic manner, imperious style and jealous nature has undermined him and made voters lose faith. If, for example, he had stuck with humanitarian Bernard Kouchner as foreign minister he would have been much better placed to respond to the changes in the Middle East. But that's not Sarko. He got impatient with the older Socialist and wanted a more partisan team. He got failure instead.
If Sarkozy is to win at the next election a change of style will not only be useful but necessary.
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Sally Chatterjee
February 28th, 2011 6:53am Report this commentAlain Juppé is not just a "heavyweight conservative" but a convicted criminal who was caught for embezzlement-like fraud of public funds.
Norman Dee
February 28th, 2011 8:47am Report this commentSally, whats disappointing about Sarkozy tenure is that it was supposed to herald the departure of the time when having a conviction for, or being suspected of fraud was almost de rigouer for French leadership. He has made some progress, but not enough, and the French agriculteral system is still the elephant in the room when it comes to the CAP discussions. France needs another stronger Sarkozy, but one without all the distractions that haven't helped him.
EC
February 28th, 2011 9:09am Report this commentCrikey! Le petit Nicolas looks really knackered, as if he'd been up all night on the Rallye Monte-Carla.
How is his vendetta against presidential rival Dominique de Villepin going?
strapworld
February 28th, 2011 9:19am Report this commentWell said Sally. French politics, like Italian politics like EU politics is corrupt.
Sarkozy should ask his wife to record another song. That will get him re-elected.
Cynic
February 28th, 2011 10:11pm Report this commentAh, la chère Michèle - I wonder if she was promoted on a quota system.
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