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Sarkozy Attacked For US Stance
France's centre-right presidential contender has found himself in deep water with his country's political and cultural elite once again, this time for calling for friendlier relations with the United States.
Nicolas Sarkozy provoked fury on the left - and those on the Gaullist right still loyal to President Jacques Chirac - by declaring himself "a friend of America." Worse, he posed for a handshake with President George Bush, widely believed in France to be the incarnation of Evil.
In his usual combative way, he made his friendship with Bush appear like a challenge to his opponents: "I'm not a coward. I'm proud of this friendship and I'm happy to proclaim it", the Guardian reports him as saying.
Middle France
Sarkozy found much to praise in the US. He approves of schoolchildren singing the national anthem - three years ago, Chirac walked out of a football match in France when French-Algerian teenagers booed the French anthem. Observers claim he's playing over the heads of the French elite - it is believed that "Middle France" feels more affection for the US than the Paris set, though to imagine that there is any significant support for Bush or the invasion of Middle Eastern states is pushing it.
If he intended to provoke his enemies, it worked. Chirac, who was laying out his own anti-US Iran policy at the UN yesterday, was reportedly furious that his possible successor was already conducting his "independent" foreign policy.
However, it's on the left that the anger was most shrill: Sarko is banking that the ordinary voters of France are tiring of endless antagonism between France and the United States, but he perhaps underestimates how willing the French media is to give airtime to anti-American voices. Sarkozy has only one voice in the media, despite his tendency to meddle with editors' jobs: His opponents have hundreds. And they were in good voice yesterday.
On her knees
Socialist presidential wannabee and former prime minister Laurent Fabius described Sarkozy as "the future presidential poodle."
It also gave the Socialist's leading contender, Ségolène Royal, the opportunity to put some clear water between herself and her centre-right rival. Royal's party accuse her of being too centrist, a potential right-winger in disguise. Her view of the US, like so much else about her presidential style, is murky.
However, thanks to Sarko, she could demonstrate her left-wing credentials with an attack on the US.
Her choice of words was rather unfortunate, however:
"My diplomatic policy would not consist of going and kneeling in front of George Bush."
Err, wrong president, dear.
