Letter From Paris
Sarko’s Revenge
Unintended consequences could give France to the Socialists.
Our parents’ maxims stick with us all our lives. For me, there was my father’s “Stay right and you’ll never go wrong,” when I was learning to drive. Later, when I was boxing in college, it was “When you send a punch, send it special delivery.” But one that has proved especially useful over the years is, “Watch out for the little guys, they’re the meanest.”
That one, like other samples of homespun American wisdom, doesn’t exist in the debonair language of Molière. If it had, maybe Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin would today be contemplating a bright political future in his beloved France. Instead, he’s now facing another long, torturous trial for slander that will likely prevent his ever holding elective office.
The inconvenient trial is just the latest episode in a très French duel to the political death between the 56-year-old Villepin and the 55-year-old Nicolas Sarkozy, officially President of the Republic. Serving as ministers in the same Jacques Chirac government some years ago only sharpened their antagonism. Ostensibly belonging to the same conservative party does nothing to lessen their enmity — an unconcealed, bare-knuckled, feral hatred that provides solemn cover stories for news magazines and giggles for Paris dinner parties.
The protagonists in this Shakespearean drama could not be more different. Villepin, foppish, perennially tanned, languidly aristocratic, sees himself as the savior of an idealized, grandiose Old France. His basic antipathy to American values showed when he was a counselor in France’s Washington embassy in 1988. And he it was who, as foreign minister in February 2003, sonorously lectured the U.S. from the noble podium of the United Nations against ridding the world of Saddam Hussein. His visibly high opinion of himself and disdain for “Anglo-Saxon” mores make him, as one French editorialist puts it so felicitously, “A De Gaulle in a Cerutti suit.”
As such, he openly despises the pint-sized, pushy, parvenu Sarkozy, whom he contemptuously calls “the dwarf.” A mere descendent of Hungarian-Jewish ancestors who wants France to abandon its high-flown pretensions and become more efficient and businesslike? You can easily imagine the patrician raised eyebrows, the disgusted little moue — quelle horreur!
Sarkozy returns the loathing, in spades. For one thing, there are claims that Villepin may have spread rumors a few years ago about Sarkozy’s private life, contributing to the collapse of his second marriage to Cécilia. And he’s not about to forget Villepin’s subsequent dig, “A man who can’t keep his wife can’t expect to keep France.” Then there was the Clearstream affair.
That began in 2003, when they were both Chirac’s ministers and jockeying for position as his favorite (Villepin won, a dubious distinction). A bogus list was circulated of prominent French political and business figures who allegedly had received kickbacks from French arms sales in the 1990s. The list, including Sarkozy’s name, purported to be of individuals who stashed their dirty money in secret accounts at Clearstream International, a financial clearing house in Luxembourg.
An investigation showed the list was fake. But Villepin, then prime minister, declined to make that interesting fact public, keeping Sarkozy in the hot seat. When that became known, Sarkozy and dozens of other civil plaintiffs sued Villepin and four others for slander. The motive of the alleged defamation, Sarkozy contends, was Villepin’s desire to derail his rival’s quest for the presidency. It didn’t work, but his election victory did nothing to cool Sarkozy’s choler. “The guy who did this to me,” he vowed with his usual elegant periphrasis, “is going to end up on a butcher’s hook.” The Paris prosecutor, Jean-Claude Marin, demanded Villepin be sentenced to 18 months in jail and a $60,000 fine.
After five years of investigation and a trial in which the judges heard 112 hours of evidence, the court issued a 326-page decision at the end of January clearing Villepin for lack of any evidence of dirty tricks. Curiously, nearly everybody else involved was found guilty, with three others, including an old pal of Villepin’s, taking the rap. (A journalist who simply broke the story was cleared.) Sarkozy pocketed a token $1.35 in damages and plotted his next move, though his office issued a curt statement saying he would pursue the case no further.
Villepin, his sweeping silver coiffure more dashing than ever, pranced and preened. “I now turn to the future to serve the French people,” he declared grandly, “and contribute, in a new spirit of unity, to the recovery of France.” But he reckoned without the implacable, bulldog tenacity of the little guy.
French justice moves in mysterious ways its wonders to perform. How could it not in this case, with the prosecutor under the thumb of the justice minister, who owes fealty to the president? Villepin had hardly taken his victory lap when the Paris prosecutor, cheekily scolding the judges for finding Villepin innocent, announced he would appeal. “We haven’t heard everything about this affair,” Marin declared theatrically on a popular morning radio show. “There’s still room for the truth to emerge.” Some in this town swear on their mother’s head they glimpsed the shadow of a diminutive, hyperactive figure pulling strings behind him.
The appeal will take at least another year. A year in which Villepin will be destabilized and hobbled in his attempt to split the Gaullist UMP party in his favor before the next presidential elections in 2012. As Le Monde editorialized, “The shady Clearstream affair will now keep on poisoning French political life.”
The appeal, with its implication of vindictive obsession, could also poison Sarkozy’s chances of re-election in 2012. Villepin has already begun building a political machine and making public appearances, posing as the victim of a vicious personal vendetta. It’s a telling argument, especially with Sarkozy’s numbers in the doldrums after a series of unpopular, tone-deaf gaffes like trying to put his 23-year-old son at the head of a large Paris business district. Unlikely to win — initial polls give him around 10 percent of the vote in a presidential election — Villepin as spoiler could siphon off enough conservative votes to unintentionally throw France back into the eager arms of the Socialist Party.
About the Author
Joseph A. Harriss is The American Spectator’s Paris correspondent. His latest book, An American Spectator in Paris, was released this fall.
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Melvin| 3.1.10 @ 8:31AM
"Villepin, his sweeping silver coiffure more dashing than ever, pranced and preened."
I couldn't help thinking of Villepin twin brother Le Charlieeee Crist from Florida.
Alan Brooks| 3.1.10 @ 8:55PM
Socialism in Europe?
"you don't say
you don't say
you don't say"
What did the caller say dear?
"he didn't say."
Sarko| 3.1.10 @ 9:50PM
Sarko's Revenge
oh,my God!
look at the photo ..
Let me think of his wife
Bruni's nude photos at http://bit.ly/djeq7X
Alan Brooks| 3.1.10 @ 10:03PM
Bruni's nude photos work better than saltpeter and Paxil combined.
masscon| 3.2.10 @ 6:56AM
Or Jean Kerry.
danny| 3.1.10 @ 9:05AM
charlie ain't doing much prancing and preening these days.
Pingback| 3.1.10 @ 10:26AM
The American Spectator : Sarko's Revenge | France Today links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Doctor Right| 3.1.10 @ 10:41AM
These are strange times, indeed...
An America-hating, socialist idealogue who imahines himself a "citizen du leonde" sits in the White House, plotting the overthrow of our capitalist system...
...Meanwhile, across the pond in France, an intelligent, no-nonsense, fiscally conservative, pro-American security-Hawk occupies that nation's highest office.
...Could I be so bold as to propose a trade?
If there are some in France prefer Villepin, they'll LOVE the preening, sanctimonious arrogance of Obama.
ptson| 3.5.10 @ 12:08AM
Make the trade, just don't include Bunning!
Doctor Right| 3.1.10 @ 10:42AM
These are strange times, indeed...
An America-hating, socialist idealogue who imagines himself a "citizen du le monde" sits in the White House, plotting the overthrow of our capitalist system...
...Meanwhile, across the pond in France, an intelligent, no-nonsense, fiscally conservative, pro-American security-Hawk occupies that nation's highest office.
...Could I be so bold as to propose a trade?
If there are some in France prefer Villepin, they'll LOVE the preening, sanctimonious arrogance of Obama.
Fascist| 3.2.10 @ 3:06PM
Some words from Hitler:
"Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the *Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord."
* You may replace it with: leftist thoughts.
maverick muse| 3.1.10 @ 10:50AM
"Villepin as spoiler could siphon off enough conservative votes to unintentionally throw France back into the eager arms of the Socialist Party."
Unintentionally? This battle represents Villepin as the abusive husband who would rather his love-party-nation be dead than in the hands of another.
It's all about Villapin.
It's all about Obama.
"It's me or nothing," heard frequently from multi-termed Republicans.
Examples: McCain and Perry in the USA/Southwest political battlefield.
So much for bipartisan-ism that sabotages conservatism which once retained its own platform when practicing diplomatic tact during what used to be non-socialist bipartisanship.
The entire charade reveals itself. Old guard conservatives (still clutching bitterly to traditional hereditary rights evolved from monarchy/empire/Republics) are seeking to maintain the same ancient powers of feudal aristocratic authoritarianism that the socialists grab (elitists and union thugs).
Defeat Liberty through unconstitutional liberties. (McCain legislates unconstitutional laws over ruled by the Supreme Court, with no apology-remorse-repentance. McCain's only "epiphany" is that he "gets" how far off base he's been caught by his constituents protesting his abuse of legislative authority from his elected office. In pattern with other corrupt American politicians, McCain blames the public for whatever his wrongs are perceived to be.
Regardless of US partisanship, if you wish to preserve the Constitution, today you are deemed a "radical" by the Left and the neoconservative Right. The more you protest socialism, the more you protest Chief Executive's abuse of executive powers to MANDATE unconstitutional executive orders, the more radical the progressives in both parties deem your position that remains as ever the US Constitution. At least observe the workings of the official GOP operatives handily re-electing Rick Perry though Perry consistently neglected to observe the civil rights of citizens living in Texas, his using the CPS to kidnap ALL non-adults from their homes near Eldorado, for children in CPS care to have died with no investigations, for his lack of concerned involvement protecting citizens from Jihadist terrorism killing Texans both in the military service at Ft. Hood AND civilians from Killeen, and for his lack of state investigation in the strange IRS plane crash that as yet ONLY has evidence produced by the IRS though all personal accounts about Mr. Stack do not align with the IRS monopolized evidence that refuses to produce material evidence including autopsy results from the site of the crash. Rick Perry reenacts Ann Richards role as governor keeping silent (taking kickbacks) rather than confront abusive federal powers killing Texans. These two governors both denied Texans the protections and process of government guaranteed by the US Constitution AND the Texas State Constitution.
M Johnson| 3.1.10 @ 11:24AM
Nobody penetrates the fog of French politics like Monsieur Harriss. Spot on -- Sarkozy is no saint but Dominique Marie Francois Rene etc. etc. de Vilepin is just too theatrical to be believed. This is the best circus in town.
Yosemeti Sam| 3.1.10 @ 12:28PM
French politics?
Who cares!
Politicos perennial message to their constituents - eat cake!
Cause cake is their favorite food.
David| 3.4.10 @ 10:45AM
"...Villepin as spoiler could siphon off enough conservative votes to unintentionally throw France back into the eager arms of the Socialist Party."
Very unlikely. Remember, France has a two-round system: so unless Sarkozy does so poorly that he isn't one of the top two vote-getters, he'll be in the runoff and thus in a cage-match with whoever the Left puts up.
gatorbait| 3.4.10 @ 3:00PM
If there's a cage match ,I'd put my money on Sarko. He was VERY effective as interior minister, too effective for the whining left
Damocles| 3.27.10 @ 7:10AM
This is quite the article. The arrogant, preening Villepin/Obama, and the workmanlike, pro-American Sarkozy.
We need to learn that there IS a need for fighting fire with fire when it comes to the Leftists. I do NOT agree with the attitude some sanctimonious Republicans have that, "we aren't like them, we are quiet, won't ruffle feathers and we're Right!" and you'll be dead as the Christmas goose if you continue with that attitude.
When the opposition draws a knife, you draw a gun and place one shot right between the eyes, metaphorically speaking....of course.