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Letter From Paris
Requiem for a Failed President
No matter what his politics or programs, the French simply didn’t like Nicolas Sarkozy.
(Page 2 of 2)
Having botched his term, Sarkozy has left his UMP party a shambles and France arguably worse off than when he took office. The National Front is now in a position to attract disaffected UMP members and fashion a new conservative party centering on NF programs and values. For the first time in its history, it will likely win seats in the National Assembly in the June legislative elections. As its leader, Marine Le Pen, asked a crowd of supporters, “How does it feel to go from being fascists, racists and xenophobes, to people who are being eagerly courted?”
Sarkozy’s legacy to France is a tarnished presidency, a revived, victorious Socialist Party, and an economy burdened with a record debt of $2.24 trillion and counting, some $500 billion more than the day he took office. Unemployment stands at 10 percent and has been growing by the month. Although he tried to hitch France to the German locomotive, the reality is that it is falling further behind Europe’s economic powerhouse.
A lawyer by trade, the man himself has little to worry about, except possibly those ongoing investigations for alleged corruption. He said this week that he would leave politics permanently. Asked during the campaign what he would do after the presidency, he answered, “Make a lot of dough and live la dolce vita.” Now, rejected by a French electorate he never really connected with, he can be on his way.
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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Jack in Wi.| 5.9.12 @ 6:29AM
That such a worthless guy got over 48% of the vote shows how bad a lot of French People wanted to avoid a socialist government. Hopefully the National Front will take over as the main opposition party. Although Marine Le Pen is too much of a social libertine for my taste. In fact all Europe is in the toilet because it has abandoned the Christian Heritage which made the place.
RCV| 5.9.12 @ 11:48AM
Why I am not surprised that Marie Le Pen is too liberal for Jack. Nothing but Goebells himself will do!
Occam's Tool| 5.9.12 @ 12:00PM
Well, another anti-American in Paris. Oh, well.
They hated us when we were liberating them from the Nazis. More French fought FOR the Nazis in that war than AGAINST.
Paul| 5.9.12 @ 2:19PM
France, the only country that lost to both sides in WW2! Quite a feat!
Clint| 5.9.12 @ 6:08PM
Bullshit, Israel Firster Smear Bund Neo-Chickenhawk,Tool Job.
" Recruitment in liberated France led to notable enlargements of the French armies. By the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, France had 1,250,000 troops, 10 divisions of which were fighting in Germany. An expeditionary corps was created to liberate French Indochina then occupied by the Japanese. During the course of the war, French military losses totaled 212,000 dead, of which 92,000 were killed through the end of the campaign of 1940, 58,000 from 1940 to 1945 in other campaigns, 24,000 lost while serving in the French resistance. "
Crassus| 5.9.12 @ 7:58PM
NEOCON!! NEOCON!!
Doctor Right| 5.9.12 @ 9:15PM
Everything Clint knows is from Wikipedia.
Kenny| 5.10.12 @ 5:55AM
Ah yes, the Fighting French.
Why, they almost won WWII themselves.
Look how they marched into Paris -- as if they liberated the city. Totally classless.
Jack in Wi.| 5.9.12 @ 6:13PM
I like one thing Sarkozy said. " I hate Netanyahu. He is such a liar. " Truer words were never spoken. That was caught on mike when he was talking to Obama. It seems that a lot of the Israeli military and security services feel the same way about Bibbi.
RCV| 5.9.12 @ 9:22PM
Of course you like him for that, Jack, and for the same reason you like the Le Pens. Anyone or anything that reflects negatively on Jews generally, Judaism or any Jew, is to your liking.
Tim the Enchanter| 5.10.12 @ 1:58PM
Reminds me of that Jay Leno comment (I'm paraphrasing here): Get France's help to kick out Saddam Hussein? Hell, the french wouldn't even help kick the Germans out of FRANCE!
Jack in Wi.| 5.9.12 @ 6:07PM
I said libertine not liberal.
Doctor Right| 5.9.12 @ 6:56PM
Jack didn't say she was Liberal, genius...he said she's a Libertine.
They are not the same thing.
RCV| 5.9.12 @ 9:24PM
You're correct as to what he said. And my remark stands tho I'm well aware of the difference.
Clint| 5.9.12 @ 6:56AM
Qu'ils Mangent De La Brioche
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 5.9.12 @ 7:34AM
He came, he saw, he wrecked the economy and left the nation in massive debt. He sounds like Obama.
Dick Nome| 5.9.12 @ 8:26AM
The French Enonomy and France has been a wreck since the 60s. Nothing new. The new Socialist elected will help turn the place into Greece. France has been in the toilet for a long time.
Von Mises Jr| 5.9.12 @ 8:03AM
It demonstrates the obvious once again. The alleged best and brightest could not operate a hot dog stand profitably.
When you combine ignorance of economics, corrupt morals, cowardice and ego; it is always a recipe for disaster.
Bill has it spot on. Look at Obama, Hillary, "Little Timmy" Geithner, Ben "the Bank" Bernanke, Nancy Pelosi and "Dirty Harry" Reid and they have not done one honest day’s work in the private sector in their collective lives. And they want to RULE us, and we think it is a good idea?
A French guy in New York| 5.9.12 @ 8:33AM
Sarkozy's loss has less to do with him than it does with the stupidity of the French electorate and the perils of an out-of-control entitlement society.
Upon being elected, Sarkozy set about to do exactly what he said he was going to do, and what needed to be done:
Cut the size of government, and slash runaway entitlements that threaten the nation's long term economic prosperity.
But of course, my countrymen, fat on easy money from other people and too much wine and cheese quickly turned on Mr. Sarkozy, choosing to criticize him for his abrasive personality (as in this country, "abrasive" is what the left calls anyone who confidently rejects their worldview with facts) and ignoring his policies.
We French are unfortunately vain and petty at heart; sorry my follows, but it is true. And so, we have decided to kick out Mr. Sarkozy in favor of a man whose dogmatic socialist views make Francois Mitterand look like Ronald Reagan. In short, because of a national temper tantrum, we have embraced the very policies that got us not trouble in the first place, and disaster is surely around the corner.
I am proudly French. But I have had enough.
Thankfully, I am engaged to a wonderful, beautiful American girl whom I will marry in June, and I plan on becoming an American citizen as soon as possible. I will always love France, but for obvious reasons I cannot live there any longer while a majority of my fellow citizens feel an absolute right to a large percentage of my income.
I will not be able to vote this November, but I implore you, my future fellow-citizens, please cast out Mr. Obama! His ideas are a cancer.
Merci, and Vive Les Etats Unis!
TLP| 5.9.12 @ 9:43AM
Wow. A Frenchman I don't despise. Who'da thunk it?
The only thing I found in your comment, that I have a problem with, is the proclamation that he tried to Cut Spending. I've heard just the opposite. I heard that "Austerity" was just a word, and that Higher Taxes, and "Punishing the Rich" were the order of the day in King Nicolas the 1st's France.
Then, of course, there's the ever present Smell of Corruption, combined with a Super Effeminate Populace, who've probably not had Dirty Hands, since the 70's.
Too bad.
A French guy in New York| 5.9.12 @ 10:21AM
No, Sarkozy definitely tried to cut spending, first by cutting entitlements, and this, of course, is what got him into serious trouble with public sector workers, as well as his push to eliminate the idiotic 35-hour work week, which was mandated by law.
A French guy in New York| 5.9.12 @ 10:23AM
And please, we are not a "Super Effeminate Populace," that is a myth, I assure you. And it would not be bragging for me to say, for my own sake, that there are several American females who can testify to that assertion.
Occam's Tool| 5.9.12 @ 12:02PM
French guy: might I point out, that you are a French guy "in New York." TLP was referring to French guys in FRANCE.
You make two French guys that I respect immensely. Jean Louis Delezanne was the most brilliant French chef I ever met, and a good friend, once upon a time.
TLP| 5.9.12 @ 2:05PM
You da man.
A French guy in New York| 5.9.12 @ 6:59PM
Nonetheless, the assertion is an offense against the truth.
We French men are universally acclaimed as the world's best lady's men.
And if Monsieur TLP withdraws his statement, I will share the secret.
Stormzeye| 5.9.12 @ 12:32PM
What makes you think, TLP, that we have a masculine populace in the USA anymore? France is far more of a "man's world" than is the feminized USA. In fact, you could easily say that about most of Europe. Our culture has become effeminate in so many ways thanks to Hollywood, Madison Avenue, Democrats and boys raised by single women.
Mimi| 5.9.12 @ 8:36AM
Again noticed....NICE GETS....NOT NICE doesn't! A lesson to Romney...Stay " nice ", keep smiling and keep looking PRESIDENTIAL !
Find yourself a ' Pit Bull' to call the "LIBS" on thier damaging failures.
chuck| 5.9.12 @ 9:20AM
Romney's campaign needs to figure out how to use Newt as the attack dog. There is none better.
bull-gator| 5.9.12 @ 10:14AM
Allen West is the consumate attack machine. Romney needs to get West involved in his campaign a.s.a.p. to have him pound the democrats 24/7 over their failed (and sometimes criminal) policies.
nathan| 5.9.12 @ 10:58AM
NO, NO A THOUSAND TIMES NO! I'm sorry and I've been through this more times than I should have to and the details on West are all out there but West is no hero, what he did in that room with Homoodi violiated his oath of office, American civil law, and American military law. Senator Warner from Virginia said he didn't break the law he "rose above it". Yeah right. Again I encourage all of you to try that line on the next highway patrolman who pulls you over or at your next IRS audit and see how far you get.
Explain to me again what a man who freely admitted that he had zero training in interrogation was doing interrogation someone. Do you let people with no training in auto mechanics work on your cars? And again, if an Iraqi had captured one of his female officers, beat the crap out of her, conducted a mock execution on her, and West had caught the guy later and the guy says sir, I thought she had information that would save the lives of my men, what would West had done? Say dude, I get it, I understand completely you may go. Or throw his sorry behind in Abu Ghraib? Do I even have to ask? If it's wrong for the Iraqi for anyone else to do this to one of West's officers, then it was wrong for him to do it. And having been given more than enough training in Nuremburg, Tokyo, all the rest, West had zero excuse for his actions, ZERO.
And of course West got predictable results from his torture. The name that Hamoodi gave them turned out to have no value. They went to the guy's house and found . . . . nothing. What a surprise. Hamoodi, this great terrorist that West was CERTAIN had information was held than released. West at his hearing sort of admitted he may have made a mistake. His mistake was thinking he could play Jack Bauer, the problem when you have poorly trained incompetent interrogators for whom torture is the easy way to do things even if the results are garbage. (How much skill does it take to tie someone up and beat the crap out of him? A teenager can do that.) Skilled interrogators like Matthew Alexander, know torturing people get you nowhere, there are better ways.
The last thing Romney needs is a self confessed war criminal on this team. Who next? William Calley?
NO! Let's not even go there. And can the republicans walk away from this guy in the next election and undo the ghastly mistake they made the first time? Please?
TLP| 5.9.12 @ 2:55PM
Please, God. Let this self important TWIT, be the very next guy, one of these Arab Necrophiliacs separates from his head.
Maybe then he'll get it?
Though, I doubt it.
Jack in Wi.| 5.9.12 @ 10:19AM
MiMi: Good to seee you back. It must mean that your heart surgery went well.
Mimi| 5.9.12 @ 11:40AM
Thanks Jack...Yes, I'm still cooking but on SLOW!
The spunk is still there and brain intact! had some fantastic help from the VASCULAR Dept at Albany Med.....Grateful!
Pepe LaPue| 5.9.12 @ 9:23AM
Mr Sarkozy has said many times to the french public "I didn't say it was your fault, I said I"M BLAMING YOU!!!"
moron| 5.9.12 @ 9:27AM
"Ever conscious of their image in the world, the French were even more distressed that their president was being mocked in the foreign press." Well they turned that one around quickly. Now the voters are to be mocked for public display of genocide. Well deserved I might add. Pass the popcorn.
Audace| 5.9.12 @ 10:58AM
What troubled Sarkozy greatly was incredible inconsistency. What demolished him is and was lack of authenticity.
His first act as the newly elected (but not yet sworn in) president of France was to accept a lavish jetting off to the sun, a sun-tanned, sea, Med cruise on a mega gleaming white yacht. Literally hours after winning and making his winner's speech about a new France, changes, austerity, living within our means, and championing the Frenchman who goes to bed early at night! (the best line he ever spoke, I thought) etc., Nicholas was bare chested in shorts, feet propped up as photographed by the super elite paparazzi photojournalists who can find a person wherever they go -- except Nico Sarkozy was not hiding or attempting to. Nico wanted to be seen; he was gloating out on this supremely lavish mini cruise ship looking like a mix between a mafia, Wall Street, and Bond adversary tycoon.
His words to justify this lavishness several days into this opulence began his descent.
Sakozy's personal life is a shambles. Note: Politicians, at this level, you don't have a personal life. It is all public. And Nicholas knows this, wanted to be dashing and single and wooing a new conquest. His cavorting with, sleeping with, taking on the initial official state visits while unmarried, then marrying the Italian nude model and dippy liberal songstress was nothing more than an extended publicity stunt that he thought would lend him more street cred. (Incidentally, expect them to be divorced within three years -- and who cares that Nico has fathered another child with Carla that he will not actually father -- see, anyone even with a pea for a brain knows this is implausible inconsistencies.)
One could go on and on. These were just massive missteps in the first six months.
He talked about leading all of Mediterranean Europe in the ending forevermore the piracy off the coast of Somalia -- in 2008. Yet his words proved hollow right away.
Inconsistencies after inconsistencies.
He wanted to talk tough act tough and be tough. But he wouldn't be tough on the elite liberals and unions that run Paris and the nation.
See, ultimately for conservatism to work, it has to be lived. It is not so much at all in the saying. The speaking it is easy. It his how one lives, does, behaves.
Character is what one does in deeds, not with one's mouth.
Sad in a lot of ways. Sarkozy's probably best speech of all was given in London thanking the English for saving France's future in WW I and WW II. Have never heard that from a French leader. Sarkozy did push France to return to a more active presence in NATO, a semblance of greater responsibilities for shared security.
But he always wanted the pop star stuff, too.
Don't believe every negative you'll read on him. The liberal press was ready to skewer him long before he actually entered the Élysée Palace.
Sarkozy had many correct tendencies. Many correct traits or instincts. But he could not garner the strength to enact them or to garner support to do so -- because he was and is inconsistent, inauthentic. No one can effectively lead as a fake.
John786| 5.9.12 @ 11:32AM
By all accounts France allowed itself to be metaphorically raped by this man. His demonisation of muslims vis a vis public restrictions on what Muslim women can wear was an utter disgrace and an insult to the founding principles of the republic. All in all a thoroughly bad egg. I'm sure he will retire to -la dolce Vera-.
Frog in Uniform| 5.10.12 @ 11:40AM
His demonisation of muslims was really mild and without conviction. The man was the first to have 4 muslims in his administration, he shamed us in granting welcome to the likes of Assad, Bouteflika, Gheddafi and every muslim goat molester you could think of. Sarko didn't rape France, Islam did. And it's being demonized by its own medieval and murderous behavior. Think of Mohamed Merah as a muslim hero and leave us alone.
Frog in Uniform| 5.10.12 @ 11:44AM
And please, enough with that John stuff, your real name is Jamal and the correct digitsn are 666.
You don't fool me, I see your kind every day and in a way I'm its worst nightmare.
Occam's Tool| 5.9.12 @ 12:03PM
The founding principles of the Republic included public secularism, John786. By the way, how are the car bombing competitions doing?
John786| 5.9.12 @ 12:57PM
When did -what you wear in public - become part of the secular liturgy. This is the opposit of secularism. Your musings regarding various violent acts are becoming tiresome. Its obvious you were vigorously potty trained: and are now suffering the consequences. You should seek out potty-anonymous for help and support.
Mike Hawk| 5.9.12 @ 1:17PM
(__!__)
RCV| 5.9.12 @ 2:55PM
Ataturk was smart enough to recognize that if Turkey was to progress to a modern secular state, the visible symbols of female oppression must be outlawed. It keeps people apart from society at large, and in France in particular, slows the process of integration into French culture. Even tolerant societies such as the Benelux countries have come to recognize this.
Rollando| 5.9.12 @ 1:12PM
I just want to know who the hot brunette is!
Mike Hawk| 5.9.12 @ 2:51PM
Carla
Kingofthenet| 5.9.12 @ 4:28PM
Oh poor Sarkozy, what's he going to do with all the extra time? Hey maybe stay in bed and bang his beautiful wife a few more times a day!
Paul McGrath| 5.9.12 @ 4:39PM
I've long ago given up expecting to see anything intelligent written under your name. I now expect that anything I see written under your name to be jejune.
Frank Natoli| 5.9.12 @ 7:43PM
Thanks for the National Enquirer version of why Sarkozy is now unemployed.
Anybody besides me remember that Sarkozy's efforts at changing the French welfare state resulted in student and labor riots, shutting down the capital? And he had the choice between using the police and backing off? And he backed off.
I wonder what M. Harriss would have written if Sarko hadn't backed off?
[Note to French guy in the city where I was born and raised: while you guys are checking yourselves in the mirror, us guys from the Boot are teaching the ladies the benefits of "si" rather than "oui".]
A French guy in New York| 5.9.12 @ 9:18PM
Quelle scandale!
Frank Natoli| 5.10.12 @ 6:35AM
C'est la guerre!
And if I may be permitted to significantly digress, Americans love to mock the French record in World War II, but as anyone with more than a casual knowledge of the history knows, nothing could stop the Germans in the first two years of the war, and the only reason the British survived was not a superior culture or preparedness than their French allies but the Channel. Absent England being an island, Guderian and Rommel would have been setup in the Savoy within a few weeks of the fall of France. And of course what saved the Russians was the distance associated with seven contiguous time zones. The Free French who fought alongside the Americans in North Africa, Italy and northwest France had an excellent and well earned reputation for being good soldiers.
POST American| 5.9.12 @ 11:26PM
---EVERYONE realizing, for centuries,
Globalist takedown moves supreme
REALLY require a foreigner occupying
the helm of the object nation.
---Napoleon the Corsican
-------Stalin the Georgian
-----------Hitler the Austrian
--------------'CZAR ---COZY' the Hungarian
-----the OFF-SHORE,
and possible product of
secret breeding programs,
----------'BAR--Rockefeller' H. Obama
For those who STILL REFUSE to SEE
--------------REMEMBER!--------------
Oprah 'HOPE' --is franchise slum DOPE,
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