January 12, 2005

WELCOME TO CRAWFORD, NICK:

In bid to lead France, Sarkozy looks abroad (Katrin Bennhold, January 12, 2005, International Herald Tribune)

After taking over President Jacques Chirac's center-right party late last year, Nicolas Sarkozy plans to encroach further on his boss's territory, focusing his 2005 agenda on diplomacy, the traditional roaming ground for the head of state in France.

Following a high-profile visit to Israel last month, Sarkozy kicked off the new year with a four-day trip to Germany last week and intends to travel to the Palestinian territories in mid-February.

Since his election as leader of the Union for a Popular Movement in late November, the ambitious 50-year-old has pledged to travel abroad once a month - more than any other French party leader.

Sarkozy's open ambition to run for president at a time when Chirac appears to be considering a third term has focused the nation on an election that is still two and a half years away.

Before the two were to meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss a referendum on the new European constitution, speculation has mounted that Sarkozy's globetrotting may earn a presidential rebuke.

"Sarkozy wants to cultivate his image of a statesman and, by extension, as presidential candidate," said Stéphane Rozès, director of political studies at the Paris-based CSA polling institute. "Chirac is bound to watch him closely."


The President should meet with him just to get Chirac crazy.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 12, 2005 12:51 PM
Comments

I would not be surprised to see Chirac cut some kind of deal to get Socialist or Communist support for his next presidential run. He would attack Sarkozy for being an 'Anglo-Saxon' and for his opposition to traditional French dirigisme, which as can see has worked out so well in the past. The cultural liberals and the good-government types on the French left would have to really hold their noses, but if it were a question of nominating Chirac and having a shot at power or nominating another loser like Jospin and staying on the sidelines, they will happily hold their noses. There is no serious candidate on the French left who looks even slightly presidential.

The only question would be if the French economy were so far in the tank that even they would see that the statist party was over.

Posted by: Bart at January 12, 2005 1:42 PM

Don't be so quick to assume that Sarkozy is materially different from Chirac. He's younger, is most of the difference.

Posted by: ZF at January 12, 2005 2:06 PM

There is no question that Sarkozy is just as much a grand ecolier as Chirac. However, Sarkozy needs to differentiate himself from Chirac in order to replace him. That will require him to ally with the Giscardiens and figure out a way to draw some votes away from LePen. He has already demonstrated that he is more willing to be substantively tough on immigrants who commit crimes rather than focusing on silliness like headscarves.

He cannot be more anti-American than Chirac nor can he be more pro-Muslim terrorist. He certainly cannot be more of a crook.

Posted by: Bart at January 12, 2005 3:42 PM
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