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Can President Sarkozy change?

• Mark Mardell
• 17 Mar 08, 03:09 PM

The left took around and the vote is widely being seen as a rebuke to the president of ten months.

He鈥檚 letting it be known that the message has been heard and he鈥檒l calm down a bit.

Today, who fought in World War I, was an ideal opportunity to try out the new demeanour.

He can do it. During the election ten months ago, many were surprised that he kept a tight rein on himself, and there were no outbursts and no surprises. But after the election it was a different matter.

I talked , president of a who recently wrote an open letter to the president in Le Monde newspaper, saying that she voted for him because of his dynamism, conviction and good sense but was now disappointed.

Although I was trying to getting her to talk about the perception that he hadn鈥檛 pressed ahead with economic reforms, - came back to the same worry.

鈥淗e promised a lot and I thought he seemed to understand the economy and he was going to get people back to work and deal with the 35 hour week. I thought, as soon as he was president, everything would change.

鈥淏ut what was very important and disturbing was that, the first months, all we saw was his divorce, him meeting a top model and getting married. People want something else.鈥�

The sense that there has been too little change, too much in the gossip columns, is very widespread.

Not that you can really accuse Mr Sarkozy of standing still. Indeed another of Sophie de Menthon鈥檚 complaints was that he seemed to dash from one problem to the next, suggesting he could solve everything.

Politicians complain about this too.

Ideas powerhouse

At home and abroad he is a powerhouse of new ideas. But many of them are not thought through, or even discussed in advance.

What frustrates both foreign diplomats and French civil servants and ministers is his ability to come up with an amazing new idea which they then have to interpret, explain or defend, whether it is or .

This is about style and mood. I re-visit of a brilliant picture book on Sarkozy鈥檚 rise to power.

He dashes off cartoons so quickly it鈥檚 unbelievable, quickly sketching a cartoon of Sarkozy jumping with energy, his wrists covered with flash watches.

This time of a Sarkozy as a glum farmer shoving manure: hard working, diligent, and not having too much fun.

I ask him what the French want in a President, looking for a short answer for a TV piece. But instead of replying in words he just says "well, something like this..." and starts to sketch another picture.

What does he think of Sarkozy鈥檚 promise to change his style? He draws the President of Bling, in wrap-around shades despite the rain and lightning all around him.

鈥淗e will never change. Whether it rains or it storms he can鈥檛 change. It鈥檚 beyond him.鈥�

I'm taking a break over Easter so this will be my last post for a while.

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