Can President Sarkozy change?
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.
I鈥檓 Mark Mardell, the 大象传媒's North America editor. These are my reflections on American politics, some thoughts on being a Brit living in the USA, and who knows what else? My 
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Enjoy your holiday.
Riss doesn't want Sarkozy to change - it would spoil his cartoon approach. Sarko is a pragmatist. His interview in this weekend's Le Figaro magazine shows he's thought through how to change and what to change. It seems his new wife is willing to be more a "first lady" - which will calm things in the 'presentational' area.
What can't he change? His hyper-activity, I'm sure. We'll still be subjected to off-the-cuff ideas - but just look at Blair ...? The main thing that won't change, he says, is his policy platform. I hope he doesn't depart from it, except in implementation tactics.
Everyone here is waiting, waiting for things to happen after all the changes he's already made. What they find hard to understand, it seems, is that "things take time". You don't turn a super-tanker round on a sixpence. Remember, he's doing all this in a far gentler way than madame Thatcher did (I lived through it - just!).
All the hype about Sarkozy's personal life resembles to me all the craziness surrounding Bill Clinton's affair. Everyone made fun of the Americans for that bit of foolishness. So why now is it acceptable to focus on Sarkozy's personal life? The French and the rest of the world should be focusing on the policies that he is working on. It isn't like they can say that he hasn't done anything. Anyone remember the strikes from last autumn? I do. I had to walk for three hours across Paris on a daily basis. The problem is that a lot of his policies require that the French change some of their ideologies about work. And, the French being French don't want to. He's in a tough situation as it is and now all people can comment on is his marriage?
i never liked sarkozy.i dont know why i preferred segolene royal but the french liked him.so they have to stand by their president.
As far his policies, why change?
For the first time in a long time, France has a respected leader in the world community.
A definite improvement to the Euro-Lacky and terrorist appeaser Chirac.
I listened to Sarkozy's one hour interview with Charlie Rose a dozen times. It is fascinating. Sarkozy told Rose he admires the American economy because it creates jobs and wealth and if you take a risk and fail, you always have another chance. It almost seemed like he'd like to emulate the American economy at least in part. But even if he understood it which he clearly doesn't (few if any Europeans understand America) the rest of the French government and the French people would never let him adopt those features of the American economy which make it a success. He has as much chance of saving France as Gorbachev had of saving the USSR. It's simply beyond his power. Au Revoir France.
I think the French electoral system is damaging. It undermines confidence in democracy and sends out the wrong signals to the world.
How is it possible to have not one but 6 elections in ten months? It is crazy. 6 rounds of elections? Voter fatigue is a misnomer.
In Britain people decry voter apathy after ONE election, never mind six.
And comments such as 'as soon as [he became] president, I thought everything would change' are strikingly ingenuous.
How can you deliver a verdict on a government after ten months?
Anyway - it's up to them.
D
Sarko was essentially elected on the promise to make the necessary changes to move France forward: more flexible work, less punitive taxes, more efficient public services, all things which are beginning to happen.
But the downside of the Sarko approach is ultra-conservatism:
back to old-style school programs based on learning by rote rather than experimenting,
xenophobia (the Ministry of Immigration is a total scandal),
re-emergence of religion in the political sphere,
trying to use History as an emotionnal manipulation tool (the Shoah children story, the grandeur of France, etc..),
chuminess with modern dictators and ultra-conservatives he admires (Bush, Putin) and no doubt would love to imitate here,
mingling in the judicial sphere (the 100% political condemnation of Yvan Colonna, the recent attempt to work around the Constitutional Counsel),
and of course the bling-bling touch. All this kind of worries a lot of people here...
An analysis of the result shows that in many towns the left won because the UMP and Modem candidates both stood in the second round. Pau is a good example of this. The socialist candidate obtained 40%, Fran莽ois Bayrou, leader of the Modem party, 39% and the UMP candidate 21%. So 60 % of the electorate voted against the socialist candidate.
I agree with Derek Tunnicliffe that people have to be patient, and have to accept change will not happen overnight.
After all the French people voted for a president that promised them change, not for change itself. And it makes a difference. Sarko was willing to do the show. And now he is going to serve as a beating boy. After all the voters want to feel good about themselves, first supporting change, second not changing after all and third blaming somebody else for it.
Sarkozy is simply a populist that could deliver all three things.
I think the French voting system is idiotic.
6 elections in 10 months? (Or six rounds). Whoever thought of such a thing?
And now the voters 'deliver a blow' to the government under the premiss they haven't transmogrified the country in ten months!
How ridiculous!
I saw Sarkozy in an interview with 60 minutes and he does not seem to be able to handle anything that does not fit with his own view. He seemed to act more like a dictator than a democratic president. Even the president of Iran when interviewed by 60 minutes did a much better job being interviewed than Sarkozy.
Sorry to hear you'll be away for a while - but have a good holiday!
Sarkozy kept himself in check during the presidential election a bit like a naughty child can control their behaviour until they get what they want. He now has what he wanted. This is the man that during an interview relating to the Clearstream affair said 'If I find the person that put my name on the list I will hang him up with a butcher's hook'.Is that the language of a president? His recent outburst at the Paris Agricultural show was a true return to form. My own gut feeling is that Sarkozy is far more dangerous than Poutin and that's going some.
There is a junevile aspect to him, he wants to be seen as a Bono in Clooney body .
Many sources mentioned that Cecilia Sarkozy was actively engaged in his campaign. Maybe she kept him "on message" and that control disappeared when she left him. Would thadt be the reason for that controversial SMS ? "Si tu reviens, j'annule tout"
He acts and speaks like a bloody dictator ! And which president of a democratic country ever cussed someone who refused to shake hands with him in a fair?
cf. youtube "casse toi pauvre con"
Since Monicagate we were very proud of our respect for national celebrities private life, compared to trashy english newspapers, but thanks to his non stop need to be heard on every subject and to be seen 24/7, we are losing it!
French president should be respected and you can't demand respect, you earn it.
And to do so, there are better ways than cussing to express your opinion and making a public show of your private life. Chirac, Mitterrand, come back !
I watched/listened to the Sarkozy/Royale campaign battle with interest last year. I'd seen parts of Sarkozy's interview with Charlie Rose, and was impressed by his charm, wit, energy, and intelligence. Since his election, with all the media emphasis on his divorce, hook-up, and marriage to the model, I've grown very disillusioned with him. The French electorate deserve more than a tabloid president. But I will give him some credit -- at least he had more common sense and discretion than Elliott Spitzer! Come on guys, zip up your pants and get to work on the job you were elected to do!!
Sarkozy is only concerned about one thing, HIMSELF! The French should have voted for de Villepin, a real Frenchman an intelligent, classy man. I hope the French people vote Sarkozy out and let him make movies or go on Broadway. The French are very classy people and won't stand for his nonsense!
Sarkozy has damaged the reputation of France severely. Jacques Chirac built France's reputation by his anti-war stance. Sarkozy seems nothing but a president who is only concerned about his private life.
Thanks for this good article. I must say, as a French elector who voted for Nicolas Sarkozy, that I was also a bit disappointed by his "bling bling" behaviour. We are not used to that in France!
Sarkozy has been a huge breath of fresh air to the corrupt and anarchic French political scene.
Do not be taken in by some of the anti-Sarkozy stories in the left leaning media (i.e. Le Monde, Nouvel Observateur and France deux), his attempts to change the French economy are starting to show real signs of stimulating huge growth whilst reducing the huge amount of public sector workers.
To the anti-Sarkozy bashers on this blog let me ask you all a question:
S.Royal had no policies, no idea how to run the economy and allowed her husband at the time Francois Hollande to take over her election campaign as she kept getting caught out by questions asking her to explain how she was going to reduce the welfare state in France which is calculated to be 100% of GDP by 2012.
Sarkozy has made mistakes since being elected President, however, his successes far outweigh his errors.
Mark Mardell would have done much better if he had discussed that the French economy is on the increase, the public sector is being reformed, France is becoming a proper grown up member of both European and World affairs.
Of course I understand that the 大象传媒 is also a left of centre media outlet and cannot stand the fact that Sarkozy has stuck to his guns and is fuffilling all of his Election promises.
And least the 大象传媒 forget unlike Mr Brown, Mr Sarkozy won the French election by a landslide, and even though his poll numbers are down his party the UMP still hold a large lead over Royals party the PS if a National election was held (please remember that local elections in France should not be compared to voting patterns in National elections).
Daniel #11
"I think the French voting system is idiotic."
They had and used the opportunity to vote down the EU Constitution didn't they? That's more than Brits got or are likely to ever get. Of course, the French will never get another chance to vote on an issue of such importance as submission to a secret European Soviet style dictatorship again. The French government learned its lesson well.
I read 'He has as much chance of saving France as Gorbachev had of saving the USSR', this is a ridicolous statement, nobody needs to be saved in france and sarkozy is just an hungarian immigrant who dreams an 'image of America' that is in his dreams, I like this anglosaxon comic antifrance attitude here, it's quite a good propaganda. And I'm not french.
I would like to say something about the French democracy.
You seem to believe that the population is sick of voting, well, this is far from being true.
I think this opportunity given to the population is a chance, not a pain. For example, the last presidential election was one of the highest participation rate in the whole history of democracies. Most of the people in France consider the elections as something serious and have the opportunity to vote from the local mayors, to the European deputes.
Despite the rare referendum, French are not voting for every single law as it is almost the case in Switzerland, which make them famous for their slowness.
Such a system in France leads to an immediate influence of the policy at different scales and an active opinion of the current choices.
Because French disagree with Sarkozy's policy, they give him less power as soon as they they are allowed to, and force him to play according to the wishes of the entire population.
Much more important question would be whether France can change?
Judging by results of recent polls regarding an attitude of the French toward free-market economy and welfare state it's not very likely.
Sarkozy needs to change his Racist-ultra Right Wing policies first.
He is dangerous for France and Europe.
Sarkozy is in a difficult position that he created himself. He made a campaign on false promises based on gaullist-social ideas (otherwise he wouldn't have been eletected as his special advisor H. Guaino told him) when he's been a right wing europeist for 20years. People say he has a clear mandate to reform France. But he has not, that is his problem. Voters did not elect him to do the reforms he now wants to implement, they voted the gaullist social anti-euro reforms he never intended to carry on. As for the man himself lots of people who voted for him now think he has got it. That's another worry.
When people are openly speaking nostalgically about Chirac, as happened recently at the Salon d'Agriculture, thats speaks volumes on how well Sarkozy is viewed.
Sarkozy! What a joke!! What a shame for the great country of France to have him as a president. He is as clever as Bush and Blair. Good luck France, you will have to have for four years.
the question should be can the EU change mark starting by listening to the people instead of forcing a EU on us which will be its downfall
Mark,
The French people have choosen Sarkozy to reform the French economy and social security. The majority of the French support these reforms. Sarkozy is able to guide France into the 21e century. He isn't perfect, but no world leader is.
I still can't understand the link between the EU and the SU. They're like fire and water. The EU is capitalist and the SU was communist. The EU is a democracy and the SU was a dictatorship. No link at all.
Last few days convinced me that the British media are the most intelligent and vicious in the world.
The way they treated the visit of Sarko was brilliant. Call it adding insult to the injury, but for a person that loves to be the centre of attention and hates to be upstaged by anyone, it must have been painful seeing his own wife on all front pages and himself on page three.
Have you taken a good look at Sarkozy's wife lately? Have you looked at your own wife lately? Then you decide just who needs to change and who's got it altogether.
Mr. Sarkozy promised many things, but he never said he knew HOW to implement that agenda. Of course, a president needs the support of his people to do anything, or his confusion and inconistancies seem to expand to those around him. Maybe he's as French as the French in spite of his Hungarian origins! After all, no president can do a big job alone. Another aspect: He convinced people to elect him, now he has to convince the French to accept the changes. Everyone wants reforms in France, but for the "others" not for themselves. So the problem becomes complicated when you add together his personnality (a dreamer, someone says here; maybe), his intelectual abilities and diplomatic skills (is he a Bush?), the abilities of the people he chose to work with, and the French themselves (who are not less difficult than Mr. Sarkozy).
Does it matter if he fails where for the past 20 years the president and every French prime minister failed? If he does it will be because of many things, not just himself. No one is godlike.
shame on france such a big and importen conty for europe to have elect a president stupet like sarkozy he weel never change periet.
Let's blame the media for focusing so much on Sarkozy's personal life, perhaps even wasting our time--the readers and viewers. Are there any reporters out there who can competently give us summaries of what progress Sarkozy is making for France without accusing him of promising to be some super God to fix all the problems of the country?
When will the citizens of France (or any country with a new president) take some responsibility for their own actions and contribute to the improvement of their own society?
Journalists, not the real ones, created the "public" opinion that president Sarkozy needs to change his style. Instead of focusing on the political content of his goals and their eventual consequence, they deploy "evidence" of his shortcoming by referring to the fact that he wears Ray Ban sunglasses and a Rolex watch etc. Not to mention the presence of Madame Carla Bruni Sarkozy. From now on only presidents in rugs and married to "average" women, with whom their relationship has lasted for at least x years before marriage, will see the political impact of their action blessed as legitimate, and promoted, by the French intelligencia!
Bonne chance !
Journalists, not the real ones, created the "public" opinion that president Sarkozy needs to change his style. Instead of focusing on the political content of his goals and their eventual consequence, they deploy "evidence" of his shortcoming by referring to the fact that he wears Ray Ban sunglasses and a Rolex watch etc. Not to mention the presence of Madame Carla Bruni Sarkozy. From now on only presidents in rugs and married to "average" women, with whom their relationship has lasted for at least x years before marriage, will see the political impact of their action blessed as legitimate, and promoted, by the French intelligencia!
Bonne chance !
Q-WHATS THE GREATEST CRIME IN 2000 YEARS
A-THE EUROPEAN UNION FORCED ON ITS PEOPLE WITHOUT CONSENT.
In this day of instantaneous gratification, people increasingly want instant success and change in politics and economics and real life's not like that. Sarkozy's reforms will take time to work, especially as they are not as brusque as Thatcher's were and there is a worldwide downturn. But they will.
Also he is a welcome breath of fresh air so different from the traditional Polytechnique/ENAsque arrogant political elite, where Mitterrand and Chirac had almost no differences in policy - and of course they don't like it and are out to discredit the outsider if they can...good luck to him, France needs a more modern attitude to the private lives of its public personalities.
Finally, France has a man respected abroad, dynamic and impressive, who says what he thinks and does what he says. Lucky them, we could do with someone like that here in Britain (and Spain!) instead of the incompetent and insincere Blairite clones/clowns Zapatero and Brown.
@ Bernard - Segolene Royal didn't allowed Hollande to led her campaign.
But, whatever.
I think that Sarkozy is hyper, rude, uncultured man with enorme ego. And I think his goal was to become president but he didn't think what to do after.
As a French national, I want to correct a few misunderstandings:
1, Sarkozy is not unpopular.
2, Mark Mardell is a left wing apologist.
3, France is reducing it's public sector workers (which is why all the left wing usal suspects are up in arms).
5, I know of no-one French or otherwise who would prefer to have your Scottish leaders (sorry UK) in charge of there countries or economies.
Bernard Verger in post 21 has neatly explained that the 大象传媒 only takes French news reports from France's own political left wing (for france2 read 大象传媒), and let's not forget that it is France2 who are currently in court over their faked photos of Israeli soldiers killing a Palastinian child (which probally makes them natural bedfellows for the 大象传媒).
I'm a french woman and i like to read some news in english to improve it and i'm very schoked by several comments about mr Sarkozy our president.
You assess him really bad and i don't understand why, you don't live in our country almost of you how can you appraise his work in France?
Change a country is a great labour which takes many time. He tries to erase past mistakes for workers to improve salaries...
Socialist's have totally destructed the social harmony by paying more attention to poor category than the workers and economy side.
To enrich a country he tries to make prosperities by given to work a value more important than in the past.
I think in France people have to wait and be patient to see changes...
But in no cases no people who's not french can criticise the French Governement when we see some nations which are lead by a queen with old maners nobody can say "in france it's poorer than otherwhere".
Before Sarkozys electon i often heard young people in France express the opinion.
"We have great hopes Sarkozy will get France moving, 'Deblocque les choseet faire bouge la France"
Ask the millions of Customers of the Private Internet Telecoms in France what they think about this idea of Unblocking the country.
Its normal tobe forced to wait from 2 to 3 months to receive a replacement Internet Box and after repeated calls and threatenting to cut the subscription the only resoponse of the Companies is "Do what you like"
As someone who has experienced the worst side of private enterprise in France , i would be happy if he simply succeeded in getting these private enterprises to be capable sticking a parcel in the Post in under 3 months. I would consider that to be a positve sign of "Getting France moving"
A lot of criticism is leveled agaisnt the Functionaies in France but in all my dealings with French Governent departments i have foundthem tobe more curteous and efficient than the private sector
I visit France from time to time and would like to say that although the president is not an ideal person right now (terrible behaviour with almost every leader in the world), he has many brave, positive, correct and daring ideas. He has 1 major problem - not using good advisors, so he goes the wrong way about implimentation of his ideas and his behaviour betrays too much how essentially shallow he is. But many world leaders suffer from the same. The trouble is that to win an election you don't need to be the intellectual guru with marvellous human traits and therefore theose who complain about Sarcazy are endlessly naive or hypocritical!
Since Sarkozy's election there have been numerous reforms including the fusion of the antiquated ANPE and ASSEDIC unemployment offices, flexibility concerning the 35 hour week, essential pension reforms including the suppression of the out-dated 'r茅gimes sp茅ciaux' that will enable France to catch up with the U.K and other E.U countries, an overhaul of the archaic university system (see the latest Shanghai report), cuts in the numbers of superfluous public service workers,a full-frontal attack on the mafia-style corporations that include taxi drivers, pharmacists and hairdressers, the putting in place of a minimum service during transport strikes, a shake- up of the scadalous way in which HLMs(social housing) is often attributed to wealthy families while 86000 people are homeless in France and 3,2 million others live in squalid conditions, often with no heating or running water etc.etc.
Nevertheless, the French press has chosen to underline Sarkozy's private life to the detriment of his reforms. We have witnessed nine months of tabloid-style muck-raking 脿 l'anglaise in a country that until Sarkozy's election, swore blind that it would never stoop to such practices. What a turn around! What sheer hypocrisy. The French media (including Le Nouvel Obs, Marianne, Lib茅ration, Le Figaro and Le Parisien), that so skilfully and willingly suppressed the scandals of the Mitterrand and Chirac eras, is now doing its level best to emulate the British tabloid press that it claimed to despise until.... last May! In other words, Sarkozy's election has at least had the merit of showing the press in its true colours. Is it any wonder that your average French person is confused, when the media operates such double standards?
#6
Why on earth would anyone want to emulate the American economy?. He just wants to be a big player ( or so he thinks) joining the club of Bush , Blair & Brown . However their game is up now and it isn't worth the candle.
At least they were all polite when dealing with the public.
I think he suffers from the classic Napoleonic syndrome. Small man with a small self-centered mind.
He used the deception of having a 鈥渉appy family鈥 to get elected. Lie.
So he if admires the USA, then he should send his troops to Iraq to help out??
LOOK at what you as a nation you labelled as xxx did to the image of OLimpic torch relay. it's not just Chinese showcase, it's also what you feel about olimpics. I am afraid your anestor, father of modern olimpics Couberpin, would be despaired over what you did as nation.
not just that, you judge others with what u heard, not on facts. GO TO tibet look for answers for yourself, if you would at all.
honestly, we really respect your former president and thought France is a great nation. we thought we can put behind your invasion of CHINA in 1900. now we cannot. it's never gone. you are still doing the same: bullying and invading, economically, politically, and culturally.
I bet we have more wisdoms and guts over our history to deal with anyone who wants to curb CHINA.
Shock horror, the 大象传媒 goes on the attack against Sarko!.
Is it any wonder that the 大象传媒's reputation has taken such a nosedive over the last 10 years if this blog is the standard of Journalism being churned out.
Mr Mardell has ignored the fact that France is going through a huge recovery programme, and that recovery takes time, instead Mr Mardell has decided that Mr Sarkozy's private life is somehow more important than his political achievements.
I did vote for Sarko, his policies and his entire behaviour made him the clear choice compared to the Royal/Hollande show, many of the posters have said Mr Sarkozy is somehow bad for France, well I ask these people where is your evidence?, where are the facts to support your comments?.
Royal had no policies, instead she wanted to follow your own Prime Ministers economic policy of TAX, More Public Sector workers, allowing Immigration to run unchecked.
As some of the other French posters have mentioned the 大象传媒 has a reputation in France for being a left-wing media organisation, well I also want to second those sentiments.
I wish everyone a nice weekend.
As a Frenchman living in France but just returning from 18 years abroad, I'm a bit candid and rely on sources like LCP (the parliamentary channel) to understand the ongoing changes. In fact it's what most people talk about in the streets and no one cares about the glamour bit of his relationship(s) except for those who read the equivalent of The Sun. As far as the reforms ongoing they are still ongoing in the parliament and they are so radical for a country where the government shares the power on equal grounds with the work unions that it will take a decade to get anything accomplished. Not to mention the constant tug-of-war with all the unions. So if you are facing a long battle that might last a decade you might as well take your time. By that person I mean Sarkozy or the next reformer and the one after that. You think no one tried to change the French system before ?
Segolene Royal had a much easier job from the start since she was offering to defend the holy "French status-quo". The same system that got us into the 21st century with 19th century practices: photo and astrology sign on your CV, social mobility prevention measures, complete isolation from the rest of the EU work market.
As for the impatient who can't see why things haven't changed after "all that time" (10 months). France is a foreign place maybe, but it's still is a democracy with a bicameral system just like at home. Because the President says something it doesn't mean it will be turned into a law in less than 24h. There is a system in each country, learn it.
So who is disappointed in the end ? Well those who read tabloids for once, those who rely on cliches , those who believe you can reform an entire behemoth like the French gvt overnight, those who believed that the French work unions will just say "Oh sure, please do" to any changes you propose, those who thought the president is a god like entity that regulates the orbits of every celestial body. In short people who get disappointed by reality all the time.
The one way out that I see is via the people themselves and not whoever they elect each time. As long as the majority of French want to support an old system where you keep your job for life and never move on, then there won't be new "available seats" for others to move into.
Oh, and that's just France. Want to tackle a soviet like over-regulated system where you don't chose your path ? Try Germany for a laugh.