Politics in France: Nicolas Sarkozy's First Year

France, a parliamentary democracy, is currently headed by the colorful and controversial Nicolas Sarkozy as President. His promises of ambitious and sweeping reforms encompass many aspects of French life, from the education system and defense policy to work-week length and retail pricing mechanisms, from the court system to the constitution itself . On the international front, his initiative, the newly formed Mediterranean Union, has achieved some success, at least in bringing Middle East antagonists to the same table. Additionally, reintegration into the NATO command structure, coupled with a commitment to enlarging the French military contingent in Afghanistan, is moving forward.

Sarkozy's personal life, atypically for the French governing elite, is the subject of considerable media attention. Not long after being elected to office in May 2007, he divorced his second wife and wooed and married a third. The latest is Carla Bruni, the former supermodel and jet-setting party girl turned singer-songwriter with three albums to her credit. While the new First Lady remains relatively popular with the French public, her husband's approval ratings have plummeted, possibly due to a perception that the President is devoting too much time to affairs of the heart rather than to affairs of state. In fact, in the March 2008 municipal elections, widely viewed as a referendum on the 53-year-old President's job performance, the ruling political party UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) lost many contested posts to rival PS (Socialist Party) candidates.

This summer, along with the President's assumption of the European Union Presidency (a 6-month tenure per scheduled rotation among member countries), there has been a noticeable change in style--from flamboyant and hyperactive to formal and subdued. Sarkozy is still pressing for reforms but is also preparing the ground for negotiations and compromise. Ending American-style weekly press briefings and traveling frequently to rural areas and urban centers far from Paris are political moves likely to assuage discontented voters. Moreover, there have been surprisingly few strikes or large-scale demonstrations despite the center-right administration's key proposals which affect trade unions, university students, and immigrants. Bucking the EU's stated policy on free trade, Sarkozy's staunch support of protections for agricultural interests is also playing well in the country.

One interesting decision made early on by Sarkozy was to include representatives from rival political parties in his cabinet of minsters. And he even selected a Muslim woman, Rachida Dati, for the important post of Justice Minister. Whether his reformist intentions will succeed or will fade away as happened in the previous Chirac and Mitterand administrations is still an open question. Recent depressing economic news may force all sorts of changes and will certainly place stress on Sarkozy's considerable political skills.

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Sudhir Hazareesingh, "Hosing Sarkozy", Times Online - Times Literary Supplement
John Thornhill, "The Personal, the political and President Bling", Financial Times
"Paris Summit: Med Union Launch Raises Mideast Peace Hopes", Europe-East Journal
Steven Erlanger, "French Premier Backs Vote on Deployment in Afghanistan", New York Times
Missy Schwartz, "First Lady of Song", Entertainment Weekly