By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: May 2, 2007
Source: The New York Times
PARIS, May 1 — The most dramatic change in France’s foreign policy in a new presidency may not be the arrival of either Nicolas Sarkozy or Ségolène Royal, but the departure of President Jacques Chirac.
Published: May 2, 2007
Source: The New York Times
PARIS, May 1 — The most dramatic change in France’s foreign policy in a new presidency may not be the arrival of either Nicolas Sarkozy or Ségolène Royal, but the departure of President Jacques Chirac.
For twelve years, Mr. Chirac has been a hands-on head of state who saw the world through two prisms: the cold war and France’s old colonial ties.
Both candidates have campaigned on platforms of swift change — inside France. Deeply aware of the French concern about immigration and globalization, both have hesitated to tell the French that they need not fear the outside world. That means that both would be expected to strongly promote France’s national interests when faced with hard compromise.
“The most important thing to keep in mind is that there is a broad consensus on foreign policy in France since de Gaulle — stronger than in the United States — and both Ségolène and Sarkozy are part of it,” said Justin Vaisse, a French historian. “On far-flung issues like the Middle East, Africa, multilateralism, proliferation, you find a lot of consensus. Both will be willing to oppose the United States to protect French interests.”
Indeed, on many issues, the two candidates agree. Both supported and have defended Mr. Chirac’s decision to oppose the American-led war in Iraq, although Mr. Sarkozy famously criticized his government for arrogance in the way that decision was made.
Both oppose military action against Iran. But they favor tougher sanctions against that country as well as against Sudan, pledge to make human rights a top priority, are skeptical of France’s conciliatory attitude toward Russia and China and are concerned about American plans for a missile shield deployment in Eastern Europe.
Mr. Sarkozy has much more experience on the global stage than Ms. Royal does. As interior minister, the third highest post in the French government after the president and prime minister, he was responsible for cross-border issues, including terrorism, immigration, drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime networks.
The Sarkozy camp has attacked Ms. Royal for her lack of foreign policy gravitas and her repeated gaffes. France “doesn’t need someone who changes ideas as often as her skirts,” Defense Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, a Sarkozy supporter, said at a rally on Sunday.
But when Mr. Sarkozy stumbles, he tends to be forgiven. When Ms. Royal got wrong the number of submarines in France’s navy, she was portrayed as a foreign policy neophyte; when Mr. Sarkozy did the same thing, his mistake was largely ignored.Similarly, Mr. Sarkozy’s apparent ignorance in a television interview in February that Al Qaeda was a Sunni movement was little noticed.
[Image: Royal's feisty performance vs. Sarkozy's calm attitude in the television interview]
Both candidates have campaigned on platforms of swift change — inside France. Deeply aware of the French concern about immigration and globalization, both have hesitated to tell the French that they need not fear the outside world. That means that both would be expected to strongly promote France’s national interests when faced with hard compromise.
“The most important thing to keep in mind is that there is a broad consensus on foreign policy in France since de Gaulle — stronger than in the United States — and both Ségolène and Sarkozy are part of it,” said Justin Vaisse, a French historian. “On far-flung issues like the Middle East, Africa, multilateralism, proliferation, you find a lot of consensus. Both will be willing to oppose the United States to protect French interests.”
Indeed, on many issues, the two candidates agree. Both supported and have defended Mr. Chirac’s decision to oppose the American-led war in Iraq, although Mr. Sarkozy famously criticized his government for arrogance in the way that decision was made.
Both oppose military action against Iran. But they favor tougher sanctions against that country as well as against Sudan, pledge to make human rights a top priority, are skeptical of France’s conciliatory attitude toward Russia and China and are concerned about American plans for a missile shield deployment in Eastern Europe.
Mr. Sarkozy has much more experience on the global stage than Ms. Royal does. As interior minister, the third highest post in the French government after the president and prime minister, he was responsible for cross-border issues, including terrorism, immigration, drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime networks.
The Sarkozy camp has attacked Ms. Royal for her lack of foreign policy gravitas and her repeated gaffes. France “doesn’t need someone who changes ideas as often as her skirts,” Defense Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, a Sarkozy supporter, said at a rally on Sunday.
But when Mr. Sarkozy stumbles, he tends to be forgiven. When Ms. Royal got wrong the number of submarines in France’s navy, she was portrayed as a foreign policy neophyte; when Mr. Sarkozy did the same thing, his mistake was largely ignored.Similarly, Mr. Sarkozy’s apparent ignorance in a television interview in February that Al Qaeda was a Sunni movement was little noticed.
[Image: Royal's feisty performance vs. Sarkozy's calm attitude in the television interview]
Good luck to Ms. Royal in 5.6 French Presidential Elections! I'll keep an eye on the final results in SJ Campus~~
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