France has never had a leader who believes in free markets. Instead, French politics have been dominated either by Socialists or statists from the more conservative Gaullist party. This helps explain why France's economy has been comparatively stagnant over the decades -- it never experienced the burst of freedom, and hence energy, that Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher brought to the economies of their countries, and which their successors have mostly preserved.
Today, however, France elected Nicolas Sarkozy as its president. Though Sarkozy belongs to the Gaullist party, he become the arch-enemy of its traditionalist leader, Jacques Chirac. Chirac's loss of popularity enabled Sarkozy to become the party's leader. In today's election, he defeated Socialist Segolene Royal, the first woman to make the run-off, by a margin of approximately 53-47.
It's doubtful that Sarkozy is anything like the free marketeer Reagan and Thatcher were. However, he's a free marketeer by French standards. For example, he favors lower rates of taxation, and wants to soften the economic restrictions imposed by France's ridiculous and disastrous 35 hour work-week law. In a telling moment during the campaign, Sarkozy went to England, where so many highly educated young French people are working, and promised to make the French economy hospitable to entrepreneurs and talented individuals with fresh ideas.
Sarkozy has his work cut out for him, though. Before Thatcher could change the direction of Britain, she had to overcome a bitter strike by the coal miners. What Sarkozy is likely to encounter will pale by comparison. For example, the equivalent of the English coal miner's strike in France would probably become a general strike that could paralyze the country. And France is already experiencing what can be viewed as a low-grade intifada on the part of some elements of its immigrant population in certain suburbs of Paris. Sarkozy's opponent plausibly warned that this activity would intensify if he won.
All that aside, Sarkozy's victory is sweet from an American perspective. This is a leader who expresses unabashed admiration for our country. In his victory speech today, Sarkozy made a point to include this passage: "Let me say to our American friends, they can count on our friendship."
The U.S. has now seen the leadership of both France and Germany pass to figures who believe, as a general matter, that American power is a force for good in the world, and not something that needs persistently to be constrained. Let's hope that in 2009 the U.S. still has a leader who concurs.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. I can't wait till Hillary makes her first state visit to France to meet him!
Phil at 6:12PM on May 6th 2007
2. I thought this was a good thing (and to a limited extent it probably is) until I read that after victory he said his number one priority would be the struggle against climate change. If this is the top problem he can come up with in France, it is a very sad statement.
Norm at 9:53PM on May 6th 2007
3. "The U.S. has now seen the leadership of both France and Germany pass to figures who believe, as a general matter, that American power is a force for good in the world,"
Of course, 86% of the population that votes in France can see that only 28% of the USA population thinks well of Bush. The power in the USA is shifting from a 'minionist stranglehold to something that the French can appreciate.
Webster Hubble Telescope at 11:19PM on May 6th 2007
4. France has taken the first leap towards becoming as selfish and social-darwinistic as the states...sweet.
The bad news is that they already think, like the states, that, "We're the greatest and everyone else is turds."... how insufferable are they gonna be now??? They have nukes too..
pboyfloyd at 12:26AM on May 7th 2007
5. This would seem all the more significant if you actually bought into the notion that France was somehow an enemy of United States or whatever. Are they against the occupation of Iraq? Sure. But all that proves is that there not retarded; it doesn't mean that they're anti-American.
Just to illustrate, here's a nugget that I found by spending two seconds on the internets (It's from the French Embassy in the U.S. (http://www.ambafrance-us.org/atoz/defense.asp)):
"With more than 1,900 troops, France is also a major US partner in Afghanistan providing troops and support to both the NATO International Security Assistance Force and the American-led Operation Enduring Freedom. In addition air deployments operates on regular basis from Dushanbe (nearly 600 airmen), and occasionally the French Carrier Group is deployed in the region (around 3000 sailors)."
Then there's this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2775105.stm):
"With the United States the target of anti-war demonstrators' anger, France's President Chirac has declared that despite his differences with the US, he still loves the country. And when you look at it, there are hundreds of things the US has done for us."
Oh yeah, there's also this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6630797.stm):
"He said the US could count on France's friendship, but urged Washington to take a lead in the fight against climate change.
He also said he believed deeply in European integration, but appealed to France's partners to understand the importance of social protection."
So he's already telling us what's what when it comes to global warming. And the "social protection" thing is totally something a commie would say.
jspicoli at 12:53AM on May 7th 2007
6. Yes, I do believe that France and Germany will both perceive the United States as a force for good . . . now, if we could only convince the Democratic congress that it is.
Richard Platt at 12:02PM on May 7th 2007
7. The focus of our liberal leaders has shifted away from European leaders believing that we are a force for good in the world to concerns for what Asaad thinks about us. It has been their standard operating proceedure to embrace foreign leaders that agree with their agenda driven views and to reject those that do not embrace their views. When a person has committed to a religion, self justification and perservation of self identification becomes the order of the day. I anticipate that liberals will not 'shake Sarkozy's hand' in protest of his position.
Sarkozy's leap of faith may not be conservative by american standards, but he has renounced the faith as far as liberals are concerned. Liberals are much better at defining their enemies and using whatever methods necessary to destroy the public perception and confidence in the minds of the people against their enemies. It didn't take long for them to turn on John McCain when he was not longer the "Maverick" they needed, so turning on the new French administration wouldn't take much.
That means that a Democratic leadership will not be the force for good in helping the French to build a system of government that works, particularly when their trying to install the broken form of European government here.
Cdalealden at 11:25AM on May 8th 2007