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France turns new face to US, world
President-elect Sarkozy has an ambitious foreign agenda, in addition to planned reforms at home.
from the May 8, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
A more robust US-French friendship
In the past year of deepening American troubles overseas in an era of Iraq, Washington has jettisoned the anti-French, and "old Europe" rhetoric of the early Bush administration. State Department officials openly say they are aware that America and Europe must pull together, and desire it.
Sarkozy, an Atlanticist who met President Bush at the White House last year, said that France will "always be with" America. But he added that "friendship is accepting that friends can think differently, and that a great nation like the United States should not be an obstacle to the fight against global warming, but .. should take the lead because the future of all humanity is at stake."
"Sarkozy is very relaxed in his attitude about the US, but he won't roll over and become President Bush's French poodle," says François Heisbourg, special adviser to the Foundation for Strategic Studies in Paris. "This is someone the Americans can work with. But the Americans shouldn't take him for granted; the world has changed."
Of course, France – like the rest of Europe – has already begun to wait for US policy, particularly on Iraq, to clarify, pending the 2008 US presidential elections.
Current French Defense Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, who until January was considered a possible competitor with Sarkozy for his party's presidential nomination, is widely expected to become Sarkozy's foreign minister.
Helping to 'relaunch' the EU
Perhaps it is action on the European Union that will first occupy the attention of the new president of France. Sarkozy's team has been meeting regularly with that of chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, which currently holds the EU presidency, over "institutional reforms."
France's popular referendum in 2005 said "no" to a European constitution that many in France felt would further erode France's traditional leadership position in the ever-larger EU, which now includes 27 nations. Institutional reforms, however, offer a way forward – a "road map" – on a smaller set of changes that are still significant. This includes an individual president of the EU, not a country, as is the current approach, that has at least a 2-1/2-year term. It would also streamline decisionmaking.
"No relaunch of the EU is possible without France," says Fréderic Bozo a professor of European studies at the Sorbonne. "The French president has the key to progress, and Sarkozy will have a mandate. After the failure of the referendum in '05, French foreign relations really suffered and lost credibility and Sarkozy wants to address that."
With a mandate, Sarkozy is expected to engineer and approve changes on behalf of France, without a referendum. Sarkozy will send a team on May 15 to Berlin to work out an acceptable formula, sources say. An agreement would likely be announced on June 21, as Germany gives up its presidency, and would extend another six months, through Portugal's presidency.
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