topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2130.38 0.52
DAX 6374.09 0.54
IBEX 30 6496.5 -0.71
CAC 40 3063.85 0.52
FTSE 100 5389.87 0.72
AEX 294.85 0.71
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13150.04 -0.04
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4120.2 0.96
Hang seng 18800.99 0.47
Straits Times 2787.22 0.52
ISEQ 20 503.63 0.54
You are here: Home News French News Sarkozy admits to errors

French News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


25/04/2008Sarkozy admits to errors

In a prime-time TV interview, the French president attributes the failures in his economic policy to external factors.

25 April 2008

PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy has admitted to errors during his tumultuous first year in power but said France had no choice but to step up economic reforms on all fronts.

During a live prime-time television interview from the Elysee palace on Thursday,  Sarkozy faulted high oil prices, the strong euro and the world financial crisis for some of the shortcomings in his economic policy.

"France has been asleep for the past 25 years... We have a difficult international context, all the more reason to accelerate reforms," Sarkozy said during the one-hour and 40 minute interview marking his first year in office.

"Of course, I have made mistakes," he said, adding that he and his government had not sufficiently explained reforms.

Swept to power last May on a promise to enact a "clean break" in French politics, Sarkozy has seen his approval rating plummet to below 40 percent earlier this year and he has been unable to bounce back.

Only 28 percent of the French now believe his presidency is going in the right direction, according to recent polls, signalling what the leftist opposition has called a "dangerous" loss of confidence in the country.

But Sarkozy rejected suggestion - emanating even from his own camp - that the government should set clear priorities for reforms, arguing that it was necessary to shake up policy on many fronts.

France has failed to adapt to globalisation "which has turned the world into a village" and is lagging behind other countries, Sarkozy said.  

"There is only one possible strategy: to enact change."

Sarkozy lamented that previous governments had lacked the courage to go far enough and had brought reforms to a grinding halt at the first sign of resistance.

"In France, there is always a good reason to do nothing, always someone who is unhappy," the 53-year-old president said.

During his first year in office, Sarkozy paid a high political price for his divorce and celebrity romance with former supermodel Carla Bruni, France's new first lady, which jarred with an increasingly gloomy economic mood.

On Thursday, he declined to answer questions about his private life, saying tersely "everything seems to be back in order now".

After critics labelled him "the bling-bling president", Sarkozy underwent a makeover to project a more statesmanlike image that was on full display during the Elysee interview.

But Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who is vying to lead the Socialist opposition against Sarkozy, said the president appeared at pains to "explain his own powerlessness."

"His first year was a failure for France. He tried to justify this," Delanoe told RTL radio on Friday.

Socialist Segolene Royal, who lost to Sarkozy in the presidential election, charged that the president was being "dishonest" by blaming France's problems on external factors.

She charged that the government still lacked clear direction from Sarkozy after Prime Minister Francois Fillon earlier this week said he expected a "roadmap" from the president to chart the next phase of reforms.

[AFP / Expatica]


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Travel & Transport in France

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Immigration and Legal Problems

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Relocating to France

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Kiwis in France

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

South Africans in France

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Management culture in France

Management culture in France

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes information on business hierarchy, negotiations, and etiquette.

American associations and clubs in Paris

American associations and clubs in Paris

A listing of organizations in the Paris area that cater primarily to Americans living in France. Updated April 2011.

British associations and clubs in Paris

British associations and clubs in Paris

Our handy guide to the British community in Paris, from cricket clubs to Scottish country dancing lessons to where to find a jar of Marmite.

Anglophone services in France

Anglophone services in France

Here's a short introduction to our Banking section for those living in France, from how to open a bank account to Islamic banking and investments.