It seems weird now, but I was actually excited when Chirac beat Jospin. A center-rightist crushing the Socialists and all that. . . So I'm a bit more tempered in my enthusiasm about the next likely president of France in 2007 -- Nicolas Sarkozy. But it really seems like he's going to be a huge improvement.
He's the most pro-American pol in France, which could mean that he doesn't think we're the ultimate threat to world peace, merely the penultimate. But in his case, he actually likes American culture. Surprisingly, he's also the most popular politician in the country.
Policy Review takes a look at his new book La République, les religions, l’espérance. In place of the usual hyper-secularism of French public life, he sees a place for faith and religion in the public square.
You have to love the French, despite their insufferability. The next president is an author of thoughtful books, and Prime Minister de Villepin is a (admittedly bad) poet who has published an 823-page tome on the subject.
Speaking of which, the Times has an amusing opinion piece on the subject -- When Rimbaud Meets Rambo
Posted by Discoshaman at juin 9, 2005 05:24 AM | TrackBack
Before you get too excited about Sarkozy, let's bear in mind how the American media drooled all over another French president when he came to power - about how he wasn't scared to speak English in public, and his fond remembrances of his time at Harvard, his part-time job as a soda jerk, and on and on... http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,896972,00.html
Good to see you back, though. Tymoshenko and Surkis are both in town tomorrow, I should get to cover at least one...
Posted by: The Liberal Media at juin 9, 2005 08:24 PMExactly. . . That's why my enthusiasm is "tempered" this time. Balladur and Chirac have both disappointed me along the way.
Surkis or Yulia. Tough choice. Surkis is quite a looker, after all. . .
Posted by: Discoshaman at juin 9, 2005 09:18 PMHey, Lib! Good to see you! Heard from your mama that my site is STILL blocked by the paternalistic net nanny you have at work. As if breastfeeding is too risque. . . *L*
And, I'll have you know, I'm thoroughly enjoying the tortillas and salsa so easy to buy in the States. *g*
Posted by: TulipGirl at juin 9, 2005 11:32 PMUnfortunately I didn't get to cover either of them - got stuck in the office again...oh well, off to Krakow next week for a copper conference, then a nifty story about the trans-Siberian railway...
Must be nice not to have to rely on me for tortillas, eh? ;) And yep, the site is still blocked, fortunately my mom can copy and past satuff and send it over...otherwise I'd be stuck readin de Villepin poetry when I want to kill time. Man, that cybernanny's concept of "obscene" is WAY out of line.
Posted by: The Liberal Media at juin 10, 2005 05:02 PM