In his acceptance speech after winning the run-up in the French Presidential Election in May 2007, Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy stated among others that his election was the “greatest honor possible” and that he was going to give to every Frenchman both “national identity” and “dignity”. The whole event was televised life by the BBC World, CNN, and other international news media. That was on 5 June 2007.
Barely five months after, one wonders what type of “national identity” and “dignity” that Mr. Sarkozy still has in stock for the French. He was at the European Union submit in Germany where his influence was so high to an extent that he negotiated a deal between opposing camps to reach an accord just before the end of the third and final day of the submit.
As if he would continue with that spirit, mending broken relationships and fostering understanding both at home and abroad, he paid a visit to Mr. Bush, the American war-monger president.
Since then, things have fallen apart with the vision Mr. Sarkozy had for the Frenchman. He took side with Mr. Bush and stated in unequivocal terms a total “No” to Iran’s nuclear programme at the U.S. and threatened that France would not hesitate to use force to stop it.
Subsequently, he tried to hold separate talks with various members of the European Union for a massive support against Iran ahead of a (dis)United Nations (UN) general assembly. Even at the UN he emphasized Frances’s readiness to use force again.
But right there at home, he could not even manage his marriage to his former wife, Mrs Cecilia Sarkozy, who had refused to go out in public with him. Within the period, the rumour of divorce spread like bush fire. Today, it has become “To your tents, oh Israel” to the Sarkozys. They are divorced. The French law may be indifferent to divorce for a serving president.
But the Sarkozys are the first to come up with a divorce in the presidency, whether in France or elsewhere. Is this the vision of “national identity” and “dignity” for the Frenchman in Mr. Sarkozy’s political programme?
As if that is not enough, he “proclaimed” various “reform” measures which workers have considered very detrimental to their services. The first to go on strike were the rail workers. Every rail movement was temporarily but suddenly brought to a halt for one day last week. Many commuters were stranded. Some got to their offices very late and tired. Other could not make it.
The airways operators have added their own strike for five days causing Air France to be grounded. Those on transit through France became stranded at the airport. There was a sea of heads of people of various nationalities suffering at the airport, waiting endlessly for the strike to end. Yet Mr. Sarkozy remains unruffled. Can the circle of strikes be the political expectation that would give the Frenchman a “national identity” and “dignity”?
Surprisingly, the French intelligence could unearth the preparedness of Iran to use nuclear weapons to France’s disadvantage but could not know when Zoe Ark religious group planned and moved out of France to collect about 100 children from Abeche in Chad for adoption in France. Nine French and seven Spanish together with their aircraft are now being detained in Chad for “Child Trafficking”. The detainees risk imprisonment.
“Charity”, people often say, “begins at home”. Where is Mr. Sarkozy’s charity going to start from, the divorced home too? Does it not bother on miscalculation by the majority of French voters to saddle a man with the office of a head of State when he cannot even head his own home? The French must be biting his (not gender sensitive) fingers today for voting 52% for Sarkozy against his rival, Mrs Segolene Royale, a socialist who polled 48%.
Will Mr. Sarkozy recover from the wandering route to which he has set for himself like a pilot that quickly alerts the control tower for emergency lading after spotting some problems on taking off? Will he continue to his doom like (in)experienced Captain Edward Smith who sail the Titanic ship at its “full speed of about 22 knots on a moonless night” even when 2,200 passengers were on board?
Will he be intoxicated too by rhythms of sycophants like the band master Wally Hartley who led the musical team on board the Titanic and played until they were drowned along with those who felt that their ship was “unsinkable”on April 15, 1912 (See: Yogesh Ambekar – History of Titanic Ship, http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-9-2004-62700.asp)?
Will he learn that war was better analyzed on paper or on computer using “Games Theory” but worse for both the victor and the vanquished in practice because both parties would lose skilled men, weapons and ammunitions, money, energy and time? Will Mr. Sarkozy go back to his promise to give the French both “national identity” and “dignity” just like Mr. Vladimir Putin has done in Russia? Will he allow his rating to continue to nose-dive like that of Mr. Bush whom he has chosen to pally with? Time will tell.
The drama in France is an indication of a sad beginning for Mr. Sarkozy. He still has a long length of time to purse and reflect. In my opinion, he should amend his ways, if necessary he should make a U-turn now! He should remember the voters, those who defied rain and shine to give him a majority of votes. These people deserve to benefit from his regime. At present, they are dissipating their precious time, energy, money and materials on issues that should have been avoided in the first instance.
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