All the world's a stage
For France’s theatrical president
Europe
Nov 22nd 2010 | PARIS
Friday May 27th 2011
Advertisement
Most commented
- Charlemagne: Decoding DSK
- China and Tibet: Go back to law school
- India and Pakistan: The world's most dangerous border
- Greece and the euro: Bailing out the bail-out
- Israel and America: Chasing the rabbit
- Israel and Palestine: Those indefensible 1967 borders
- America and China: No go
- Well-being and wealth: The pursuit of happiness
- Barack Obama's speech on the Middle East: 1967 and all that
- Israel and America: Bibi goes to Washington
Over the past five days
Most recommended
- Charlemagne: Decoding DSK
- India and Pakistan: The world's most dangerous border
- Barack Obama's speech on the Middle East: 1967 and all that
- Schumpeter: The Catalan kings
- Israel and Palestine: Those indefensible 1967 borders
- Israel and Palestine: Here comes your non-violent resistance
- Well-being and wealth: The pursuit of happiness
- Obama on Israel and Palestine: Much ado, but what's new?
- America and China: No go
- China and Tibet: Go back to law school
Over the past seven days
Advertisement
Products & events
Stay informed today and every day
Subscribe to The Economist's free e-mail newsletters and alerts.
Subscribe to The Economist's latest article postings on Twitter
See a selection of The Economist's articles, events, topical videos and debates on Facebook.
Advertisement
Classified ads
Readers' comments
Sort:
It will be difficult for M. Sarkozy to be re-elected in 2012. M. Sarkozy's image has been badly tarnished after it was made public that he had reduced taxes for his "friends" in the business world (Arnaud Lagardère's inheritance taxe was unilateraly reduced from 60 million to 10 million euros because of Sarkozy's intervention), or that he has turned a blind eye to tax evasion from businessmen who, sometimes illegally, finance his party (Mr and Ms Bettencourt, Robert Peugeot, Guy Wildenstein, ...)
He is currently embroiled in a very murky political scandal. As a leader of Balladur's campaign in 1995, it is thought that he overlooked a money laundering scheme of 10 Million Francs. That money was brought to the bank in one lump payment, almost exclusively in 500 Franc notes. That money is thought to come from the sale of French submarines to the Pakistani Army. Intermediaries in the deal were given millions of euros, some of it which was sent back to France to finance Balladur's campaign.
Various revelations (mainly by Mediapart, an independant Internet news outlet) have shown that Sarkozy was at the heart of this money laundering scheme. Sarkozy supervised the creation of shell companies in tax havens (Luxembourg, Isle of Man) through which the money transited.
Audio tapes from the Bettencourt's family home (the n°2 fortune in France) have shown that Sarkozy, as mayor of Neuilly, visited the home of this rich couple and came out with enveloppes filled with 500 francs notes.
All this to say that an important part of the French population (albeight not a majority!) is concerned with these scandals and that it might weigh in their decision for 2012.
However, the executive's branch large power over the judiciary in France is likely to quell investigations and limit the scope of revelations.
People seem to forget that France is one of the last and real economic and military super-powers in the world.
The political importance of France in the world and in Europe is tremendous.
The economic and military capacities of France are inexhaustible.
France is indeed the leading nation on this planet and it will stay for ever "La Grande Nation"
Sarkozy is aware of his unlimited power and the immense influence of France all over the world.
France is going to overtake leadership.