Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...

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Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and Napoleon III “closest friends”) infuriated the Constitutional Council (2009). However, this short-lived calculation error should not mislead in evaluating Sarkozy’s communication strategy. Like Napoleon III, he established a well-studied approach vis a vis the media that came within reach of a line of attack thoughtfully matured. As a matter of fact, Sarkozy’s strategy was meticulously elaborated since more than twenty years. April 1983: the 28 years old freshly-elected mayor of Neuilly-Sur-Seine landed in a media dreamland. As explained by Rocco, the commune he just conquered « shelters an extraordinary gold mine since it houses the headquarters of numerous advertising agencies and influent media and broadcasting groups such as UGC, Gaumont, Havas, Hachette Fillipacchi, Sacem…” (2007). The young and ambitious UMP mayor realized at that time how beneficial for the takeoff of his political career such an environment can be if used adroitly: within few weeks he created the “Neuilly Communication Club” whose placarded ambition was to give birth to a “French Communication’s Silicon Valley” as explained by Thierry Gaubert, president of the Caisse d’Epargne banking group and General Secretary of Neuilly Communication since its creation (Rocco, 2007). This select Club was a master hit, Sarkozy succeeded in attracting 50 powerful advertizers, industrials, and media tycoons like the one listed by Strategies Magazine; Gérard de Roquemaurel (Hachette), Guy Verrecchia and Alain Sussfeld (UGC), Phillipe Gaumont (FCB), Jean-Claude Decaux (Decaux Advertising), Jean-Louis Tournier (Sacem), Christian Courtin (Clarins), Nicolas de Tavernost (M6), Arnaud de Puyfontaine (Emap France), Martin Sorrel (WPP), Dominique Baudis (CSA), Franz-Olivier Giesbert (Le Point), Claude Douce (McCann Erikson), Liliane Bettencourt (L’Oréal), Dominique Comolli (Altadis), Alain de Pouzilhac (France 24), Martin Bouygues, Arnaud Laguardère, …etc (2005). The young lawyer whose incisive sens A website dedicated to this project is available starting Dec 7 th 2010 at: http://www.aui.ma/personal/~Y.Assaoui/ 66
Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and Napoleon III des affaires attained its zenith in this period succeeded in seducing this establishment and patiently weaved a powerful networking, either via developing professional relations (his lawyer cabinet defended the interests of the Neuilly Communication members) or via more personal interactions (urbane and mundane receptions, diners…). At this stage, Maitre Sarkozy « acknowledged the fact that controlling the information is necessary to political power, and that communication is capital” (Rocco, 2007) as explained by Thierry Saussez, communication advisor of Sarkozy and president of the SIG (Service d’Information du Gouvernement) since 2008. In the early 1990s, Sarkozy decided to reap the fruits of a decade of networking: he asked for and obtained the support of the Neuilly Communication Club in his governmental undertaking. Few months of powerful lobbying over the Elysee and a constant well thought of press after, Sarkozy entered the Mitterrand administration as Finance minister and spokesperson of the government, and finally attained his goal: minister of Communication. At this point, the trend was reversed. Sarkozy did not need to seduce the media; they instinctively courted him in order to traverse this strategic period of media evolution in France that witnessed the “creation of the free radios, the creation of Canal+ and M6, the privatization of TF1, the Evin Law on advertising…etc” as explained by Rocco (2007). Here, a line has been crossed: in 1995, Sarkozy wrote under the Mazarin pseudonym a series of letters addressed to a variety of politicians, Les Lettres de mon château, published in Les Echos. This epistolary phase of Sarkozy’s political maturation is worth mentioning since in many letters he provided advices to the political actors about their political communication. For instance, in the letter addressed to Claude Chirac, the daughter and communication advisor of his presidential father, Sarkozy alias “Mazarin” provided advices about “who should be privileged A website dedicated to this project is available starting Dec 7 th 2010 at: http://www.aui.ma/personal/~Y.Assaoui/ 67
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Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...

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