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

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Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and Napoleon III one in 2011 will not help in lessening Sarkozy’s overtaking of the international stage, especially since Newsweek revealed that he plotted to schedule it on that very time. In few words, McNicoll reported that “it is no coincidence that Sarkozy is taking over the G20 now, he is said to have wanted his country’s turn at precisely that time; fellow leaders such as former British Prime minister Gordon Brown and China’s Hu JinTao are credited with helping him secure this presidency” (2010). At this point, the mixing of the personal (and short-sighted) agenda of Sarkozy with his foreign policy actions needs to be explained. Accordingly, two main factors weight in the balance of the French head of state’s diplomacy: first the personal staging and what it implies in terms of individual glory and second the domestic impact of his foreign policy in terms of polls satisfaction. Again, the French president seems inspired by Napoleon III own standpoint: as reported by Bloy, “Napoleon III was arrogant and ambitious: he was looking for sources of pride and personal achievement” (2002). Being the nephew of the Grand Bonaparte was a burden for him: he wanted to pursue the Bonapartist line of glory that persisted in the French collective memory, even if the Consul-Emperor died exiled and in disgrace. Sarkozy as well proved that his political moves were not disinterested being constantly aligned with the potential personal glory they may engender. As stated by Von Randow, the French gradually discovered that “the nature of their president’s foreign policy is mostly theatrical, his statements on foreign affairs are now bordering on megalomania” (2010). To illustrate his assessment, the Foreign Policy writer cited two revealing incidents. First, Sarkozy’s own description as “Europe’s president” while in charge of the EU presidency in 2008, and second his statement according to which he was the “founder of the G20 and the savior of global A website dedicated to this project is available starting Dec 7 th 2010 at: http://www.aui.ma/personal/~Y.Assaoui/ 92
Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and Napoleon III capitalism” (2010). In the same vein, The Economist outlined since 2008 Sarkozy’s “self-serving skills; fully ‘95% of the text’ adopted by the Euro group to bail out Greece Sarkozy claimed ‘was French’” (2008). This pompous saying was taken up by Le Figaro whose next day headline stated “In Greece they call me (Sarkozy) ‘the savior’” (2008). The Economist journalist even concluded by revealing that “in Brussels, some senior figures are already referring to him privately as King Nicolas” (2008) as a reference to his monarchical-like need of self-appraisal following his diplomatic undertakings. Torreblanca identifies here the marks of “a foreign policy that is completely reliant on personal leadership, and that will most likely be unsustainable, since it will be subject to the vicissitudes that leadership may suffer” (2008). The constant seek of sources of personal reward in the Sarkozy style statesmanship compelled him effectively in adjusting his foreign policy strategies and actions. Discovering the domestic appraisal of his occupation of the international stage, the French president intensified even further the aggressiveness of his foreign policy in order “in the end, to anxiously claim some concrete achievements on his watch” (The Economist, 2008). The same source established a parallelism (apparently established by Sarkozy’s advisors as well), between the president popularity ratings and his foreign policy. Accordingly, and following his energetic presidency of the EU, Sarkozy’s “popularity rating climbed from 38% to 46% according to OpinionWay” (2010). More recently, and even after the destroying effects of a domestic policy highly contested (pensions’ reforms, Roms expulsions…etc) and that ended up with a historically low popularity rating (no more than 30%), 70% of the French still “reckoned that Sarkozy defended the country well abroad” according to an October 2010 Paris-Match poll cited by The Economist. At that point, Sarkozy’s strategic scheduling of his G20 presidency (and in 2011 the G8 one) are a strategic move toward A website dedicated to this project is available starting Dec 7 th 2010 at: http://www.aui.ma/personal/~Y.Assaoui/ 93
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Neo-Bonapartism? A parallel between Nicolas Sarkozy and ...

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