Sarkozy names seven women and socialist to new French government

[demoleft]

Source: AFP

PARIS (AFP) - France's President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday unveiled a 15 minister government that includes seven women and the maverick Socialist Bernard Kouchner as foreign minister.

The new team, announced a day after the right-wing president named Francois Fillon as prime minister to lead his radical reform drive, has been slimmed down from 30 ministers in the outgoing government of Jacques Chirac.

Sarkozy demonstrated his declared aim of making a clean break with France's political past by giving half the cabinet jobs to women, including for the first time a minister of North African origin, and bringing on board an opposition politician.

The appointment of Kouchner, a doctor-turned-politician who backed Sarkozy's Socialist rival Segolene Royal in the election campaign, has sparked bitter recriminations in left-wing ranks.



Read more: http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/070518101218.1fu98bov.html

---

Sarko knows how to do it...To surprise friends and divide opponents.

[YOY]

1. Was the 'Socialist' named D'Leibermanne

or am I Chimpifying Sarko too much?

[dave_p]

3. Looks like it

Blanket replacement of formerly optimistic take

Actually, looking at his record that's a slur on Unholy Joe.

Though his French counterpart's maybe not so unrepresentative of his party.

My moment of optimism destroyed... by a Wikipedia link. The shame...

[Capt_Nemo]

4. Absolutely! See my post below

well Kouchner is a little less stupid than Lieberman (not much) but they play by the same book

[YOY]

5. I hate it when my hunches are right...it makes me cocky.

but then again I was using logic.

[Capt_Nemo]

2. Kouchner is either an idiot like Ann Clwyd, or worse is a cripto-neocon like Blair

He is what we call in Europe a "cruise missile leftist".
He either believes in the "good intentions" propaganda of neo-con ideology, making him a useful
idiot like Ann Clwyd, or he is part and parcel of the US global dominion campaign just like Blair.

Just take a look at this: http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Kouchner

"(...) Début 2003, il s'est prononcé favorablement à une intervention en Irak résumée par la position : « ni la guerre ni Saddam », affirmant que l'ingérence contre les dictatures doit être globale. Bernard Kouchner est par ailleurs très critique sur la gestion et l'administration américaine à qui il reproche de ne pas avoir tenu compte des enseignements du passé.

En 2004, il est cité par le magazine américain Time comme l'une des "100 personnalités les plus puissantes et influentes du monde" pour avoir « au nom des droits de l'homme, approuvé l'intervention américaine en Irak ».

Il est à noter que Bernard Kouchner n'a pas réussi à accéder à un mandat électif individuel, malgré deux tentatives. Il est longtemps resté à l'écart de la vie politique d'appareil du parti socialiste et se permet des prises de position publiques non orthodoxes vis-à-vis de son propre camp politique : militant socialiste, il est favorable à certaines mesures conduites par la droite comme le contrat dit "Nouvelle Embauche", ou l'ouverture du capital d'EDF. Il se décrit lui-même comme un militant de gauche de tendance sociale-démocrate. (...)"

[Laughing Mirror]

10. Growing old is not pretty for a vain old sell-out like Kouchner

Thankfully, he was thrown out of the parti socialiste today, but he was never really a real socialist anyway. He's has long been the high priest of "le droit d'ingérence," touting the right to invade unstable countries for "humanitarian" reasons, which is why he supported Bush's invading Iraq. He must have believed that Bush wanted to invade Iraq to bring democracy.

The humanitarian image is façade, something to get him in front of a camera and make him a media star, show him on TV carrying a sacks of rice on his back on one of his dubious humanitarian interventions. Kouchner's an aging opportunist who has never been voted in to any office. I think he's corrupt. He issued a report that child labor doesn't exist in Birmanie so that French oil giant TOTAL wouldn't be held to account for their own humanitarian meddling in that country.

In keeping faithful to his humanitarian missions, and as France's chief diplomat, Kouchner apparently would not hesitate to march French soldiers off to George Bush's Irak, and then on to Iran, Lebanon, Darfour ... you name it. But the question is, how long will Kouchner last as Sarkozy's foreign affairs minister? How long will he remain belle of the ball? What is Sarkozy's strategy? Is the withering wrinkly Kouchner just a prop Sarkozy intends on using to attract voters from the left to the legislative elections next month, and then right after replacing the prop with somebody from Sarkozy's own party? But now that Kouchner has been thrown out of the parti socialiste will that strategy work? True, everybody in France knows Kouchner, sees him all the time on TV, but if Sarkozy ejects him from the Quai D'Orsay after the elections next month, and he doesn't have the socialist party to go back to, who will want the vain old hag? Like I said, not pretty.

[MrPrax]

6. LOL...

Nobody normally would compare Kouchner to Joe Liebermann?

So where did this come from? Whose blog is pushing this stupid meme? Kouchner is Jewish? Is that it?

Lieberman was a guy part of a LEFT wing party that basically 'crossed the floor' to be a right wing independent among 99 others? This guy is a 'left wing' guy (actual one) that accepted a cabinet post in the government?

This guy is a medical doctor that helped formed the highly respected Doctors without Borders, former card carrying commie, active during the 1968 Uprising, worked relief in Africa, the head of the UN in UN Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo -- best I can tell, other than going to Israel lots and stealing money from democrats, I don't even see an intellectual basis for this comparison?

How much mileage does Lieberman, the son of a liquor store owner, get for spending a few months in Mississippi registering voters? His CV is so thin, he makes Hillary look like a States-person.

Too much...

[Capt_Nemo]

7. "So where did this come from?"

Maybe from Kouchner supporting the Invasion of Iraq?
Maybe from Kouchner supporting imperialist warmongering and neo-colonialist policies desguised as
humanitarianism?
Either way he is an enabler of US imperialism, including its latest incarnation: Neo-Conservatism.

[MrPrax]

8. OMG!!! Ponies!!!

neo-colonialist policies desguised as humanitarianism?
you mean like the UN, Peace Corp., Senlis Group or the NED OR any number of Franc-Zone NGOs?
Pretty good 'cloak' being a medical doctor and all. Fooled me.

He IS enabler, but so are all the politicians on the actual RIGHT as well as the Bullshit artists that make up the DLC!!!

But I think he understands the CONCEPT of 'American imperialism'.

Lieberman would have you arrested for even suggesting that the US is an Empire? LOL

Besides...he's against the war!!!! He never supported the US invasion, he only thought that 'regime removal' had merit.

He still doesn't support it???
Sarkozy doesn't support the war either???????????!!!
There was a whole campaign for god sakes about it you know.
Did you miss that part?
Ergo the comparison to Lieberman is even MORE bizarre???



BUT BUT ....this IS a concern to WHO?? now??
Democrats in the US?
Americans who actually invaded, raped and murdered the country of Iraq?
People who support UK Labour?
Smokin' Joe who still supports the war?
Hillary that can't even admit to a mistake?

Man given the grumbling of Hagel lately -- Kouncher is a closer match?

Last time I looked Kouchner WAS still a member of his party -- what is the status on Lieberman these days?

:rofl:

(could be just my keywords but this 'meme' does come up a lot on Powerline and Pajamas Media and they hate socialists too)

[Capt_Nemo]

9. No,

When I say "neo-colonialist policies desguised as humanitarianism?" I mean: regime change
supposedly in the name of spreading democracy and human rights.

If Sarkozy or Kouchner were in power in March 2003 they would have joined the invasion with Bush and
Blair.

What they criticize Bush for is the execution, not the idea. Much like the british conservatives do
nowadays.

If everything had gone well they would now be among the loudest pro-Bush voices this side of the
Atlantic.

[MrPrax]

11. Your too much, man

Hey I just news google Doctors without Borders!

Well look what the dogs dragged in...

Palestinian working for Doctors without Borders charged in assassination

JERUSALEM (AP) - A Palestinian working for Doctors Without Borders has been charged in an alleged plot to assassinate Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other top Israeli officials, according to court document released Thursday.

Canada.com -- More vague details about how bad Doctors without Borders are at the National Post!

Now I get why Ledeen, Powerline, are making mention of this...he's a socialist. Unlike the Sarkozy who is a rightwinger they can live with...and you think Kouncher is kinda like Lieberman.

[demoleft]

12. Kouchner is no more a socialists' problem!

Kouchner was expelled from French Socialist Party. Hollande announced it.

Actually, Sarko's choice threw Royal & Co. into despair: it seems he always get the target!

We'll have to learn to come to term with him. He's going to last long.

[Capt_Nemo]

13. They should have done it 4 years ago

well, better late than never...

[demoleft]

15. Probably, yes.

[MrPrax]

16. Oh...right...

First if Royal had won then Bernie would have been probably in her government.

Second, two days ago Hollande thought that it was going to be Védrine like everyone else

Third, party rules everywhere are the same except in your country; esp. socialist parties part of the Internationale...you can't have two party cards. Hard rule. It's good that Royal has enforced it against Bernard and Allègre...um...is this the part where you TOO think Bernie is like Joe because the 'leader' of the Democratic Party??!! has thrown him out of the party?

Fourth, what the hell does this have to do with Lieberman? (my original point about the bizarro world of America political thought)

Now can we talk about something more interesting like whether Alain Juppé is LIKE Cheney! Oh wait a minute -- Juppé was actually convicted of stealing from his government two years ago and only got to run because of an Appeal to Cassation Courts. Cheney isn't. Oh and Cheney actually started the war in Iraq and neither Sarkozy or Kouchner support?

But anyway...I don't really think that highly of Kouchner BTW. The world Commies really hate him for the usual reasons....he's successful in manipulating politics and they aren't.

I just find it appalling that the same idiotic memes that circulate on the Net tend to sound alike especially when there is some hamfisted attempt to take a French socialist's comments from 2003 and make him seem like who? -- oh not the declared independent socialist in Congress (the other guy named Bernie)....the natural play here is Lieberman? Ya, right

[demoleft]

17. Not Lieberman, indeed it has to do with Sarko...

...and his ability to confuse opponents.

I just wanted to mention that yesterday Kouchner was a socialist. Today he's not.
Two days before the first turn Bayrou was unpresentable, the day after an interesting ally - for Mrs Royal in particular.

I wouldn't be so radical. In my country there are party rules. But parties and rules are instruments, not Bibles. They remain the same just as long as they are useful to serve people and democracy.

We've been learning to change and unite to put rightwingers out of the government office.

Two party cards? Even three, if you don't mind. I'm personally tired of cards. They are paper!

What I care for is decisions, actions: progressive initiatives and more democracy.

Do you know men and movements going that direction? You'll find me there, among socialists, among progressive catholics. As a leftist, as a Democrat. With 2 or 3 cards but in good company at last!

And I don't think I'll see Mr. Kouchner around...

[MrPrax]

18. He's just gloss...

I figured he still had a career -- I guess he knows he's finished.

Besides...I am socialist. Ultimately it's a meaningless label. People who are concerned with labels usually want one. That's a good one. In the context of North America -- in the context of Europe or the UK or especially France -- it's like saying 'democrat'.

But he is shameless sell out hack just like the rest. But not to the same extent as Lieberman. It's a different system altogether. Kouchner held an executive cabinet position previously and was very popular and was considered for the top job that was given to Royal. His shelf life is done. Sarkozy will toss him and the rest shortly. He go back to phoney Gaullism where like De Gaulle, he will make fire and brimstone nationalist speeches, while the whole time selling off massive chunks of the French economy to their neo-con/neo-lib buddies.

As a side note, the NY Times editorial on Sarkozy's cabinet choices made this remark:

The only suggested minister associated with the “moral right,” Christine Boutin, opposes same-sex marriage but is also well known for advocating a “right for housing” for the homeless. These names have produced no uproar on the conservative side: press comments and public opinion seem to endorse such a centrist move.

Americans misunderstand what a “conservative” France could be: it does not mean a drastic shift toward a free market and traditional moral values, but a balance between a welfare (and strong) state and a more flexible labor market. Under “Sarkozy the American,” France will remain very French.

NY Times

It's a fair editorial...

Now wouldn't Americans benefit from a Conservative like Boutin? ;-)
But they get people like Bill Frist?

(Glad he ain't running...it's already a three ring fuckin' circus and it isn't even 2008 yet)

[demoleft]

14. More on Sarko's government

15 persons in the government team (50% less than the previous: french clappings were heard from here);
7 women, 50% government team (like Zapatero and better than our progressive governments in southern Europe);
1 socialist, or former socialist, as Hollande expelled Kouchner from SP some hours after Sarko's nomination of him as Foreign Minister;
1 Justice Minister of north-african origin, Rachida Dati.

The guy knows his job: there are centrists, there's a (former) socialist, there are right wing politicians. Women are represented. Mrs Dati may become his anti-racist passport in the future.

The team described by Le Figaro http://www.lefigaro.fr/election-presidentielle-2007/20070517.WWW000000418_gouvernement_fillon_le_defile_des_pretendants.html