The Politics of Bling-Bling Hits France

[Joanne98]

Sarkozy's Cultivated Anti-Intellectualism
By PHILLIPE MARLIERE

Nicolas Sarkozy, allegedly the most Anglophile (or rather Americanophile) president of the 5th Republic failed his Science Po degree in the late 70s because his English was so poor that he was barred from sitting the politics exams. In the run up to the war in Iraq, the allegedly "Anti-American" Chirac was able to explain the French position in English before the US media, a small feat totally out of reach for the monolingual Sarkozy.

Sarkozy did not have to make small talk in English when he recently met the Queen in Windsor Castle since the British Monarch is fluent in French. On this occasion, some may have warned the Queen that Sarkozy's French is generally most unceremonial: his crude crack at a person who refused to shake hands with him at a Paris farm show or the derogatory use of the "tu" form to address strangers (in the French context, not a cool way to behave, but rather a condescending or bossy one) have become Internet hits. Meeting youngsters from the banlieues a few months before his election, Sarko boasted to the kids: "I speak like you, I could be one of you". "Bling-Bling Sarko" confuses familiarity with vulgarity. As one of his critics in the French media cruelly put it: Sarkozy is not small, but low.

http://www.counterpunch.org/marliere04022008.html

[Selatius]

1. Is he France's answer to George W. Bush?

I wonder how long he will last in France's parliamentary system as opposed to our system.

[Laughing Mirror]

2. Accurate portrait of that slob

His popularity has plummeted to near Bush levels in recent months too, while he want to send 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan, so his idolship of Bush is being carried out to its logical conclusion.