100 Days of Hyperactivity
On May 16, 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy assumed the French presidency. At that time it was widely expected that France would be headed for change at home and abroad. Sarkozy’s first 100 days in office have impressed many within France and many around the world. A French poll revealed that 71 percent believed that Mr. Sarkozy’s first 100 days in office had been positive, and 75 percent approved his efforts regarding France’s place in the world. The French have grown accustomed to Nicolas Sarkozy’s hyperactivity at home, but now the rest of the has witnessed it as well.
Thus far in the foreign policy arena, Sarkozy has persuaded the European Union to adopt a “simplified treat,” given a diplomatic push to peacekeeping efforts in Darfur, floated the idea of a “Mediterranean Union” with Turkey, played a key role in freeing the Bulgarian nurses on death row in Libya, lunched with George W. Bush in Maine, dispatched Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner to Iraq, and last week delivered a key foreign policy speech in which Sarkozy issued a strong warning to Iran. What stood out the most in Sarkozy’s August 27 foreign policy speech was his harsh tone with the Islamic republic.
Defining Threats
In his first major foreign policy speech, Nicolas Sarkozy was not shy when he sent a warning to Tehran over its nuclear program. Sarkozy said that a nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable and that major powers should continue their current policies of incrementally increasing sanctions against Iran while being open to the idea of talks if Iran suspends its nuclear activities. His remarks were received with mixed results, with some interpreting it as a new French war policy against the Islamic Republic.
Sarkozy’s new tough language with Iran drew harsh criticism from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, calling the French President “inexperienced” and dismissed his warnings. Sarkozy believes the conflict with Iran is the most serious crisis on the international stage and needs to be focused upon. The statements made by the French leader were welcomed by Washington, which has been pushing for tougher measures to be taken against Iran. Prior to the election of Sarkozy, the United States counted on little support from France on a wide variety on international issues, including how to deal with Iran and effective strategies to deal with Iraq.
Out with the Old
It seems that Nicolas Sarkozy’s top concern is to elevate France’s stature. When Sarkozy’s predecessor Jacques Chirac tried to block the United States from going to war with Iraq, France was hardly listened to by Washington. In 2005, when the French voted against the draft European Union constitution, Brussels selectively tuned out France as well. Mr. Sarkozy, the most pro-American French leader for decades, is reaching out to Europe and America, committed to creating a strong alliance with the United States and projecting its own power and influence through Europe.
What really sets Sarkozy apart from his predecessor is his pro-American stance. Jacques Chirac did several things that placed American-French relations at an all time low, including Chirac’s international campaign to prevent the U.S from invading Iraq and reinventing France’s Atlantic alliance with the United States. Since the election of Sarkozy in May, relations with the United States have drastically improved. Unlike Chirac, Sarkozy has started to sound supportive on some issues that America cares strongly about. In his speech last week, the French President described Russia as “playing its trump cards on oil and gas” and accused China of “transforming its search for raw materials into a strategy of control”, both are positions that mirror Washington’s stance.
Future Outlook
Analyzing the first 100 days of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s suggests a drastic change in French foreign policy. If the first 100 days are an indication of the rest of Mr. Sarkozy’s days in office, one can suspect a more assertive French foreign policy that has a lot in common with the United States. Sarkozy’s stern tone with Iran is evidence of such assertiveness and an indication of a more muscular French foreign policy.
Despite the rhetoric against Tehran—who enjoys little foreign support and thus was an easy diplomatic target–it remains unclear whether Sarkozy would participate in military action against Iran or even tacitly support such an approach if the United States leads a military coalition against the Islamic republic. However, the fact that the threat of force was mentioned is likely to be perceived by Iran as a warning of the consequences of its continued course of action. Also, such harsh rhetoric is likely to be welcomed by the United States, which is currently gathering support for a third round of sanctions against the Islamic republic, and has also refused to take the military option off the table if Iran becomes close to getting nuclear weapons.
The French, Sarkozy declared last week, “want a president who acts and get results. That’s true at home. That’s true in foreign policy.” Thus far, Nicolas Sarkozy has achieved results and is expected to project a French foreign policy that may be more aligned with the interests of the United States.
