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8/1/2007 - The Ascendance of Nicolas Sarkozy: A Sixth Republic? by Kay Dilday

ICWA KAD FRANCE Kay Dilday Institute Fellow studying relationships French North African immigrants France North Africa letters Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided termfellowships enable outstandingyoung professionals outsidethe United States write about international areas issues An exempt operating foundationendowed Charles R Crane Institute supportedby contributions mindedindividuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Carole Beaulieu Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler Virginia R Foote Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Pramila Jayapal Robert A Levinson Cheng Li David Z Robinson John Spencer Susan Sterner Edmund Sutton Boris Weintraub HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot The Ascendance Nicolas Sarkozy A Sixth Republic By K A Dilday August PARIS It highest turnouts France recent history followed lowest turnouts recent history Perhaps because battle identity modern France stake country Spring presidential election ballots The parliamentary election turnout month later largely codicil primary battle identity In essence presidential candidates answer fundamental question could republic continue belief France gotten right years Charles Gaulle shaped In electing Nicolas Sar people agreed could In months since Nicolas Sarkozy became president support almost French electorate wowed France world Mr Sarkozy percent percent voter turnout Thus percent France eligible voters selected His ferocious activity ething France rainbow bipartisan cabinet selected extraordinary world By contrast month after Mr Sarkozy unveiled cabinet Gordon Brown newly ascendant counterpart Britain selected senior include people color Mr Sarkozy caused angry ripples party Union Popular Movement UMP Unnamed UMP members grumbled press about Mr Sarkozy bypassing party guard bright young things choose newcomers outsiders Socialist party members howled because cherry picked party superstars further hobbling ready struggling party Yet Mr Sarkozy actions compelled people second reviled His consideration religion compiling streamlined cabinet former presi Jacques Chirac clear signal something amiss foundations Fifth Republic which holds bedrock principles systemic ignorance religion citizens Five years earlier right candidate Jean Marie Pen Na tional Front polled ahead Socialist candidate first round presidential elections became clear France longing change status Yet their derring putting Pen round presi dency scared France Although incumbent president Jacques Chirac center right UMP party candidate unpopular French rushed polls affirm right nation But French people still change The country undulating wildly within current rameters Few agree address pulsations All agree pangs painful But debilitating growing pains In reversal traditional ideas about liberals conservatives estab lishment So cialist Party clung strongly status during election season Their candidate Segolene Royal campaigned guardian France traditional values among government worker rights systemic blind religion Nicolas Sarkozy century candidate promising manner change sclerotic labor rules hiring practic immigration judicial practices In short promised remake country On presidency decided May I spent morning polling station arrondisse mixed quarter Aubervilliers banlieue large number people immigrant origin finished evening Mr Sarkozy victory celebration Place Concorde France wealthy arrondissement That after closing polls which moment election authorities announce projected winner At rrondissement steady trickle people their polling station The precinct diverse socio economic It trendy popular quarter Montmartre always advertised Amelie neighborhood Chateau Rouge which known little Africa number immigrants Northern Saha Africa Voting France always Sunday morning At first trickle people elderly women their walking slowly determinedly toward polls A goodly number those lowed fairly young though people their early I talked range people voted Mr Sarkozy Surprisingly youngest people I talked women They together their names voted Mr Sarkozy cause would represent France internation arena She connect about Ms Roy The people voted Segolene Royal pressed strong opinions about Mr Sarkozy their dislike party spoke mostly Sarkozy seemed supported Ms Royal reflexively because always voted Socialist None people I spoke expressed reason voting Se golene Royal anything political position qualifications She woman people reason Most people spoke generalities It change I tired right A Tunis moved France years earlier voted Segolene rounds admitted really The ballots collected people given slips paper candidate Then their selected candidates A Togo woman showed ripped crumpled ballot Sarkozy voted Segolene Royal because Michel Con strongest reason supporting Ms Royal saying rapport people reserved words Sarkozy He radical sectarian Marithe biracial French woman trendy glasses arrived bicycle count ballots right citizen I Sarkozy Segolene woman She power remains human As I walked streets Aubervilliers evening route polling station I passed courtyards large housing complexes Chi couple stopped their angrily stalked around looking thrown something bottle perhaps their I passed women djellaba burkas phalanxes police waiting riots predicted outcome Segolene Royal Mr Sarkozy until I finally found polling I picked It marked difference Paris small vibrant But suburbs miles I learned routes easily often involve barren stretches Deso streets common polling station I picked required I sparsely populated I mention because difficult frightening because contrast between environments stark Aubervilliers still urban But movement youth anyone neighbor another inner Paris The trickle people though Aubervilliers arrondissement steady As I leaving Paris Aubervilliers Bel television station reporting Mr Sarkozy But people still screeched parked illegally ballot When trickle slowed infrequent I walked police poised riots metro Place Concorde presi elect Nicolas Sarkozy victory celebration At polls close elections authorities announced projected winner French polling authorities polling stations decipher certainty victor At Place Concorde beginning Mr Sarkozy speaking UMP party headquarters His broadcast screens Harry Roselmack first black anchor French network reports Sarkozy victory celebration Place Concorde KAD At National Front Rally before election Skin heads proud French gathering crowd I surprised diversity crowd France seemed represented small groups beurs young white people Sar shirts appeared North African origin walking alone little shoulders In earlier years Mr Sarkozy support positive crimination active involvement organizing Muslim council supporters black communities That changed drastically anger people threw bottles suburbs He resolved clean streets racaille means something between rabble His popularity continued decline introduced tougher immigration policies specifically targeted family reunification rights But Seine St Denis where young Sarkozy forces mobilized youth Mr Sarkozy still received percent A French journalist friend women spoke Clichy Sous Bois planning Sarkozy They wanted order His encounters different No banlieue mitted support Sarkozy I believe legend significant support Mr Sarkozy among black brown voters mirage eated party Nationalist Front Party showing brown black supporters election season At National Front rally I central Paris before election there people color There hundreds skinheads looking decorated older veterans young families I finally spied black noticed carried journalist fellowship Congo Have black people I asked No At rally Mr Le Pen angrily supporters abstain voting He second round believed Mr Sarkozy stolen moves tough stance immigration crime But National Front borrowed moves Mr Sar rally different color When I arrived people beginning square I three young Cergy Morocco parents parents Algeria At their closed backpack bottle bottle Did Sarkozy I asked He pointing their third voter voted rounds Why Sarkozy I asked I answered Why celebration I asked This future Two other brown almost exactly those words after first refusing As I walked stopped We because France As square filled became impossible anyone I walked toward watched derly trickle people being admitted VIP section where presumably Mr Sarkozy would porters The people filing there white carried anything carried bottles champagne rucksacks Since election Mr Sarkozy moving speedy French magazine Le Po asked Sarkozy doing The French intelligentsia often prefers vigorous debate action The backlash hyperkinetic president running start spilled spectacular hires highest ranking woman African ancestry cabinet minister Rachida Dati served Mr Sarkozy spokesperson during campaign A month appointment suffered several blows The media reported brothers trial charges Three members Justice department offering reasons their departure vately whispering authoritarian bully The whisperers claimed never passed exams magistrate One night evening Ms Dati shown presenting INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS tougher penalties recidivist crimi story showed brother hearing He given months probation papers quickly point under would automatically imprisoned Later summer I watched report showed brief footage Mr Sarkozy others descended steps Elysee It seemed serve purpose However Ms Dati stumbled awkwardly steps The broadcast proceeded piece without comment Groups SOS Racisme protested abuse media UMP politicians supporters dedicated global In Morocco weeks after appointed appointment prominently tured local press And remote Atlas Mountains everyone In addition Ms Dati Mr Sarkozy appointed other women African origin lesser cabinet positions Fad Amara Ni Putes Ni Soumises Neither harlots doormats rights group women banlieues Rama Yade Senegal worked administrator senate In KAD I discussed politics representation visibility people France skinned descendant Gauls I thought first encoun France Messaouda Sassi Lyon based secretary power years never appointed person color She talking about Azouz Begag appointment minister integration In Dreux summer social worker Naima M Faddel Ntidam grated France Morocco admitted against Mr Sarkozy before election I thought policies France Now pleased It France visible citement about Adara Yade Dati appointments But Dreux I talked young neither would their entire In their early school Tech nically unemployed their covert location their Les Oriels neighborhood known sales likely dealers Politics nothing It changes forthcoming Turkish immigrants I asked thought about Rachida Dati pointment Isn brother Ms Dati assigned people vestigate discrimination justice system Other measures rippling across govern In banlieues people proud three their Ms Dati Ms Amara crowded living situations Ms Yade banlieusards emigrated Africa child But those watch Mr Sarkozy surprised diversity More other French politicians willing address clusion large segment France population government When minister interior commented there Muslim prefects local administra heads country President Chirac responded acceptable nominate people basis their origin Ms M Faddel Ntidam expressing support friend unofficial plication positive discrimination France Americans affirmative action transit authority hiring elsewhere Isn person selling tickets station people neighborhood She proudly Dreux Hospital where husband works surgeon percent staff immigrant background Despite vilification there quiet optimism Mr Sarkozy presi dency newly politicized neigh borhoods There always those dealers given record voter turnout mostly increase voting depressed banlieues It indicated people believe influence change through political process Ms M Faddel Ntidam recounted anecdote Dreux paper Immediately after election reporter asked local youth might anger We these brandish their voter registration cards And record number Muslim candidates France lower Parliamentary house directly elected National Assembly As usual elected Ms M Faddel Nti thinks start In months Mr Sarkozy scheduled announce reforms constitution hearkens General Charles Gaulle significant changes constitution elected creating Fifth Republic France growing painful optimism palpable Les Fran caises origin finally change ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operating foundation incorporated New York State office located Street NW Suite Washington DC Letters provided charge members ICWA available libraries professional researchers Phone Fax E Web Executive Director Steven Butler Bookkeeper Program Assistant Jim Guy Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Af fairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express consent Institute Current World Affairs