Revenge on the Seine

The scene in the Luxembourg gardens in Paris today was rather touching -- even a little Shakesperian.

Nicolas Sarkozy appeared alongside Jacques Chirac at a ceremony to unveil a monument to France's abolition of slavery. It was the first appearance of the pair together since the election and Sarko's elevation from upstart subordinate to head of state. The president-elect was well tanned after his Maltese jaunt [last post], from which he returned early and unrepentant last night.

The sight of the pair walking through the garden side-by-side was striking [picture]. Sarko, who is five feet six inches (1.68m) tall, looked not so much like a successor as the son of Chirac, who is over six feet two inches (1.89m).

It is not hard to imagine their thoughts. The old man now appears resigned to Sarko's arrival in spite of all his efforts to quash the ambitions of the one-time protégé. Chirac could not do without the ultra-dynamic Sarko as a member of his Government but he never forgave him for betraying him in 1995 when he backed Edouard Balladur against him for the presidency that year.

All Chirac's efforts over the years to promote rivals to Sarkozy -- mainly Alain Juppé and Dominique de Villepin, two of his prime ministers -- came to nothing. He humiliated Sarkozy on television in 2004 and forced him out of the government but Sarko came back fighting and took over Chirac's Gaullist party and turned it into his personal machine. Months later Chirac had to take him back into the government as Interior Minister to help pick up the pieces after the voters rejected the European Constitution in May 2005. 

As a young man, Sarkozy, now 52, admired Chirac, 74,  for his ruthless ambition, drive and resilience. He modelled himself on his hero, adopting him as a political father figure. Sarko was taken into the Chirac family when he became close to Claude, the boss's daughter. That made the betrayal all the worse.

Chirac could barely bring himself to endorse his political heir for election, doing so this spring with the faintest of praise. In his victory speech to the nation on Sunday, Sarko made no reference to the mentor who has ruled for the past 12 years. Sarkozy was today clearly savouring the sweetness of the moment as he accompanied the man to whom he was never quite able to measure up.  Chirac hands over the keys of the Elysée Palace to Sarkozy next Wednesday and moves across the Seine to an apartment lent to him by the Hariri family of Lebanon.    

Meanwhile the epilogue to the election played out across town today with François Bayrou, the centrist who could have been a contender, launching the new political party with which he hopes to revive his career as potential president.

Defeat in the first round despite winning 18 percent of the vote  turned Bayrou, man of the moment into a solitary loser. Sarkozy warned the candidate that he would kill 'le Bayrouisme" if elected and the execution has started. Twenty-two of Bayrou's 27 remaining members of parliament have defected to Sarkozy's party, the Union for a Popular Movement, under threat of losing their seats in national assembly elections next month.  So Bayrou is scrapping his Union for French Democracy and starting afresh, trying to field candidates for all 577 seats under the banner of a new Democratic Movement. His aim is now to stand for the 2012 presidential election in the hope that the Socialists will have self-destructed long before that, leaving him room in the centre-left space. 

One his most powerful former lieutenants, André Santini, pronounced his epitaph this morning. "Bayrou gambled on the collapse of Ségolène Royal (the Socialist candidate). He benefited from her relative incompetence but it's all over now. This is France with two political blocs and you are either in one or the other," said Santini, who is heading for a job in Sarko's new Government. 

Santini, who is a genial cigar-smoking baron in the rich suburban the Hauts-de-Seine departement which Sarko presided until this week, had only good things to say of the new president and his refusal to apologise for taking a three-day vacation as guest of a billionaire. "Nicolas is a new style president who takes responsibility for his actions," said Santini.

And the misery continues in the unhappy Socialist household. Royal and François Hollande, her partner and party leader,  are suing two writers for reporting the breakdown of their relationship in an instant election book published today.

In "La Femme Fatale", Raphaelle Bacqué and Ariane Chemin, offer details of the well-known crisis that Royal's run for the presidency caused for the couple. The book quotes Julien Dray, one of  Royal's campaign directors, describing a violent scene between the pair. Hollande had tried to block Royal's bid by calling on Lionel Jospin, the former Prime Minister, to run as the party's candidate. "Ségolène had a primed grenade at her disposal,"  Drey said. "She told him: 'If you get Jospin to block me, you will never see your children again'."

Comments

[Helen]

Sarko's rather orange. Reminds me a bit of an Oompa Loompa

[Ros]

Well, I was there - not to see Sarko & had no idea he was coming - but to go to the Lalique exhibition in the Musée de Luxembourg, quite beautiful in contrast.Mr Bremner, you don't even mention the ENORMOUS (sorry for the capitals but there's no way of writingt correctly with italics and underlining on this page) police forces, it's impossible you didn't see them, I should say about 25 large police cars parked and at least a hundred armed police (were they CRS, gendarmes or others no idea). I consider myself as being one of the most "easy-going" posters on your blog but think you didn't give any idea of the atmosphere whatsoever - Sarko can't help the difference in height and distinction between him and Chirac & Shakesperian is a very odd word to use! Perhaps you could add on a few words to your blog but suppose that's "technically" impossible.

[D.Strohl]

I started to watch Bayrou on TV this morning launching the new political party he wants to build up. I was not able to stand it more than two minutes - it was pathetic.

He counted his remaining "députés" and "sénateurs" as Napoléon may possibly have counted the surviving generals and colonels after the terrible "retraite de Russie" in 1812. It will be very difficult for Bayrou to turn a foreseeable Waterloo into an unlikely Austerlitz in 2012 ... But, "tant qu'il y a de la vie, il y a de l'espoir" (as long as there is life, there is hope).

[jon livesey]

Chirac may have unveiled a monument to France's abolition of slavery, but the real history isn't so appetizing. Slavery was first abolished in France during the Revolution (1794), but Napoleon re-introduced slavery in 1803 in response to demands by French colonists in the Caribbean. Slavery was not finally abolished by France until 1848. What today might be the anniversary of is anyone's guess, but it looks to me as though the French are taking a ride on the back of the British anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.

[christopher muir]

For the sake of France I hope that "Revenge on the Seine" doesn't turn into "Revenger's Tragedy."

[Maggie]

What's that, Chirac moving into an apartment loaned to him by a Lebanese friend ?
OH, so why has he not bought something in preparation for this day ? or is he going to continue to sponge off others ?

[Dominique]

Maggie,

there is one big difference with Chirac : he no longer will be president. So he is very much alowed to do what he wants.

Do not reverse things :

- when president : ethic required!
- after : free again!

Sarko just did the opposite. He said on the radio he had refused Bolloré's invitations for the last 20 years, and accepted it only since he is president!!

Does he even anderstand what being president is all about? I doubt it.

[Ros]

Apparently, Maggie, he's only going to sponge for a little while, while looking for his own appartment (maybe with his own money). Anyhow, for the moment his whole life is "temporary" to my mind!

[richard jones]

Ros:????

Because buying something would raise questions about where the money came from. Remember Chirac is - as of 17 May - no longer constitutionally protected from inculpation.
I think the left will see - in a last gasp attempt to blast Sarko's majority at 'les législatives' - if they can get at Chirac and point out that Sarko was a member of that corrupt government.

[Dominique]

I do not want to disapoint my english friends on this blog, but i doubt that Chirac will be anoyed by the judges once out of the Elysée.

Eventhough i would like it my self, i believe the last thing people want is to see their former president in jail.

Do not forget that the president is also a figure head, just like the queen in england.

It has both functions : power & figurehead.

[Peter Newman-Legros]

I suppose threatening Hollande with not seeing his children again would have really swayed him. NOT. Three of the brood are over 18 - is anyone going to believe they would capitulate to maman's vengeful wish? Sounds as if the latest fantasy book on the Hollande/Royal couple is as contrived as the rest!

[squiggle]

@ Jon Livesey

Since last year, France holds a national day of remembrance for the victims of slavery on 10 May.

p.s. The UK did finally abolish slave trading before France. On the other hand, the UK, not France, was previously the leading slave trading nation.

[Dominique]

Peter,

don't underestimate maman's power...I was scared my self of being punished when she was talking eventhough we were separated by a television screen...;-))

[richard jones]

Don't think the judges will get to him just the left's media machine until June.

[james hazan]

# Maggie,
Chirac never sponges,he is a long term invite'.

[rocket]

Dominique

"don't underestimate maman's power...I was scared my self of being punished when she was talking eventhough we were separated by a television screen...;-))"

Still scared of mommy Dominique?

[Sherry]

Dominique,

Please give it a rest and contribute some constructive discourse to this board. All this anti-Sarkozy, conspiracy theory nonsense is simply ridiculous...this man is France's (your) president - deal with it! Boy, it's going to be a long 5 (likely 10) years for you!

[Dominique]

Sherry,

So we should accept corruption at the top and do not complain? What an idea of democracy!

[Sherry]

Dominique,

You have a very strange perception of what democracy is actually about. The foundation of democracy is not spending countless hours complaining on message boards...it’s about expressing your point of view through voting and taking action to push for change (and minimisation of corruption)...

Here's an idea for how you can do something positive with your obvious disappointment with Sarko's election...make sure you express your point of view at the voting booth during the upcoming legislative elections. Or maybe, if you're a member of the socialist party (or Bayrou's new movement democrat, greens, etc) becoming more involved, or perhaps working in your local community to encourage change, etc.

This man is your president for at least the next 5 years, so you'd better find a way to deal with it and, frankly, work with the system to push for positive behaviour from him if that's what you're concerned about.

I am an American citizen and, frankly, can't stand our current president. However, I express my discontent through the voting booth, participating in organisations to push for change, maybe even writing my senator, not spending most of my time going on about how horrendous the man is - frankly, that changes nothing and is common knowledge in any event.

Also, Sarko hasn't even been sworn in yet for goodness sake. Perhaps you should at least wait until he does something as president before tearing the man apart. Who knows...he may pleasantly surprise you! ;-)

[Valentin]

"This man is your president for at least the next 5 years, so you'd better find a way to deal with it and, frankly, work with the system to push for positive behaviour from him"

LOL no chance Sherry, they all hope to get rid of Sarkozy one way or another, sorry losers :)
Maybe he'll make a mistake and give them pretext to cry corruption, or reckless capitalism, take it to the streets again, maybe win the parliamentary elections and so neutralize him. That's all they did during Chirac's reign, working and hoping for some blockage, big demonstrations and so on to make him resign, or at least call early elections.

(by the way socialists chose to forget the escapades of Blum, Mitterrand and the likes on the yachts of the rich)

[Dominique]

Sherry,

Writing to my senator? pointless in France. We expect them to contact us! ;=)

[Ros]

If anyone can be bothered to go into this link "http://www.lefigaro.fr/election-presidentielle-2007/20070514.WWW000000451_a_grevin_sarkozy_a_deja_pris_la_place_de_chirac.html," there's an amusing photo from the Musée Grevin showing that Sarkozy has already taken Chirac's place as a wax model -actually, not quite, as there's still a hand around Sarkozy's body keeping him steady (but only for the photographer I presume)!