Stop bashing poor Nicolas Sarkozy

They arrested Nicolas Sarkozy this morning in a pre-dawn raid at the Elysée Palace. The French President accompanied the police without resistance. He is likely to be charged later in the day with the crime of "drift towards monarchy"

I'm joking. Sarko is not in the Bastille yet, but judging from the onslaught from politicians, media and public opinion, the gendarmes may soon be at the gate. After idolising Super-Sarko last summer, much of France has turned against its "hyperpresident". A BVA rating for l'Express puts him at 58 percent negative and 36 percent positive, a drop in nine points over a month. Only two presidents have plumbed such depths in the past 40 years -- Jacques Chirac and François Mitterrand.

Sarko the former miracle worker is being blamed for everything and given credit for nothing, not even for making a decent woman out of Carla Bruni, his latest bride. So it's time to speak up for Sarkozy and stop what his staff are calling the lynching of the president.

You have to acknowledge that something in Sarkozy touches a nerve in the French psyche.

People are put off by his un-French self-promotion, his recourse to emotion, his aggressive, even violent, language and his readiness to march into touchy terrain such as race, religion or the wartime collaboration with the Nazis. We saw this during the election campaign a year ago when he was demonized by Ségolène Royal, his Socialist opponent. France would collapse into civil strife if it elected this divisive and dangerous man, said Royal. It didn't happen.

Like many fighters, Sarkozy thrives when his back is to the wall. A battering is expected next month in nationwide local elections so he may be trying to provoke a showdown now.  Otherwise why would he be doing so much to stir up pointless antipathy? He has for example, recently been courting trouble by talking up religion and the importance of faith. For many, this is is anathema because it breaches the rules of the strictly secular republic.   

Last week, the chattering classes were convulsed by a presidential order over the Holocaust. Every 10-year-old must learn the life story of one of the 11,000 French Jewish children who died at the hands of the Nazis and French wartime authorities, he said. Sarko's adversaries fell upon him for imposing a reckless idea would traumatize kids. 

A bizarre attack came from Simone Veil, the elder stateswoman who as a child survived wartime deportation. "This is unimaginable, unbearable, dramatic and above all unjust," she raged. Sarkozy backed off and the idea, like many others lately, has effectively been buried.

Then the Sarko-bashing took a farcical turn at the weekend with a "J'accuse"-style warning from senior politicians that the Republic itself is in danger. With its solemn tone, the "appeal of the 14th of February" sounds as though martial law or a new Dreyfus affair might be around the corner.

The signatories included Royal, François Bayrou, the centrist leader, and Dominique de Villepin, the last Prime Minister. They proclaimed their "commitment to defend the republic" against threats to cherished institutions. Among these were freedom of the press, the secular state and independent foreign policy. But the number one threat they listed is "a drift towards a form of purely personal power that verges on elective monarchy". 

In other places, the appeal to "Republican Vigilance" would have been a joke. The French Fifth Republic was created in 1958 precisely to concentrate presidential power in the hands of a monarch-like figure. And the signatories included the main losers in the 2007 presidential election plus de Villepin, Sarkozy's sworn enemy in his own camp.

In France, a country given to political upheaval, words and ideas carry weight, so the warning caused a stir. It has also provoked a backlash that is useful for Sarko because it showed that the new demonization has got out of hand. The president may have disappointed voters who believed that he would bring quick prosperity, but he has done nothing to threaten democracy or the nation. François Hollande, the Socialist leader, recognised this when he refused to sign the appeal and warned his colleagues about the risks of crying wolf.

Sarkozy's side have used the monarchy warning to turn the tables and, as they did in the election campaign, depict him as victim. François Fillon, the Prime Minister, said that the president has become "the target of scandalous personal attack which has gone beyond all limits. He added: "The violence of these attacks reveal the weight of conservative forces that are terrified by ... the push to transform French society."

Sarkozy's team do not believe that the tide has yet turned. They are expecting a hammering for his UMP party and its mayors in the elections municipales as voters vent their disappointment with the president who promised so much.

But they are pointing to signs that all is not as bad as it seems in the winter gloom. Fillon, appointed by Sarkozy to carry out his programme, is basking in popularity. This hardly shows that France has given up on the Sarkozy recipe for revival. They may not like him but polls show that 55 percent still believe that he will succeed and that 88 percent see him as courageous. That's even more than the 82 percent who do not like his showy style and private life and find it unbecoming for a president. Fillon and his ministers all argue that Sarkozy's reforms have only just begun and that it is too early to moan about failure. 

You do not need to be an expert to guess what advice Sarkozy is being given now. It boils down to this: "Slow down, act presidential and delegate the detail to the Prime Minister and cabinet. They are there to take the heat. Stop announcing splashy initiatives (effets d'annonce), stop showing off your trophy wife, stop talking about yourself." If he manages all that, France's fickle public may remember why they liked Super Sarko. It will, however, require a change of character that could prove hard.

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Footnote: Yves Jégo, a parliamentarian and spokesman for the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP), says that he has opened a petition on Facebook called:  "Trop c'est trop ! Contre le lynchage, je soutiens Sarkozy" ! (It's too much. Against the lynching, I support Sarkozy). I couldn't find a link. Perhaps someone can. 

Comments

[azloon]

Sarko's popularity plunge is no big deal. there are no democratically presidents whose popularity has not varied wildly during their terms. a setback in the regional elections would be significant, but that hasn't happened yet.

i find it interesting that the left has been the most vociferous critics of the nazi re-education proposal. in most western democracies, it would be the conservatives who saw little value in such a proposal --self-flagellation, too expensive. etc. liberals would likely embrace it as generally supportive of minorities (whom conservatives often do not particularly care about).

it suggests the reaction to it, as with the general wailing about sarko's wretched excess, is mainly about politics.

[Dominique]

The press blames Sarko, Sarko blames the press.

In France we have a say : "il faut être deux pour danser le tango." (two people are needed in order to dance tango)

I often say this to my six years old when they get stuk into endless childish fights.

[Daisy]

Sarko's new found fascination for religion and morality is an anathema probably because it comes from a thrice married, twice divorced, serial adulterer now married to a bed-hopping pop tart. He just fell on his own sword.

Why do you characterise Madame Veil's response as a "bizarre attack"? She is a survivor of the Holocaust and knows better than most the burden of that knowledge. Sarko is grasping for a 'big idea' which make him seem like a visionary. It's the 'vision thing' and his has been made to look vacuous.

There was so much hype and no scrutiny of this man before he became president. He believed his own hype (take note Obama).

Hollande: does anyone still take him seriously? He is all that is wrong with the PS.

[Daniel Strohl]

Charles,

"the chattering classes": excellent expression, I would have loved to have coined it! The French problem is that we have too many chatterers, and not enough doers.

"Among these were freedom of the press" (appeal of the 14.th of February).

This is a particularly stupid and superfluous demand - to say it conservatorily, at least 70 percent of the French media try to make money through unlimited, uncensored (and often rather unintelligent) Sarkozy bashing.

Hollande had the good idea not to sign this ridiculous parody of "J'accuse".

May be I have got an explanation for this : as everybody knows, Hollande, Royal and de Villepin are graduates of the "promotion Voltaire" (1980) of the élite Ecole Nationale d'Administration. Their respective rank at the exit exam : Hollande 11.th, de Villepin 25.th and Royal 95.th. This could possibly demonstrate that there is a more or less direct relation between rank and judgment capabilities - LOL!

PS : Bayrou is not énarque - he is merely professeur agrégé...

[Dominique]

Daisy,

"Sarko's new found fascination for religion and morality is an anathema probably because it comes from a thrice married, twice divorced, serial adulterer now married to a bed-hopping pop tart."

Very true, but it is no surprise. It's always the case with politicians (people?) heralding religious values : they never stick to it.

[rocket]

Dominique

In France we have a say : "il faut être deux pour danser le tango." (two people are needed in order to dance tango)

We do too and it is directly to the point

"It takes two to Tango"

Since we already know that the tango is a dance we don't have to redefine it as such as in French.

[Helen]

"Fillon and his ministers all argue that Sarkozy's reforms have only just begun and that it is too early to moan about failure."

Ils ont tout à fait raison. Can he really be expected to have carried out all his promised reforms in 8 short months? His term has over 4 years to go.

[Daniel Strohl]

Daisy,

"He is all that is wrong with the PS".

Il est en bonne compagnie!

"now married to a bed-hopping pop tart"

Very elegant and, of course, anonymous statement! Pour vivre heureux, vivons caché(s)!

[Terry]

My guess is what your seeing is Sarko's failure to institute any meaningful change. This is why he is doing the Holocaust thing. It is something easy to do and within his power. It also is quite meaningless as far as progress.

[Sam Young]

I don't think that the idea of getting every 10-year-old to learn the life story of one of the 11,000 French Jewish children who died at the hands of the Nazis has been dropped; rather, an entire class will now learn a life story of a child who died, and there will also be references to children who survived. Simone Veil has given her approval to this.
On a related note, it was recently decided in England to send two school children (from each school, from each class?) to see a concentration camp.

[Joan Arles]

Yes, they should give Sarko a break. It's funny how the French are so quick to demolish their idols. What did they expect ? The world economy is sliding and the various interest groups have been resisting Sarkozy on all front since the beginning. They really behave like children

[Jorg Andersen]

Sarkozy is a bit strange, all the same. Why does he have this thing about the Holocaust and religion and Muslims and immigration ? And at the same time he is being dumped by one wife and jumping into a marriage with a new (very rich) one. He should calm down and get back to the job that he was elected to do. France is a strange country.

[LucaD]

I have been reading this blog with interest. Your Anglo-Saxon commentary is too arrogant

[Valentin]

Terry,
Apparently you're not up to date with my comments on this blog. It's really not done, from the very President of my fan club!

What I tried to say on another thread is that reforms are being done, some quite important. The media don't reflect the reality, but their obsession with celebrity stories.
Here, I'm important enough to be quoting myself without blushing :)

"Has anyone noticed how all media attention focuses on Sarko, all the time, each day on a new theme, over and over again, while in the meantime the government silently drove the CGT into submission, installed the minimum service, changed the university laws, changed the "carte judiciaire" (courts of law have been redispatched all over the territory), changed the "carte scolaire", dealt with the medical emergency issues, unions and employers negotiated a change of the employment laws ...."

There's also the tax-reduction laws, the environmental laws that just start to be enacted, the primary school reform, next months the retirement system and the hospitals.
Things are moving, if one really wants to look.

[Jacques Beauroy]

In spite of having been in Paris for a while, and understanding the language and speaking it with a terrible english accent, Charle Bremner has not a clue about France and French politics: naturally he repeats like a parrot what he reads in Le Monde, the Nouvelobs and Libération and Le Canard and he puts it in cockney-style frog-bashing humour taking cowardly Nicolas Sarkozy as his target !

[azloon]

[Sarko's new found fascination for religion and morality is an anathema probably because it comes from a thrice married, twice divorced, serial adulterer now married to a bed-hopping pop tart."

Very true, but it is no surprise. It's always the case with politicians (people?) heralding religious values : they never stick to it] DAISY/DOMINIQUE

your reactions to this apparent discrepancy between sarko's stated intent and his behavior is typically 'leftist' superficial.

spiritual values are about much more than sexual behavior which is, after all, not much different that your bathroom behavior (which i don't care to hear about).

Daisy, Dominique -- open you minds to the world of the spirit. it may enrich you.

Republican values don't have to be threatened by spiritual pursuits. there is a natural compatibility.

[christopher muir]

Sarkozy, may in the future, look back on the present as being rather tranquil in comparison to what's waiting around the corner. Surely the economic challenges that face him are considerable - a quick read of any financial pages confirms that there's a probability of dangerous times. Enjoy the Carla Bruni circus while it lasts. The really serious stuff is waiting in the wings.

[isobel]

Jacques Beauroy writes
"In spite of having been in Paris for a while, and understanding the language and speaking it with a terrible english accent, Charle Bremner has not a clue about France and French politics: naturally he repeats like a parrot what he reads in Le Monde, the Nouvelobs and Libération and Le Canard and he puts it in cockney-style frog-bashing humour taking cowardly Nicolas Sarkozy as his target ! "

Ok Jacques what's your spoken English like? I've yet to meet a French person who doesn't speak English with a "terrible French accent" (your words not mine). However being polite and not wishing to upset people who have made an effort to speak my language I choose to compliment them not criticise them

[Malau]

There is a massive lie in this text as regards the holocaust. It would be very harmless for all children to learn about the 11.000 French jewish (yet the presidential order did not consider others) children who died in deportation. What is causing the stir is that the President demands that children of 10 adopt for one school year a dead holocaust child victim. that is outrageaous and is a fact that holds no matter what

[June Sumner]

Isn't this par for the course with Politicians promise everything and when they get into power do the opposite. Just take Tony Blair if any one should be done under the trades description act it should be him and yet after 2 elections people were still taken in by him. Clever man.or just a Con man

[john o'doe]

"88 percent see him as courageous" - quite amazing when you count all the times he has taken one step forward and two steps back (not dancing the tango).
As a brilliant presidential candidate he correctly diagnosed many of this country's ills and proclaimed the will to cure them.
His large winning margin showed that a good number of voters were willing to back his radical reforms.
In office he has lacked the political courage to see them through and that's why he's getting the backlash.
People are not stupid. They can see that he has no economic policy, no industrial policy and the rest is just diversion.
As some other president said "You can't fool all of the people all of the time".

[rocket]

John

the quote was by Abraham Lincoln and it went

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. "

That reminds me of a funny episode on Seinfeld one time when George Costanza tries to repeat a Robert Kennedy quote

"There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not? "

And he gets all confused.

Not a criticism of your post on my part but a funny interlude as per some quotes which are really hard to quote.

"In office he has lacked the political courage to see them through and that's why he's getting the backlash."

Mostly agree with you on that one. It reminds me of another funny piece from "les inconnus" a French comedy group of the 80s and 90s. They did a piece about a race and the French runner broke out fast and furious and since he was leading he started thumbing his nose at the other runners, but in the end he ran out of steam and ended up last and then blamed everyone else for his loss.

IMHO this group was funny as hell.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Inconnus

Sarko acted like he could move mountains from Day 1 and in reality it takes a long time and well thought out politics to bring about real change.

[Robert Marchenoir]

The Holocaust thing is a crazy idea, a typical leftist, politically-correct, hand-wringing, self-bashing, being-French-is-being-bad gimmick.

Simone Veil, who has been there and has the wisdom of older age, obviously knows better.

French children have already been heavily indoctrinated about the Holocaust at school for the last twenty years.

This has gone much further that teaching history (which is not taught anyway); it has become political propaganda and has backfired long ago, stirring up antisemitism among the many Muslim kids in French schools.

It is also a crime to make young minds feel personally responsible for the gassing of children their age, which the new rule would undoubtedly lead to.

The Left has been right to protest against this, although, if they were honest, they should infer from it that their core beliefs for the last thirty years have been debased and rotten.

However, tip of the hat to Sarko's typical political creativity. He has dinner with the leading Jewish association, and hey presto, he comes up with this cute idea.

For it really is a cute idea. Stupid, but cute. I am sure the Left is secretly fuming: if only they could have been imaginative enough to come up with it.

[Dominique]

Azloon,

"spiritual values are about much more than sexual behavior"

Can you lease let us know what other values are specifically religious?

(please, spare us with "aimez vous les uns les autres" and other "be nice to others" as these are universal social values that have nothing to do with religion)

[Dominique]

Azloon,

My reactions to this apparent discrepancy between sarko's stated intent and his behavior being typically 'leftist' superficial?

Absolutly! ;) it is as simple as that, unless you can explain the "typically 'religious' seriousness'.

[Daisy]

Azloon: Sarko is spiritually and morally bankrupt. He's all about the bling bling and the pursuit of wealth. His problem is what Pres. Bush (the Elder) called "the vision thing". Sarko never had one. He's using the Holocaust victims because he thinks it makes him look 'deep' and thoughtful (or more insiduously, maybe he's trying to start a "clash of civilisations". There was a story in Le Fig that he wanted catchechism taught in schools as well).

I agree that he can't do his reforms in just under a year, but he needs to remember is that it's the economy, stupid!

Hmmmm....I'm beginning to think that after weeks of satirising the Emperor Sarkozy and his court, Charles posted this piece just to stir us up. Cheeky bugger! :)

[azloon]

Dominique

I am only saying that spiritual values (not necessarily religious ones) are not incompatible with Republican values as you have educated me to understand them.

and even Sarko, with his 'over the top' personal behavior, can be a voice of their importance, if that is what he is doing.

i am aware of the argument of atheists that so called religious values are in fact natural social values. I would even agree with this, for the most part.

but if individuals choose to access these values, and to understand them in the context of religion or spirituality, is this such a bad thing?

there are shadows on the wall of the cave that are not the objects themselves. and, imo, there are other 'realities,' other dimensions, that are not purely factual and are worthy of investigation.

[Daniel Strohl]

AZLOON, DOMINIQUE

What I do not like are fanatics, either religious ones, or atheist (laïques) ones.

JACQUES BEAUROY,

Your post dated 21 FEB 01:13

I agree totally with ISOBEL's post. And if Charles may have an accent, I am afraid to have to say that many French have no apparent accent problems since, knowing very well their level, they don't even dare to speak (and write) a foreign language when they have left school. This explains most probably the reduced number of French contributing (in writing) to this blog. But many do probably read it.

"and not wishing to upset people who have made an effort to speak my language I choose to compliment them not criticise them" (Isobel).

Je vais enfoncer le clou. French is much more difficult to learn than English (highly complex grammar and conjugations, orthography rules with myriads of exceptions). Therefore I am always happy when somebody has nevertheless made the effort to learn and practice French.

CHARLES,

You are invited from time to time to participate in talk shows at TV or on radio. I am sure that many bloggers would be very happy to follow them - provided they have the schedule in advance. Is this conceivable ?

[Thank you for the support Daniel. And I should add chapeau to your English which is impeccable. Here's a link to a show in which I participated last Saturday on Canal+. http://uncafe-unblog.blog.canal-plus.com/
CB]

[David Barker]

Reading your article leaves me very perplexed, and with the distinct impression that you have really not at all understood the general feeling of ras-le-bol in France against NS. Of course Mme Royal was quite right about Sarkozy's devisive and incredibly narcissistic character (its pretty obvious for anyone who watches his body language). NS lives in a world dominated by his own reflection - indeed C. Bruni is very similar in this respect! He continually needs to show that he is superior over others, and this agressive, vindicative and childish temperament is totally at odds with the position he now occupies - hence the revolt and the plummeting opinion ratings. He obviously has no idea how to delegate responsability and causes internal conflicts in his own camp because of his favoritism and very poor character judgement. The last place he should be in is the French Presidency, and I cannot see him lasting the whole 5 years!

[I agree with much of what you say, David. If you have time to read back on the blog, you'll see that I've made most of those points about his character numerous times. My point in the last posting was to note the hysteria of the Sarko-bashing and in particular the opportunism and hypocrisy of Royal, Bayrou and Villepin all piling in against him. Villepin especially since his whole "political" career was the result of favours from the monarch, never from a single voter. I fully understand the ras-le-bol and hear it all the time. I'm as sure it's as strong in Paris as Toulouse. But if you look at the polls you'll see that there is still a lot of faith being put in Sarko's goals if not his methods. CB]

[Romain]

Well seen, Sarko Bashing is definitely the fad .One must say he has handed the whip time and again.
I am starting to believe he has reached his ultimate goal, and does not intend to run for a second mandate.
Suggestion : why don't you foreign correspondents break your piggy bank and order a study on :"Nicolas Sarkozy declared spaghettis must be cooked al dente". My bet is 85% of the french would oppose.

[Mike]

"The French Fifth Republic was created in 1958 precisely to concentrate presidential power in the hands of a monarch-like figure. And the signatories included the main losers in the 2007 presidential election plus de Villepin, Sarkozy's sworn enemy in his own camp."
de Villepin was nothing if not precocious then. He was 5 years old at the time.

[signatories of the 2008 appeal, Mike, not the 1958 constitution! CB]

[Joëlle]

Well done Daniel and Isobel for sticking up for Charles. I thought Jacques Beauroy's comment was unjust and unpleasant.
I use Charles' articles every week in the English classes I give to French lawyers and bankers, and absolutely everyone (and the political spectrum is surprisingly wide!) really appreciates the angle he takes on French political life, he's quite unlike any other commentator, they love his freedom objectivity and detachment.
As to JB's comment on foreign accents...well, what can I say, I actually think it's too pathetic to comment upon.
Keep up the tremendous work, Charles.

[Merci beaucoup, Joelle. I appreciate the support. CB]

[Alexander]

President Sarkozy has become, the second poodle of Bush, while the first poodle (Merkel, who replaced Tony Blair) continues to be oblivious of what is fair and legal as regards recognition of Kosovo.

I believe the Sarkozy is a buffoon, even when compared to Chirac. Why? Well, no sooner has he recognised Kosovo when Corsican independence activists now want independence, a few thousand Hungarian ethnic people in Roumania declared independence, the Hungarians in Serbia now ant independence, the Basques declared independence in Spain, there are Basques living in France and they are talking about declaring independence, the Sardinians have intimated that they want to be independent, the Upkazians want independence, the Chechans want independence and DNistria and Moldova want independence.

What a mess, Mr Sarkozy! You are an idiot as much as Bush.

[Valentin]

There, that's a point I firmly disagree with Sarko. And I'll even say this: I don't have much trust in his opposition to Turkey becoming an EU member.

[Terry]

Valentin said:

"Terry,
Apparently you're not up to date with my comments on this blog. It's really not done, from the very President of my fan club!"

Don't forget what the president of Selena's fan club did.

I did not know of the Sarko accomplishments you spoke of. Of course, because I am not there and American reporting of France is rather thin. Perhaps, because as you say, he is doing this quietly. Perhaps, we can get CB to do a scorecard on Sarko's political accomplishments to date. He was, in fact, the candidate of "change".

BTW: Was Jacques calling Charles a plagiarizing lefty? I think I would have smoked him out long ago if he was red. Just last year, CB was a zionist.

BTWW: (by the way way) Valentin, did you like how the political transition occurs in Cuba's one party democracy?

[Daniel Strohl]

DAVID BARKER,

"and I cannot see him lasting the whole 5 years!

Yes, I had the same opinion regarding Mitterrand, whose polls where not good either several times, after a fulgurant start boosted by dithyrambic journalists. But he lasted nevertheless 14 (fourteen) years in power!! His successor managed to stay “only” 12 years!

ROMAIN,

"My bet is 85% of the french would oppose".

I would have been somewhat less precise than you - I would have said 70 to 90 % of the French - LOL!

More seriously: "I am starting to believe he has reached his ultimate goal, and does not intend to run for a second mandate".

This would be a good idea, allowing him to make (at least partially) the required reforms. If he aims for a second quinquennat, everything will end as usual "en eau de boudin" (see above the post to David Barker).

PS: does somebody know a good translation of "eau de boudin"? Thanks in advance. I am trying to expand somewhat my rather poor vocabulary in colloquial English.

[Valentin]

OH yes ! Can't wait to see the 99,99% free, democratical vote that will soon welcome the Castro brother !

[Valentin]

se terminer en eau de boudin (ex. une grève :) ) : to fizzle out

(from Google :) )

[Doremi]

Jacques Beauroy

You are in shock, I sympathise, it's hard to see "son cheri" taking a regular beating on this blog. Would Xeroxed-Figaro/Sarko's dailies from the Times correspondent be more acceptable to you?
Grow a thicker skin, ask Valentin for a drink and tips, read the Foreign Press more for help.

Do what ever to cope but hands-off our Charles.
His blog is the best, he is a Rosbiff who loves France à la façon Zeldin, our politics can do with being analysed with a flegme Britannique.

Is there snobbery in your remark? Now the Cockney accent, is it real or Mockney? Maybe you expected prunes in mouth?

[Joëlle]

Doremi, I've just followed the link Charles provided to the Canal Plus programme "a cup of coffee", and he doesn't sound remotely Cockney or Mockney, not the tiniest bit...not that I have anything against the Cockneys, most splendid people, but Charles sounds most distinguished, and his French is fantastic (ok, I admit I may not be the best judge). He only said one sentence in English, it was pretty hard to guess where he's from, I don't have the guts to hazard a guess in public on this blog - I'll keep it to myself!

[Valentin]

Myah. It's so very cute to jump in defence of Charles (as if he didn't know qu'il faut aussi savoir encaisser parfois).

I like the blog like everybody else here - all the while thinking Charles has gone quite astray of a certain objectivity. Then again this is a blog, so he's perfectly free to write as much personal/biased stuff as he likes - and sometimes he'll get what he asks for :)

And of course Charles has an obvious English accent, in spite of speaking good French. He knows it, we know it, why bother to brush him dans le sens du poil. I have a Spanish accent when I speak French, and a French one when I speak English. Duh.

Yet I can't help noticing how easily Charles' friends gather up to reply to the pinching stuff. Why not speak about the core. This one:

"he repeats ... what he reads in Le Monde, the Nouvelobs and Libération and Le Canard and he puts it in cockney-style"

Mm?

[Valentin]

On the other hand I find it quite funny that Jacques Beauroy's reply occurs about one of the rare pro-Sarko posts from Charles.
This post starts by "So it's time to speak up for Sarkozy" and goes on about Sarko bashing etc, on a relaxed, warmish tone. If there was ONE neutral CB post on Sarko these last 4 months, thats the one. Weird of Jacques to pick it for his criticism.

[Joëlle]

Valentin, could I please ask you to explain exactly what you mean by "in Cockney style"?

[rocket]

Valentin

"I have a Spanish accent when I speak French"

En este caso

¿Por qué no te callas? LOL

[Romain]

To Joêlle
Cockney is a vernacular which was spoken by London East end dockers.
Pretty unfair. I wonder how he can find a trace of cockney accent in a written article anyway.
Good work Charles, keep it up!

[Joëlle]

To Romain, thanks, but it's cool, I'm a Brit, I do know about Cockneys and their rhyming slang, however I'm really really intrigued to know what Valentin and Jacques think Cockney means (to a Frenchman) and how, as you so rightly point out, they detected it("it" being whatever they define Cockney as...) in a written article, or even in what Charles can be heard to say in the Canal Plus programme. I'm beginning to wonder if it's not one of those words like "Anglo-Saxon" which means one thing to English people, and seems to get used to mean something very different in French?

[Doremi]

Joelle,

Imagine Jean-Paul Belmondo speaking Audiard's dialogue in English, that's Cockney.
Did Charles sound like that?

[Valentin]

Joelle,
I was quoting from the post of Jacques Beauroy above. It's not my text and it's not me who should explain what he meant. Maybe it was just a one time shot and we won't ever see him here again.

In any case, what *I* understood from that line, is that Charles would use usual French leftwing media themes on Sarkozy, adapt them to AngloSaxon style, and serve them here. French leftie positions simply "translated" to anglo style. That's what I understood.
Maybe Jacques was simply expressing his grief that CB's posts don't show more of his own journalistic talent, instead of simply reflecting French leftwing media.

That's how I read it.

[Valentin]

Because I'm a chattering box Rocket, and each and every time I see a piece of bashing, it makes my tongue itch :)

I see you like to use Spanish whenever you can, what was it again, time spent in Mexico?

[Joëlle]

Doremi, Charles was speaking FRENCH. Try the link for yourself and tell us what you think. Except for two sentences: "I'm very well thank you" and "How are you, Pascale?", to which I listened carefully but couldn't detect the faintest trace of a Cockney accent. If you held me over a pile of angry pythons to force me to guess, I'd say I might have heard the very, very softest slightest Irish brogue but I really didn't hear enough. But definitely not Cockney, I'd brave the pythons for that bet.

[azloon]

[What I do not like are fanatics, either religious ones, or atheist (laïques) ones.] Daniel

to that i say, Amen, brother !!

[azloon]

[Except for two sentences: "I'm very well thank you" and "How are you, Pascale?", to which I listened carefully but couldn't detect the faintest trace of a Cockney accent.]

CB, it's a wonder you dare to speak French at all. talk about putting one's language under a microscope. did you ever think you'd end up as Elijah Doolittle?

it's no wonder the French pretend not to understand non-native french speakers. they are too busy listening for the slightest trace of a foreign accent.

for u.s. readers, can you imagine what would be said about the accent of Arianna Huffington if americans were as hung up on ce sujet as the French?

Charles, you may need a few sessions with Prof. Henry Higgins.

[Thank you Azloon and everyone else. I'm flattered but let's put an end to the suspense. I have a British/Scottish/Australian accent that has been flattened out by living in the USA and continental Europe for the past few decades. Like most English-speakers, I admit to an Anglo-accent in French. Huffington has, by the way, a Greek-British-American accent. CB]

[Romain]

Joêlle, sorry I thought you were French (from your name).
Let me decipher the French subconscious: e.g. Anglo-Saxon.
Take out "Saxon" an you'll quickly understand .The French definition of Anglo covers every English speaking country i.e. U.K. and Ireland,USA,and Australia.
The Welsh? Anglo-Saxons.The Irish? Anglo-Saxons.The Scots? Anglo-Saxons.
Saxon is some kind of additive which evoques barbarian hords.

[Joëlle]

Romain: if you told my Scottish father he was Anglo-Saxon, he would "molecate" you!!!! The Angles, Saxons and Jutes were FAR too cowardly to venture up North!And the Welsh and Irish would fillet you too, if you accused them of such a thing.
Azloon: I'm NOT French - I was only listening carefully to Charles to see if he did have a Cockney accent, although I STILL don't understand why it appears to be used by some French people as an insult?

[Romain]

Joêlle. I know, I was explaining the French view on "Anglo-Saxon".95% of the French have that cliché in mind.
As to Cockney, I believe the author has a slightly slanderous slant.
He means suburbian populace style.
Another cliché.

[Daniel Strohl]

Isobel,

"I've yet to meet a French person who doesn't speak English with a "terrible French accent"

This French person could possibly be me - LOL!. In the early sixties, I was in the merchant navy. We made a call at Singapore - I had some spare free time to visit the city and to go "magasiner", as our Canadian friends would say. I intented to buy good quality china and some other stuff, also for colleagues on duty on board.

I hired a rickshaw and asked the driver - a Chinese speaking an excellent English - to bring me in good shops and to make the translator for me. Everything worked quite well. Back on the pier, I invited the driver to have a drink in the nearest bar; we had a good conversation there.

He asked me where I was coming from. I said I was French. He looked somewhat puzzled and said: "This is strange - you speak English like a German and you bargain like a Greek!"

PS : I am Alsatian, but have no connection whatsoever with Greece - LOL!

[Doremi]

Joelle

"If you held me over a pile of angry pythons" I love this image.
I have never heard it before.

Now we know Charles has a flattened
British/Scottish/Australian accent that comes out as Anglo-accent in French. Ouf.
The cockney thing is an insult. If you speak with a cockney accent you are put in the good for nothing/troublesome/underclass class/
Asbos/ once the salt of the earth but now an embarrassment to your country/know nothing but talk anyway box. You would known as Charlie rather than Charles. Obviously mockney accent , if you are the child of a upper & middle class it gives you street cred, with a mansion to go back home to.

No one ever spoke about cockney accent, but about putting Le Monde articles in cockney-STYLE : popular, simplistic.

[isobel]

Anonymous bloger 13.59.32 - there is no cockney style of writing it's an accent and a way of speaking.

[Sigognac]

Somebody said before the election "The danger with S is not that he won't do enough, but that he will do too much."
There we are...

[Valentin]

ISOBEL,
Anonymous was me. I thought we were discussing the word cockney as employed by Jacques Beauroy in his post. He speaks of cockney-style. If you read the whole post, the meaning, at least to me, sounds obvious.
But again, it's not my post, so if you like to discuss all the possible meanings and occurrences of cockney, be my guest. I only tried to help.

[Joëlle]

Valentin, I'm not trying to be difficult, but it's not obvious to an English person! However, thanks to you, I now know what it means when used by a French person. I still find it really unfair and insulting, though. "Simplistic" is not a word I'd use to describe cockneys. Cunning, clever, sharp-witted, extremely funny - yes, all of those.

[Valentin]

Joëlle:

Ok. I didn't know that. So if it is so , it would rather be a compliment, I think :)
If cockney is used to mean "anglosaxon", or maybe suburban-style (ie not the intellectual kind), well in that case, my take on it is that in my post of 24 Feb 2008 13:04:24 :)