Sarkozy and Obama:
Determined to Leave their Mark on an Era
"In
substance, seldom have the two nations been so close . First of all, because of
the personalities of the two men who lead them. They are young, have the same desire
to reform their respective countries, and show an identical wish to mark their
era. A profile that makes them comparable, and in fact, for the same reasons, competitors."
At Columbia University in New York, French President Nicolas Sarkozy talks about the importance of the United States, health care reform, Iran, global governance, and other issues of concern for the U.S. and France.
Nicolas Sarkozy's trip to the
United States had an almost redemptive quality. On three hot
international topics, the French president and Barack Obama displayed a
convergence of views that was by no means assured.
On the subject of Afghanistan,
Iran and the regulation of capitalism, the two men now appear to be in phase, even
if they carefully avoided entering into details that could have resulted in a
falling out. One has therefore retained the needed show of friendship for a
well-coordinated diplomatic rapport. It was necessary to overcome past
disagreements, dispense with misunderstanding, and chase away malicious rumors
that harmed relations between the two heads of state.
So much for the family photo.
France needs the United States, and vice versa. Everyone agrees, affirms and
repeats this. But beyond that, under the Fifth Republic
[since 1958], Paris and Washington have never maintained ties based on “back
scratching.” The French have
scrupulously protected their independence, and Americans their global
“leadership.” This was true yesterday, it will still be true tomorrow.
And yet in substance, seldom
have the two nations been so close. First of all, because of the personalities
of the two men who lead them. They are young, have the same desire to reform
their respective countries, and show an identical wish to mark their era. A
profile that makes them comparable, and in fact, for the same reasons, competitors.
Secondly, the French
president, once called “Sarkozy the American” by virtue of his alleged
orientation toward liberalism, displays in his actions an absence of self-consciousness
typical of leaders across the Atlantic. What's more, he is the one who put
France back into NATO's integrated command. Obama, meanwhile, pursues a very
European domestic politics - which is the motive behind health reform, so
decried in the United States, but which seems to us so very logical.
On the occasion of Nicolas
Sarkozy's visit, the American press emphasized that Obama has no friends on the
international scene. But is that of such major concern? Paris will never be an
enemy. This is in contrast to Beijing, from which we were enthusiastically receiving a new
ambassador in the hope of establishing a “positive relationship.” This
betrays the order of priorities.
