Hardly a year has passed and it seems the political honeymoon is over for the charismatic French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Events have taken at a frenetic pace in the political and personal lives of President Sarkozy. The same set of people who voted him into the frontline of French politics last year seems to have lost faith in the President’s reform-minded policies which have instead raised the French cost of living.
The Socialist party led by Segolene Royale has scored huge victories across the country undermining the ruling UMP’s nationwide political reforms. The loss is particularly bitter for President Sarkozy since the UMP has got a severe beating from the socialists in cities such as Lyon, Lille, Toulouse and Strasbourg which were considered to be the strongholds of the ruling party. Socialist leader Francoise Hollande said voters had sent
In the President’s camp the Prime Minister Francois Fillon accused the left-wing opposition of mixing up local and national issues during the campaign although a leading UMP source has admitted on television that the results are not good for the President and the party as a whole. Now that the Socialists have recorded a tremendous victory over its rivals, it would be difficult for Nicolas Sarkozy to bring about reforms in the country.a warning to the President of the republic and the government on the policies conducted over the past nine months.
President Sarkozy’s approval ratings have plummeted severely since last July and the election results are indications that the French public does not approve the President’s public and personal life. The President’s much-publicised romance and marriage to supermodel and singer Carla Bruni has provided many French voters the impression that he is neglecting their concerns. Unemployment is at an all-time high and the French economy needs urgent overhaul to survive the global financial crisis. The Socialists have blamed the UMP and the President of horribly getting wrong to improve the French standards of living.
Despite the heavy losses, the government has ruled out any drastic policy shift. According to the French government spokesman Laurent Wauquiez,
The need of the hour is that President Sarkozy needs to improve his image before going for wide-ranging reforms.Democracy would go crazy if we started to shake everything up nine months after the presidential election on the basis of a local election result.
Source Link: Todayszaman
Image Link: TIME
