Today is the first anniversary of Nicolas Sarkozy's election as French President. On taking office, many American and British commentators saw him as a modern-day French Reagan, or a Gallic heir to Margaret Thatcher. One year on, however, France looks pretty much the same — backward, miserable, and stuck in the 1970s, with business confidence plummeting.
Ronald Reagan revitalized America as a great power. Margaret Thatcher restored British pride and turned her broken nation from the sick man of Europe into the continent’s most dynamic major economy. Nicolas Sarkozy has a long way to go before he can make similar claims for his record as France's premier. So far, he has been heavy on spin, but light on delivery, more a showman than a political leader who can bring about change on the home front.
The first year has been disappointing to say the least. I've wriiten a piece on Sarko for National Review Online. Read it here.
