WHEN Nicolas Sarkozy failed in his bid for re-election as president in 2012, the French thought they had seen the back of him. He vowed to retire from public life. But the promise never rang entirely true. Sure enough, this week the Sarko tornado began once again to tear its way through France: the Gaullist former president declared that he would seek his party’s nomination at a primary in November. For now, Mr Sarkozy trails his rivals for the post. But it is almost always a mistake to underestimate the pugnacious ex-president.
Mr Sarkozy formally announced his decision in a new book, “Tout pour la France” (Everything for France), published on August 24th. The next day he was due to take to the stage in the south of France for his first campaign rally. Mr Sarkozy’s platform, as outlined in the book, is a hallmark mix of economic liberalism (lower taxes, longer working hours, later retirement) and right-wing identity politics (tighter citizenship and immigration rules, a tougher stance on Islam and integration).
On the face of it, Mr Sarkozy’s chances of securing the nomination for “Les Républicains” (the Republicans), and...Continue reading
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