Is Sarkozy a Socialist?

By: Wolfgang Munchau

Unusually for this blogger, I am going to wait a little before making any grand pronouncements on Sarkozy beyond some specific observations. Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 9, I will offer a sceptical assessment of the future of Franco-German relations in Financial Times Deutschland column.

In terms of his economic policies, I am torn between Sarkozy's promise of much needed economic reforms in France, and his protectionism and strange views on the future of Europe - like so many other observers. Did you hear the stuff about the “Mediterranean Union” in his acceptance speech? It sounded to me as though he did not only want to prevent Turkey from joining the EU, but also to push Greece and other Mediterranean countries out. I am at this stage definitely not going to join in the jubilations about Sarkozy's victory, though I am willing to give him a chance to surprise.

What does bug me though, is some of the commentary about his victory. Liberal commentators (in the European sense of the word, meaning pro-reform), especially in the UK, should be a little more guarded in their enthusiasm for a man who opposes Turkish EU membership, and whose views on industrial and competition policy are opposed to everything European including British liberals have fought for in the last three decades. While I don't agree with the overall drift of Gilles Saint-Paul's analysis of the French elections in lavoce, I think he has point when he says that a new centre-left party in France – similar to the centre-left in Germany or Northern Europe - would in fact be to the right of Sarkozy. From a liberal Anglo-Saxon or German perspective, Sarkozy is definitely left-wing on economics, and right-wing on law and order and tolerance – an unusual combination. We are more familiar with the converse combination. I personally would classify Sarkozy to the left of Dominique Strauss Kahn, except on issues such as law and order, where Sarkozy's views merge with that of the extreme right. This is what renders the election of Sarkozy so confusing.

Sarkozy's election certainly marks the beginning of a new phase in European history. I am as yet not sure whether this is something we will enjoy watching more from within, or at a safe distance, but it is a fact we have to deal with. Sarkozy is clearly the most talented politician in France, and possibly in Europe as well, but this again holds a promise as well as a threat. My hope is that Angela Merkel and Gordon Brown, who should not be underestimated either, may be able to co-opt the new French president into a more balanced position on matters such as trade, competition policies, and perhaps even Turkey's prospective EU membership. I am hopeful, but have no idea whether they will succeed. The one forecast I dare to make, is that Germany and the UK may find they have more in common now.

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