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Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Why not Sarkozy?
Chirac is slipping and in a few years may be behind bars. My evidence? His appointment of Villepin and the new Prime Minister. Why not Sarkozy?
Sarkozy, for those unfamiliar with him, is probably the strongest challenger to Chirac for leadership of the center-right. Everything I read suggests, then, that if the center-right can hold the only threat to Chirac's death-grip on power is this one man.
Unless he turned it down, why didn't Chirac saddle him with the Prime Ministership?
The latest news out of France is that Villepin barely got sworn in before the rail workers went on strike.
A few years back, Chirac faced another formidable foe, Eduoard Balladur. Silver-tongued, humble and honest seeming, Balladur had everything it took to send Chirac out of the Elysée and into the arms of his prosecutors. Everything, that is, except the supernatural flying ability necessary to rise above having been in charge of France a few years.
There is still time, of course. If early trends continue, there could be time for Villepin to get canned and Sarkozy to go bust trying to save the day. But that risks creating a scenario where even the French left is no longer so much an implausibility for the French leadership. Chirac's either playing this real close or he's off his game.
posted by gbarto at 12:06 PM
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