The Sarkozy Presidency in 2007

In May of 2007, the French went to the polls and chose Nicolas Sarkozy, whose mandate represents a generational turning point in French leadership. In his first months in office, he has taken on an array of domestic reforms and appointed a skilled, diverse cabinet. His reorientation of French foreign policy augurs well for French-American relations; however, it is clear that he also envisions a leadership role for France within a stronger Europe.

About the author (at the time of publication, January 2008): Ambassador James G. Lowenstein is a co-founder and board director of the French-American Foundation. He has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff at American embassies in European and Asian countries, and from 1974 to 1977 as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs. From 1977 until 1981, he served as Ambassador to Luxeumbourg. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London and the Institut Français des Relations Internationales in Paris. His articles have been published in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and International Herald Tribune.

Read James G. Lowenstein’s brief on The Sarkozy Presidency in 2007 here.