France prepares for Sarkozy revolution to begin in earnest - Charles Bremner
"Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president-elect, left for a solitary break in the country yesterday as France prepared for the potentially wild ride of his reform programme.He is expected to appoint François Fillon, a former Education Minister, as prime minister then. Mr Fillon, 53, whose wife, Penelope, is Welsh, will lead the Government in parliamentary elections next month, with the aim of achieving the first return of an incumbent French party for three decades.
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said: “It is important to continue the close, trusting and intensive cooperation between Germany and France.” The message implied an element of hope that he would tone down his ambitions to reestablish French leadership in the European Union. Brussels has been upset by many of Mr Sarkozy’s policies, including the defence of farm subsidies and barring of Turkey from the EU. He also wants to strip Peter Mandelson, the Trade Commissioner, of his role as chief negotiator for the EU in the World Trade Organisation. The two do not get on, and disagree over free trade."
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