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France

Sarkozy promotes image as President of the People

French President Nicolas Sarkozy positioned himself as the ‘president of the people’ in his first major campaign meeting since he announced he would run for re-election last week. “I will not be the candidate of a small elite against the people,” he told a 7,000-strong crowd of cheering UMP supporters in the southern port city of Marseille on Sunday. 

Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier
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“I want to be the candidate of the French people,” he stated in an hour-long speech that covered immigration, the financial crisis, unemployment and the possibility of introducing a form of proportional representation in legislative elections.

He insisted proportional representation would strengthen democracy to allow all political parties to have a representative in parliament.

“The Republic is stronger when everyone has a way of expressing themselves within the Republic,’ he said.

In an attack on Socialist Party candidate François Hollande, who is currently leading in opinion polls.

Sarkozy described him as a “Thatcher in London and a Mitterand in Paris” referring to Hollande’s sharp criticism of the financial world when in France, but the adoption of a more conciliatory tone when talking to European leaders.

Sarkozy also accused the opposition of ignoring the financial crisis and putting the future of the country in danger.

“Those who are acting as if nothing serious has happened over the past three years in the world are lying to the French people,” he said. “You do not defend yourself against danger if you deny it exists.”

In contrast, he described himself as the “protector of the French people” and claimed his policies had saved the country from “catastrophe”.

His speech was well-received by the party faithful in the crowd which included Foreign Minister Alain Juppé, UMP party chief, Jean-François Copé and Prime Minister François Fillon.

Also present was his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, who praised her husband’s first major meeting on the campaign trail as “moving”.

 

 

 

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