Nicolas Sarkozy addressing both houses of the French parliament in Versailles, June 22 2009 (AFP)

At the court of Nicolas I

In keeping with the institutional reform he himself saw through, the French president was able to give a direct address, on Monday June 22, to both houses of the French parliament at Louis XIV's chateau of Versailles. Such an "historical event", which last occurred all of one hundred and fifty years ago, hasn't escaped the attention of the European press, which has lambasted Sarkozy's "monarchical delirium".

Published on 23 June 2009 at 17:37
Nicolas Sarkozy addressing both houses of the French parliament in Versailles, June 22 2009 (AFP)

In the palatial setting of Versailles, it should have been a consecration, but as the [Libération](http://liberation.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx) headline points out it was more of a "Hassle in a Castle." For the inauguration of institutional reforms voted in July 2008, the French President made his first ever address to an assembly which convened both houses of the French parliament — and failed to live up to the occasion with a "drab" speech in marked contrast to the sumptuous venue. "Even the Right could not hide its disappointment at a speech which only surprised by its utter predictability," reports the left-wing daily.

This sentiment is also re-echoed by the European press led by Der Standard, which ironically reports on "a revolutionary event in the royal palace," only to conclude that the first exercise of the president's right to address parliament was marked by "a total absence of revolutionary content. (…) The only certainty is that Sarkozy does not intend to raise taxes," observes the Viennese daily, which emphasizes the media circus surrounding the assembly and the dash of celebrity glamour provided by the presence of Carla Bruni.

For Dziennik in Warsaw, Nicolas Sarkozy's address was not so much a speech as a show to promote a new political program, which the editor of the daily Andrzej Talaga deplores as "a mix of populism, socialism and nationalism." In seeking to assist key sectors of French industry, the French President is threatening to undermine the foundations of Europe, which are the Single Market and free and fair competition. In conclusion, Talaga takes the view that "Sarkozy has stamped these principles into the mud beneath his elevated shoes." For Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the assembly in Versailles was first and foremost the expression of the French president's "regal delusions." The conservative daily goes on point out that the staging of "the event cost a million euros," which could have been used for a more useful purpose than "pomp and circumstance."

Leading with the headline "Sarkozy extends reforms to combat the economic crisis," the French pro-government daily Le Figaro rushes to his defense. In his editorial, Etienne Mougeotte acclaims the list of measures proposed by France's president, extolling his "undeniable common sense," his "firm stance" (on the wearing of burkas), and "his daring vision." According to Mougeotte, there was "nothing insubstantial" about a speech that he likens, with typical understatement, to John F. Kennedy's 1960 New Frontier address [which announced an end to communist expansionism, the relaunch of the economy, a manned mission to the moon, and the dawn of government support for civil rights]...

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For Süddeutsche Zeitung, the French President's speech in Versailles was nonetheless historic. The centre-left daily notes "the solemn formality" of an occasion marked "by historic overtones and a new direction. The speech made by the French President who is so often maligned in the media was only part of the story. Mr. Sarkozy did not need a further opportunity to reach out to voters, since he already has unlimited airtime in the French media. (…) But it showed him to be a president, who not only wants to be re-elected, but also wishes to contribute to a lasting change in France. With his performance in Versailles, he has redefined the president's role with an American style address to the nation — which is evidence of his ambition to be a major president in history," concludes the German daily.

Writing in the BritishIndependent, John Walsh points out that Nicolas Sarkozy is aware that his bid to rise above the humble condition of president and attain unprecedented heights of power will require more than an American style speech delivered in the home of Louis XIV. With this in mind, he has set about the arduous task of completing his education: “A cultural sea change has engulfed Nicolas Sarkozy... The chronically philistine, famously anti-intellectual premier” who was characterized by his enthusiasm for burgers and Rolex watches now “airily quotes Louis-Ferdinand Celine, author of the savage 1932 novel, Voyage au Bout de la Nuit” and “carries works by Zola to power lunches.” Only three months ago, the French intelligentisia showed its dislike for Sarkozy’s literary taste by mass-buying a book he’d hated at school (La Princesse de Cleves by Madame de la Fayette.) “People say it’s Carla’s influence,” remarks Walsh, who wonders whether Sarkozy risks losing the support of the working and lower-middle class he usually appeals to. However, he believes Sarkozy's conversion is “a sincere, personal thing” and laments the fact that the UK “can’t envisage a similar transformation in Gordon Brown.”

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