Stan, that’s a very interesting piece. No real surprise in Villepin’s views, however. He’s been peddling this line for a while now. What is entertaining, however, is the way in which Villepin – a great admirer of Napoleon – has been talking about restoring trust in France’s government in a ‘hundred days’. Does he not remember how Napoleonic hundred days tend to end up? See here for a useful hint.
On Sarkozy, that’s more complex. Yes, he’s more ‘pro-American’, but that’s how Chirac used to be described, remember. Yes, he’d likely be a better PM than Villepin, but I wouldn’t look for him to be waving the Stars and Stripes too enthusiastically. Throughout his career, Sarkozy has shown himself as a tough-minded populist who will do what it takes to get elected. And I doubt if that means that he’ll be joining the coalition of the willing any time soon.