One Continent, Under France and Germany

Looks like the EU has found an alternative to German domination of everybody else. It's French-German domination of everybody else . The grand "deal" announced earlier this week has something for both France and Germany. For the Germans, France will temporarily stop talking about eurobonds and …

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Written by Jeff Cimbalo on Wednesday December 7, 2011

Sarko Taxes His Way to "Credibility"

On August 24th, in an attempt to stave off a possible downgrade of France’s Triple-A credit rating, President Nicolas Sarkozy announced a deficit reduction plan for 2011 and 2012.  The proposed austerity measures counteract his previous reform efforts to spur economic competition. French …

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Written by Rachel Ryan on Monday August 29, 2011

Did Iran Kidnap Dissident in Paris?

Earlier this week, an Israeli news agency reported that Iranian agents had kidnapped a dissident student from Paris. But there's been little coverage in the French press. It seems that Iranian agents may have kidnapped a dissident in Paris and taken him to Tehran a few days ago. While there are …

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Written by Jean Granville on Wednesday May 4, 2011

How Bernard-Henri Lévy Started the Libyan War

The biggest push for Sarkozy's decision to intervene in Libya may have come from left-wing celebrity philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy. This weekend’s Financial Times contains a revealing article detailing French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s recent unilateral decision to grant diplomatic recognition …

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Written by Ulf Gartzke on Sunday March 27, 2011

Is Sarko's Libya Response a Domestic Power Play?

Sarkozy has received praise for recognizing Libya's opposition. But the move may have been made with domestic political concerns in mind. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's recognition of the Libyan opposition as the new legitimate government has received much attention.  However, the decision may …

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Written by Jean Granville on Friday March 11, 2011