Sarkozy's win widely welcomed

2007-05-07 12:45

Paris - Nicolas Sarkozy's win in France's presidential election was broadly welcomed in the Western press on Monday, though some media in Africa and the Middle East expressed hostility to the new leader.

Most papers dubbed him a man of action, with the right qualities to deal with France's long list of troubles, not least its stuttering economy and high unemployment.

However, there was also suspicion of his pledge to control immigration that will affect many in Africa who beat a path to France for work and opportunity.

Old enmities in France's former colonial possessions also surfaced with some editorials in Algeria highlighting his Jewish background and apparent lack of willingness to recognise France's colonial "crimes".

In Germany, France's main partner in the European Union, papers highlighted the chance for Sarkozy to make up for the "lost" years under outgoing President Jacques Chirac whose 12 years in power were marked by stagnation.

'Sarkozy triumphed'

"Not only France but also the Europeans expect that Sarkozy will make up for lost ground," wrote the centre-left German daily Berliner Zeitung.

The economic daily Handelsblatt said that "after 12 years of Jacques Chirac, the weakest president of the Fifth Republic, a new strongman has arrived at the Elysee."

British papers also noted the passing of a generation with the Times of London, a right-of-centre paper, describing Sarkozy's victory as "the most important political change in France for a generation".

The right-wing Daily Telegraph in Britain declared that the 52-year-old former interior minister "represents his country's last, best chance to join the 21st century".

Similar thoughts were expressed in fellow EU members Italy, Spain and Greece where an editorial in the Ethnos newspaper said: "Sarkozy triumphed because he answered with clarity the questions of a society that is terrorised by the future's uncertainties."

Hostility from Turkey, Africa

Turkey's press meanwhile was negative about the conservative's victory and its effect on Ankara's hopes for eventual European Union membership.

Sarkozy has repeatedly said that he doesn't think Turkey should be a member of the EU.

"Alas! It is Sarko," the popular Aksam daily said on its front page while the Milliyet newspaper said: "Sarkozy the new obstacle on the path towards EU."

Sarkozy's election "will increase the potential of already chilly Turkish-French ties to worsen," Milliyet said.

Meanwhile, in Africa, there were more critical voices. In Senegal, a former French colony, Le Soleil, wrote that Sarkozy's "paternalistic and ethnocentrique, sometimes racist" vision "worries a good number of Africans".

L'Observateur daily described there being "fear and worry among African immigrants" adding that "in place of an immigration of choice that he trumpeted everywhere Sarkozy nevertheless speaks of a restricted immigration."

In Sierra Leone, another African country where France has important relations, commentators expressed the hope that Sarkozy's election would mark the end of the Chirac era characterised by France "being the friend of corrupt (African) governments".

In one of France's most important former colonies and near neighbour, Algeria, French language papers carried largely factual reports of his victory.

However, the Arab language press was notably more critical. "The little Bush, president of France", declared Ech-chourouk on its front page, adding: "Good bye Gaullism, France's Jews have put Sarkozy in power".

Sarkozy was brought up by his Jewish grandmother after his parents divorced. However, that link was played up by the Israeli press.

- AFP