Temporary Failure of French Policy
Igor Muradyan
Story from Lragir.am News:
Published: 17:54:59 – 26/09/2012
The French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s domestic and foreign policies were
designed not only by his political team. This policy was the result of a
long process of development of the French establishment and understanding
of new priorities.
Nikolas Sarkozy successfully implemented a multivector and balanced foreign
policy returning France to NATO, improving relations with the United States
and entering into a military alliance with the U.K., nevertheless
preserving the de Gaul model of priority relations with Germany, at the
same time developing business relations with Russia and China. Nicolas
Sarkozy worked towards healing the economic policy, tackling with the
exaggerated social policy.
The French policy on Turkey has never been so certain and objective when
all the possible resources for restraining Turkish expansion were
deployed. Currently,
both the foreign and economic aspects of the French foreign policy are less
certain.
Paris questions reasonability of its stay in NATO and subsequently
rapprochement with the United States. At the same time, the European policy
of France has become less balanced. The relations with Germany were not
marked by solidarity.
One cannot say that the French policy seems confused and uncertain, while
political experts, mainly rightists, are convinced that now it is
experiencing temporary failure of effectiveness. This uncertainty affects
also the French policy on Turkey, the French position has become more
controversial.
Francois Hollande has already demonstrated necessary flexibility and
compromise in the economic policy, and solidarity with Germany has been
boosted, first of all in regard to economic issues relating to the European
Union. The policy of Nicolas Sarkozy was the result of a deep strategy, not
temporary interests, and one way or another, France will continue along
this line, presupposing solutions for the European security issues and
regional policies on the Mediterranean, the Near East, Western Europe and
the Caucasus.
Modern international politics does not leave room for populism and failures
in the implementation of the strategy. In social and economic policy it is
also impossible to refrain from limiting social programs as is required by
the tough reality. It is possible that in the course of time some changes
will take place in the political team of Francois Hollande. France will
keep the role of political leader of Europe and active participant of the
regional policy reflecting the interests of the Euro-Atlantic community.
From: Baghdasarian