Nicolas Sarkozy, during his victory speech after the French Presidential election:
This evening is a victory for France.
I ask you to be generous, to be tolerant, to be fraternal. I ask you to hold out your hand. I ask you to give the image of a France that is united, together, which leaves no-one at the side of the road.
My dear friends, I have seen victories before in my career. But victory is only beautiful if it is generous. Victory is not vengeance – it is being open in spirit. Victory only has meaning if it is victory for the country in its entirety.
Millions of French are watching us. Millions of French have placed their trust in us. You must understand that the first people I wish to address are those who did not place their trust in us.
I want them to understand that I will be a president of the republic for all the French without exception.
Sarkozy was elected with 53 percent of the vote and a clear mandate to forge ahead with his plan to rupture from the past.
1 reply on “A gracious victory speech”
For all that Sarko might quite reasonably claim a mandate from the election, the extremely conservative present nature of the french population will make it extremely difficult. As has been seen in recent years, even the smallest modification to law, and particularly to entitlements, results in massive, vehement and often crippling protests in the streets. I don’t doubt that he will try, however, and the french people can perhaps look forward to a tumultuous time.
He also has a difficult history with the demographic representing one of France’s most challenging problems: les banlieus. They don’t like him, and he has been behind a number of suspicious and aggressive policies aimed in their direction, including the riots from 18 months ago in which thousands of cars where burnt across France. How he addresses these issues will be interesting to watch.
Personally, I find him an ambitious, annoying little so-and-so, and it doesn’t pain me to be leaving France before his reign really gets underway.