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Sarkozy acknowledges mistakes

French President Nicolas Sarkozy attends a prime time television interview with journalists after his first year in office on Thursday. PHOTO: AFP

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, his once-towering popularity collapsing, acknowledged mistakes that have marred his stormy first year in office but pledged to keep shaking up France and its lumbering economy.

In a wide-ranging televised interview on Thursday, Sarkozy vaunted France’s defense of human rights worldwide — but sought to soften his threat to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics over China’s crackdown on Tibet.

Sarkozy said he would push for an EU-wide accord before deciding whether to attend the ceremony, because France will hold the rotating EU presidency during the Olympics from Aug. 8 to Aug. 24. Such an agreement would be difficult, since the 27-nation bloc is divided over how to respond to the protests in Tibet.

The boycott idea exacerbated anti-French sentiment in China after violent pro-Tibet protests during the Olympic torch relay in Paris, and three French envoys were sent to China this week to smooth tensions.

Sarkozy’s main goal for the interview was to defend his presidency at home, amid mounting criticism from both those who say his promised reforms have been weak and those who fear he is dismantling the social protections many French hold dear.

“Without doubt, we didn’t explain enough. Without doubt, I myself made some mistakes,” he said.

France “is in a bad mood, you have to take it into account,” he said.

He announced no major new measures, but remained combative.

“Let there be disappointment,” he said, adding the real test will come at the end of his five-year mandate.

Asked if France had changed since he took over, he said, “not enough.”

“For years government has been prioritizing” reforms, he said. “When they’re courageous, they make one. ... I have made 55.”

Observers say the scope of reforms to labor protections, schools and health care in what the IMF ranks the world’s sixth-largest economy hinges on Sarkozy’s will to push them through — and his ability to convince the French of their importance.

Sarkozy blamed French voters’ economic woes on outside forces, noting that the euro has been “at an extraordinary level” since his election compared with the weakening US dollar. He noted that oil prices have doubled since his election last May.

Sarkozy said that growth targets of 1.9 percent for the French economy this year are “perfectly attainable” despite the global economic downturn. The government recently lowered its growth target for this year to between 1.7 percent and 2 percent and estimated that the deficit this year will be larger than expected.

Sarkozy remained firm in his commitment to increasing the French presence in Afghanistan. He also said he “would not give in” in his push to free French-Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt, held by Colombia’s FARC rebel group for more than six years.

The opposition Socialists were unimpressed with his performance on Thursday, calling him “cynical” and “evasive.”

It has been only a year since Sarkozy was elected on May 6, 2007, and he noted repeatedly in Thursday’s interview that he has four more to go to build a legacy.
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