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Moerland, Rene
2 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
"Our president"
Sarkozy wanted to give Europe more political clout, writes the NRC Handelsblad daily, but adds that his strong leadership style also aroused distrust: "Sarkozy managed to make headway with his agenda as European president. The political clout of the euro group was strengthened without it coming to a struggle with the European Central Bank. ... Sarkozy's relations with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel may not be particularly warm, but he's on better terms than ever with [British] Prime Minister [Gordon] Brown. This is a step towards a Madrid, London, Paris and Berlin axis which Sarkozy believes holds greater potential than a Franco-German axis. ... But there are strict limits to Europe's power: As of January 1 Sarkozy will no longer be 'our' president. ... And we must wait and see whether support for his ideas for a protectionist Europe remains high in other European capitals. For the time being, in his own country Sarkozy's European presidency has made more of a statesman of him."
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A leader of European stature
With an eye to France's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the newspaper takes a closer look at the ambitious character of French President Nicolas Sarkozy: "Sarkozy wants to be a leader of European stature. To this end the EU Council Presidency must be the crowning touch. But people in Europe have been awaiting the arrival of such an ambitious president with some trepidation for months now. ... To calm the critics, France is casting itself as the classic president, promising to be modest, to do its best to listen and to be neutral and balanced in its approach. A classic list of priorities was established. ... But since then Sarkozy has proven himself a lone wolf. He is considered an outsider, a maverick who wants to have the final say on everything. ... And all this has damaged his position."
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