Kouchner takes Europe by surprise

Michaela Wiegel explains the media strategy behind Mr Kouchner's remarks on Iran: "Stepping out from under the shadow of the omnipresent French president Nicolas Sarkozy has become a matter of political survival for most French ministers. For Bernard Kouchner, a master of media manipulation, this is particularly true. This is why he's not afraid to use strong words... He has never been bothered by the fact that he couldn't bring his activities in line with those of a particular party or government. He called for European intervention in the Balkans despite Mitterrand's opposition. He provoked anger from all sides when at the end of the first Gulf War he criticised the Western allies' support for the dictator Saddam Hussein... Kouchner's undiplomatic, unfettered approach was what led Sarkozy to appoint him as France's top diplomat."

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