Sarkozy's selfish identity debate

What does it mean to be French? In the coming months France will be dealing with this identity debate. France's president Nicolas Sarkozy is thus reigniting a debate he launched back in 2007, shortly after he took office. The daily Süddeutsche Zeitung analyses Sarkozy's initiative: "In other countries, too, since the fall of the Berlin Wall citizens are focusing on their own nations, particularly in Central Europe. For the European Union, however, this identity debate is a painful experience, for instance in the case of failed referendums. … Naturally Sarkozy is also pursuing egoistic goals with this debate. In a few months regional elections will take place. In this context the nationality question is a convenient distraction from scandals, public debt and other malaises. Moreover Sarkozy's centre-right hopes to lure voters away from the extreme right by using national themes. But the president runs the risk of constructing a sharp contrast between nation and immigration and thus pitting the French against the immigrants."

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