Sarkozy in Versailles

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be the first head of state in the history of the French Republic to speak before both houses of parliament in Versailles Palace. The daily L'Est Républicain comments: "Since 1875 no president has addressed the parliamentarians in person. What [Charles] De Gaulle dreamed of Sarkozy is actually doing. Sarkozy the First will speak in all his majesty. No stranger to audiovisual sparring matches, this child of the television chose to lay on the Republican decorum with the Garde Républicaine and rolls of the drum. ... There's no point questioning the strategic importance of this appearance - it's major. Nicolas Sarkozy is losing no time. He is capitalising on his victory in the European elections and surfing on a 'second state of grace'. With this symbolic intervention he is once more dominating politics in France and paralysing the opposition."

» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France
All available articles from » Rémi Godeau

» To the complete press review of Monday, June 22, 2009