“Romagate” red card: Sarkozy

The French Nouvel Observateur published a wide European press review with, in the main, highly critical reactions to president Nicolas Sarkozy’s anti-Roma policies and EU summit outbursts.



Aggressive, outspoken and selective in his use of facts, Mr. Sarkozy deployed attack as the best form of defense against charges that French deportations of Roma breached European law, said Stephen Castle in The New York Times. Castle sees negative fallout for the Commission, as well as for Sarkozy, who managed to upset German chancellor Angela Merkel.



According to Ben Hall and Peggy Hollinger, writing for the Financial Times, some analysts and commentators say Sarkozy is looking more and more like Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi: a scandal-hit leader of diminished stature and a divisive populist with authoritarian leanings.



On Regards citoyens we can read the call by SOS Racisme, La Libération and the Règle du Jeu to sign a petition against the government’s plan to make it possible to deprive naturalised citizens of their French citizenship.



A selection of Euroblog posts on Erkan’s Field Diary bears the headline: Sarkozy’s France: A Land of Intolerance – Roma policy, Burqa ban, Le Monde scandal. A later collection is headlined: Arrogant Sarkozy attacks Barroso.



The Gulf Stream Blues asks: Is Sarkozy losing it?



As Max Stienbeis writes on Verfassungsblog: Nationalism endures everything, except being laughable (in German): Der kleine Nick und die Lächerlichkeit.



René Wadlow writes on The New Federalist: Anti-Roma Measures Backfire.

In the French presidential system, Sarkozy is the main responsible for government policy. After the “Romagate” leak of the instructions on anti-Roma action, his ministers were caught misrepresenting the facts. His foul was called by the Commission.This made Sarkozy vent his anger at the referee.

Two red card performances (for the price of one).




Ralf Grahn