I wonder if any of the commenters here have ever read, not Yasmina Reza's book, but *something* at all on Sarkozy, besides a few lines in a daily and beyond being leftwing. Reza's book is very well written, spicy, clever, and in my opinion Sarkozy does not come out bad at all. Despite CB's choice of title for this column, Sarkozy is shown as authentic, honest and true to himself. Everybody uses crude language today, this is irrelevant. The "boyish" references were not related to his height, but to certain gestures, moves and looks resembling to a teen boy, very peculiar to find it in a 50 year-old politician. As to other adjectives, maybe CB should take a second, more distanced, look at the book. The overall feeling after reading it, may not lay in this or that little phrase, but in the atmosphere and sentiment. It is a French book, after all.

Valentin , Paris, France

You are far too genteel in your translations - actually, "une pauvre conne" means "a stupid ****". Sarkozy is Bush with brains, a wannabe Napoleon with, socially, a whopping inferiority complex disguised as a superiority complex. He is more French than the French inasmuch as he is the son of Hungarian immigrants, and he poses as a thoroughbred Gaul - "plus royaliste que le roi" as they say in France. He has marked fascist tendencies to boot, which does not bode well for France...

Vierotchka, Geneva, Switzerland

Thank you for us mister Sarkozy : it's France always the " human's rights country"" : France keeps flouting the fundamental rights of Brittany"
The Breton language is part and parcel of the World Heritage and the only continental language of Celtic origin still used by over 1.5 million people in the early 2Oth century.
Nowadays, 250.000 speakers still use Breton despite no official recognition of the breton language by the French authorities and a veto to teaching Breton all over Brittany.

Moreover, during the 1940’s, under the aegis of the government led by Maréchal Pétain, Brittany was deprived by law from Nantes city and the Loire-Atlantique départment. Since then, the French authorities have always refused to reconsider this "amputation" and "decentralisation laws" have validated these Regional administrative limits, transferring both Nantes city and the Loire-Atlantique départment to a new region called "les Pays de Loire".

iffig cochevelou, an treoù kerne, brittany

To Victor : you said all that is to be said about that chap.

Ronnie, PARIS, FRANCE

Sarkozy is a mean litle politico unable to manage France's problems in the long run. But the main question remains: Who, under the present circumstances, would be a convincing President president of the Republic ? Hollande ? Bayrou ? Who else......?

J.C. Simonin, Biel, Switzerland

Sorry Victor, apart from any political stance, what you say is incorrect. In case you haven't noticed, the weather is terrible, the quantity and quality of fruit is appalling, it's no wonder the price of fruit is going up. The supermarkets' margin is no different from last year and there is absolutely no link to be made with Sarkozy being in power. It would have been exactly the same with Sego, don't you worry. And please give us some examples of what you describe of the public services costing triple for half the services as three months ago.
France, whatever problems it has to face, still is a great country to live in, unlike so many other countries I won't name.

Benoît Maître, Paris,

Hello all: Yeah i agree with this article, and he is cruel and greedy but the neoliberal policies that he will implement in France, along with structural reforms, privatization of the great French state, will put a big weight on the shoulder of most french people.

Juan Carlos Cruz, Santo Domingo,

He's going to take over Europe?

I hope that's metaphorical.

Too bad the Protocols are a forgery. Otherwise I'd be worried, because they keep coming true...

Phantom Menace, Liberty, England

"The independent spirit of the outsider who owes nothing to anyone". After a 32 years carrer as a politician in the same party (Chirac's), if such a man is an outsider, how should we define an insider ?

Ronnie, PARIS, FRANCE

david cameron is swayed by whatever the current emotion of the masses is - like drift wood on a wave. he cannot be compared to sarkozy who has substance at his core - fixed in his convictions disconnected from it being liked or not liked.

chris , dubai, uae

Mr. Sarkozy is well liked only by people above 40. The others detest him for his rudeness during the Paris riots.

It takes very selfish men and women to become head of states and Nic Sarkozy is just another sad example. Substance adds to this as well but I hope in 6 years someone else will step up the ladder.

I'm under 40.

Helene Feurtet, Munich, Germany

As Bill Rees says, "You don't have to be Mr Nicey to win". However, you do need to have some political nous. Mr Sarkozy, possibly, thinks that he will be Maggie Thatcher of France, which is no compliment to Mrs Thatcher. If so, Mr Sarkozy doesn't understand his own countrymen. The English are great in a war against another country but the French are greater in a war against their own government. I sense a "bloody nose" coming for Mr Sarkozy.

It is interesting to note that Mr Cameron, probably, does not have the ego to achieve what Mr Sarkozy did and, also, that he has too much intelligence to follow Mr Sarkozy down the road to self-destruction. Either way, it's probably destruction for Mr Cameron. The Conservative party seem to be quite like the French people, they are very unforgiving and require instant gratification. I say this, while, loving the French and disliking the Tories.

Marc, St. Barthelemy, France

I am a naturalized French citizen of American origin who has lived and worked in France since 1981. Sarkozy is as independent as a flea on a dog. And the dog is social status and great wealth. He only has a fortune of 2 million Euros himself (supposedly), so he spends the majority of his time cultivating friendships and giving kickback and government contracts to Billionaires. He knows nothing about anything, and reacts to crisis by saying he will set up a program to remedy the problem. But, no funding ever arrives for the program. Life here, in his first 100 days of office is significantly more expensive, less just, and businesses have increased margins to 400% in some cases, such as the margin for fruits and veg now charged by the Supermarkets. Public services are being privatized and now costs double and triple for half the services and offices available. Big demonstrations, riots, and wildcat strikes will make your fall vacation in France quite interesting. Good luck!

Victor Compton, Cherbourg, France

I am a naturalized French citizen of American origin who has lived and worked in France since 1981. Sarkozy is as independent as a flea on a dog. And the dog is social status and great wealth. He only has a fortune of 2 million Euros himself (supposedly), so he spends the majority of his time cultivating friendships and giving kickback and government contracts to Billionaires. He knows nothing about anything, and reacts to crisis by saying he will set up a program to remedy the problem. But, no funding ever arrives for the program. Life here, in his first 100 days of office is significantly more expensive, less just, and businesses have increased margins to 400% in some cases, such as the margin for fruits and veg now charged by the Supermarkets. Public services are being privatized and now costs double and triple for half the services and offices available. Big demonstrations, riots, and wildcat strikes will make your fall vacation in France quite interesting. Good luck!

victor compton, Cherbourg, France

Seems to me that Mr Sarkozy has one interest - himself - and one policy - promoting himself.

Kimberley, George, Geneva, Switzerland

To be blunt is not compulsory, however to lesson to others people opinions and to truly love the people that elected you might be a good move.

To favour one class of people(rich), to favour one class of energy(nuclear), to favour one type of thinking(dichotomic) might not be the best option.

It is easier to divide that to unite... but far less rewarding in the long term.
Personnal matter when concerned with country affairs is a unefficient mix...

charles, alencon, france

He is a breath of fresh air in morbid, vapid and insipid state of French politics.

G.Das, Herbley, France

You dont have to be "Mr Nicey" to win.Perhaps David Cameron should take a leaf out of Sarkozys book.What you need is policies and substance.

Bill Rees, Pieusse, France

This sounds like something that does not need to be read - more like the author displaying herself vainly and inexplicably.

Peter Bering, Haarlem, The Netherlands