Sarkozy’s Russian fling – POLITICO
▻http://www.politico.eu/article/sarkozy-russia-fling-putin-nato-united-states
Once upon a time, Nicolas Sarkozy was such a fervent admirer of the United States that an American diplomat described him in 2009 as “the most pro-American French president since World War II,” according to a Wikileaks embassy cable.
That version of Sarkozy seems to be lost, replaced by one whose gaze points east. On Thursday, the conservative leader of the “Républicains” party is heading with a small delegation to Moscow, where he will sit down for a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A party official traveling with Sarkozy to Moscow described the trip as little more than a courtesy visit to Putin, whom Sarkozy has taken to calling a “friend” since he left office three years ago.
“This is about a leader of the opposition who is going to meet a head of state with whom he worked very closely while he was president,” said Thierry Mariani, a Russophile MEP in Sarkozy’s party, as he was about to board a plane to Moscow. “[Putin] is one of the personal contacts that Sarkozy has kept since he left office.”
Il ne viendrait évidemment à l’idée de personne que le probable candidat futur à l’élection présidentielle viendrait demander un petit soutien à cet autre grand ami de la démocratie.
