07/04/2013 00:00
TW
0

by RAY FLEMING
NICOLAS Sarkozy shares the same degree of disapproval from his electorate as Gordon Brown. But that is just about where any similarity between the two leaders of the entente cordiale ends. The Frenchman is impulsive, erratic and charismatic. The Briton is cautious, thoughtful and dour. Fate brought them together this past week at the G20 summit in London; the consensus of expert observers was that Mr Brown had the better of the encounter.

Mr Sarkozy's threat to quit the summit if his priorities were not met was grandstanding of the worst kind. In France he was ridiculed in the media for comparing his proposed action to Charles de Gaulle's “empty chair” tactic during European Common Market negotiations. His demeanour at the Conference, especially during the group photo sessions, was strange and his behaviour throughout seemed petulant. And yet, in the end, he praised Gordon Brown's chairmanship and said the outcome was better than he had expected. Let's remember also President Sarkozy's energetic and generally successful six months as EU president last year during which he persuaded President Bush to hold the Washington meeting that was the forerunner of this week's G20 gathering. And, as NATO currently celebrates its 60th anniversary, let's remember to give President Sarkozy credit for bringing France back into NATO after its long absence following de Gaulle's decision to opt-out - a timely and bold decision which cannot have been easy to take.