Pave: Sarkomania

Le jour 18 de Sarko

Following a presidential election the electorate gives the winner a little political honeymoon. In 2002, the French electorate even felt good about electing Jack for a while, so it is hardly surprising that there is a little love fest for Sarko in 2007.

The press obliges with reports about the newly elected's strengths, boldness, vision, and energy. Six months later these will be reported as weaknesses, timidity -- or temerity, dogma, and so much busyness. But during the honeymoon everything is sunshine.

FRENCH CONSUMER CONFIDENCE
SOARS AFTER SARKOZY ELECTION

PARIS May 31, 2007 (AFP) - French consumer confidence soared to a five-year high in May on optimism about jobs and incomes, official figures showed Thursday, a surge analysts attributed to the election of reformist President Nicolas Sarkozy.

"There's clearly been an a 'Sarkozy effect' on household confidence," said Alexander Law of the research group Xerfi, after the statistics institute INSEE reported that its household confidence index rose six points from April to minus 14, its best reading since 2002.

Nearly all components of the index registered gains, in particular those measuring expectations for an improvement in the quality of life, personal income growth and employment prospects.

The electorate here seems to be trying to keep even with Sarko's hustle. And although reports indicate Sarko is tireless, not so the French public, which is clinically bipolar. The countdown to the swing to sulkiness began shortly after Sarko's investiture on May 16.

SARKOZY USHERS IN ROSIER VISION OF FRANCE

PARIS June 1, 2007 (MSNBC/FT) - Just two weeks after taking over as France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy is surfing an extraordinary wave of popularity and economic fortune that gives him every chance of sweeping this month's parliamentary elections and implementing his reform programme.

An opinion poll in Les Echos newspaper on Friday showed that 62 per cent of respondents approved of his government's economic proposals. A clear majority favoured a rapid implementation of Mr Sarkozy's promises, including making mortgage interest payments tax deductible, forcing employees to provide minimum levels of public services during strikes, and capping an individual's tax payments at 50 per cent of income.

... Françoise Fressoz, a political commentator for Les Echos newspaper, wrote that as if by magic the habitually gloomy country had assumed a far more rosy outlook following Mr Sarkozy's election on May 6. "At all levels of society confidence is back. All that because a new man has entered the Elysée palace and promised his people that everything is possible. The miracle of Sarkomania!"

The non-French aren't quite so gushy.

... Morgan Stanley forecasts the French economy will expand by 1.9 per cent this year and 2.2 per cent in in 2008. But France is still likely to underperform within the eurozone.

Not to worry.

PRIME MINISTER SETS 3.0-PERCENT GROWTH TARGET

PARIS, May 23, 2007 (AFP) - French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Wednesday his government aimed to boost French growth to 3.0 percent using tax reforms to "shock" the economy into a faster track.

The trick, of course, is to make good on the rosy forecast. In the meantime enjoy this happy France while she is happy -- a France not staring into the well of her navel and complaining.

PFFT (What is this?): Crazy for Sarko 3½ | Rayonnement français 0