In France, the third volume of Nicolas Sarkozy’s memoirs entitled “Time of Battles” (Le Temps des Combats) was released, covering the period 2009-2011 – the time preceding the “Arab Spring” and which was the preparation of Russia for the annexation of Crimea.
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The book was reviewed by the French edition of Le Monde.
The publication notes that the memories of almost fifteen years ago are imbued with reflections on the present moment and recalls that even before the publication of the book, on August 16, Sarkozy gave an interview to Le Figaro, which has already caused controversy.
Sarkozy is distancing himself from current President Emmanuel Macron, whom he backed in the 2022 presidential election on several issues. The first is Ukraine.
Now the former president criticizes the current one for “the continuous flow of weapons of one of the warring parties” and condemns the “advantageous positions” of those who call for supporting Ukraine “to the end.”
He asks a rhetorical question:
Is it reasonable to wage a war without waging it, and to participate in a conflict without bothering to clarify the goals and objectives that we want to achieve?
Sarkozy believes that it is impossible to return the old borders, no matter if we are talking about Crimea or Donbass. In both cases, he proposes holding referendums under the supervision of the international community.
The ex-president believes that Ukraine, “a bridge between Europe and Russia”, should not join either NATO or the European Union, but remain “neutral”. He calls for a resumption of dialogue with Putin, whom he has always perceived as a “rational” interlocutor.
It is the duty of the French president to keep the way open for dialogue with Russia, Sarkozy says.
The second country on which Sarkozy criticizes Macron’s position is Algeria. Sarkozy does not believe in the possibility of improving relations with Algeria, which Macron is striving for. He warns him not to seek “artificial friendship” with Algerian leaders constantly using France “as a scapegoat to cover up their own flaws and illegitimacy”.
This can lead to “losing everything”:
We will not win the trust of Algeria, but we will lose the trust of Morocco,” said the former president, who also regrets the decline of France’s influence in Africa.
The publication notes that, regretting the “impression of helplessness created by the current government”, the author delivers several blows to the alleged “new world”, “deception, a trap for the naive”, “which has become too predictable and boring”, far from politics (“professions, which does not tolerate improvisation”, which he loved).
Macron thinks he can control time… I believe that time does not belong to us and that the speed of execution is the best, if not the only room for the President of the Republic to maneuver. This is where I differ from the current president,” Sarkozy says.
In his book, Sarkozy talks about relations with foreign leaders. He describes funny and unusual episodes. For example, a terrible lunch with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with whom he has no contact.
Or his constant annoyance about Angela Merkel, whom he accuses of “cowardice” and fear of taking risks.
She agreed to follow me, but how much energy and time wasted,” sighs Sarkozy, describing the friendship and the Franco-German cooperation axis as “a crusade as necessary as it is exhausting.”
Sarkozy recalls refusing to have a drink with Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Davila (Calvados department) in 2011 in order to visit his wife Carly Bruni, who was pregnant with their daughter Giulia, in their room at the Royal Hotel.
Sarkozy makes no secret of his disappointment with the appearance of Barack Obama on the international scene a year after taking office as President of France. He characterizes Obama as “a cold, withdrawn person with rather little interest in others.”
Criticism of Sarkozy
The ex-president of France was severely criticized for statements that Ukraine should give Crimea to the Russian Federation.
Sarkozy, as part of an advertising campaign dedicated to the release of his memoirs Battle Time, gave an interview in which he defended his “old friend” Vladimir Putin and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In particular, Sarkozy said that in order to end the war, Kyiv must give Moscow part of the occupied territories, including Crimea. The politician also said that Russia’s attack was a consequence of the fact that the West, helping Ukraine, “surrounded Russia with unfriendly countries.” According to Sarkozy, Ukraine must remain “neutral” in order to “calm down” the Russian Federation.
The words of the former president caused a flurry of criticism in France. Sarkozy’s former intelligence adviser, Jerome Poirot, called his comments shameful and added that the politician was “engaged in rewriting history.”
Historian and professor of Russian and Soviet studies Cecile Vaissier noted that Sarkozy’s support for Russia is consistent with the French view of the “special relationship” between Moscow and Paris that emerged in the late 1960s during the reign of Charles de Gaulle. These views are still shared by many on the French political spectrum. But they lost their relevance after the start of a full-scale invasion, Vaissier emphasizes.
It is not Monsieur Sarkozy whether it is up to you or me to decide what Ukraine should become,” the historian sums up.
Former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves generally commented on Sarkozy’s views without choosing a word.
After his own 2008 “peace plan” towards Georgia, which he himself thwarted a month later to renew the EU-Russia cooperation agreement, he became France’s most deceitful post-war foreign policy president. Russian traitor. Why take this clown seriously? Ilves wrote on Twitter.
Crime for the ex-president
Sarkozy will face trial on charges of conspiring with Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The Times wrote, citing investigators, that after Sarkozy came to power in 2007, he played an important role in helping Gaddafi regain his position in the international community. Prior to this, the Libyan dictator was long considered a pariah due to his involvement in terrorism, in particular, the Lockerbie bombing.
The investigation revealed that Gaddafi provided Sarkozy with at least five million euros in cash to finance his 2007 election campaign in exchange for the aforementioned services in the international arena.
The agreement was carried out due to complex transactions that hid a corruption scheme.
If a trial to be held in early 2025 finds the French ex-president guilty, he faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, in addition to the three years he received in another corruption and trading in influence case.
In 2014, in an interview with France 3 TV, Muammar Gaddafi bluntly stated that he financed Sarkozy’s election campaign and Tripoli’s role in his victory “was decisive.” The Libyan dictator did not provide other details.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.