TRADITIONALLY speaking, French highbrows and even politicians have always been wary of the linguistic inventions that instantly gain popularity — and power — in the United States. In the era of Jean-Paul Sartre and Gen Charles de Gaulle one could never think of using words like ‘political correction’ or ‘homophobia’ to put an end to an intellectual discussion in a single stroke.
But times are changing and today not only American verbal coinages but also political campaigns, considered graceless and vulgar in Europe some 10 years ago, take a few seconds to cross the Atlantic, thanks to thousands of TV channels, not to speak of the so-called social networks.
Donald Trump’s threat to put Hillary Clinton in prison and her own accusations, widely backed by a majority of American daily newspapers and magazines, of her adversary’s sexual adventures and tax evasions haven’t, for all apparent signs, left the media indifferent in France.
The fact was evident in last Sunday’s first round vote at the rightist Republican party’s polling stations to name the candidate in next year’s presidential election. It was generally agreed that of the seven hopefuls, former president Nicolas Sarkozy, popularly known as Sarko, would have little difficulty in leaving Alan Juppé and François Fillion far behind, both of them having served him in turns as prime ministers.
Only two days before the voting could take place, a strange confession on a TV channel popped its ugly head the American way when Ziad Takieddine, a Lebanese businessman, claimed he had handed over three briefcases full of five million euro banknotes to Sarkozy.
He insisted that the cash was given to him personally by the then Libyan dictator Muammar al Qadhafi on three different occasions between November 2006 and January 2007 with the precise instruction of delivering it to the French president.
Takieddine further claimed that he had made all the three trips between Tripoli and Paris on direct flights of Africa Airlines, and that airport officials at both ends had orders to leave his luggage unchecked.
According to Takieddine, the money was meant to finance Nikolas Sarkozy’s campaign for re-election as president of France in 2012 following which Qadhafi was promised exclusive business deals and political asylum in case of a revolution in Libya. Sarkozi finally lost the election to the Socialist candidate François Hollande, the current president of France.
Why should the scandal break out just before the first round of the Republican party poll which Sarkozy was most certain to win? His allies say the manoeuvre was undoubtedly an inspiration from the recent American presidential campaign in which no holds were barred on the either side. But they are also certain that the shadow is most likely to pass for two reasons: first of all, the Lebanese businessman has presented no proofs or witnesses to back his accusations, and secondly because after Sarkozi’s definitive fall there remains no reason for his enemies to continue prolonging their aggressiveness.
Last Sunday’s result was a shock not only to the former president’s supporters but to his adversaries as well. François Fillion who was not expected to bag more than some 18 per cent of the votes came out with a staggering score of 45pc, leaving his rivals far behind, with 29pc for Juppé and a miserable 21pc for Sarkozy.
During the week, while the younger François Fillion managed to keep his dignity during his public and TV appearances, the much older Alan Juppé is going the American way, calling his rival a reactionary and challenging him on issues like abortion and nurses’ jobs in hospitals. The second and final round of the Republican voting is scheduled for Sunday (today).
As far as Sarko is concerned, he has announced his retirement from politics “in order to do other things”.
—The writer is a journalist based in Paris.
Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2016
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