The Foreign Service Journal, November 2007

N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 65 In Praise of Balance Testimony: France in the Twenty-First Century Nicolas Sarkozy, edited and translated from the French by Philip H. Gordon; Pantheon Books, 2007, $24.95, hardcover, 251 pages. R EVIEWED BY D EBORAH C AVIN In July 2006, just as Parisians packed up beach reading for the long summer vacation, the French politi- cian Nicolas Sarkozy released a book titled Témoignage that was part mem- oir and part political vision. Shortly before his election to the presidency in May 2007, Sarkozy released an English-language version: Testimony: France in the Twenty-First Century. This version includes a new preface for American readers and incorporates two chapters from Sarkozy’s 2001 book Libre (Free) . A new edition of Testi- mony is being released this fall. Like its author, Testimony is direct, unabashed and often persuasive, with a heavy focus on French domestic challenges. With early chapters cov- ering topics such as politics, schools, work and social issues, it’s tempting to skip straight to the penultimate sec- tion, “Rethinking Foreign Policy.” Unfortunately, that chapter, reflecting the original work’s purpose as an appeal to voters focused on domestic issues, reads like an annotated check- list compared to the detailed sections on economic and social issues. Still, it offers some insight into the new president’s thinking. France must strongly defend human rights as a universal value, he writes, and he alludes to the failings of China and Russia — but without suggesting any foreign policy implications. He urges action on Darfur, but discusses Africa mainly in terms of his thesis that de- velopment aid, not unchecked immi- gration, is the solution to that conti- nent’s problems, and to Europe’s problems with Africa. In three pages on the broader Middle East, the author offers scant evidence of rethinking traditional French policy (perhaps because the section was called “Rethinking Our Foreign Policy Message” in the origi- nal French). Balance is the order of the day. Recalling the violence in Lebanon in 2006, Sarkozy defends President Jacques Chirac’s decision to send troops, criticizes Hezbollah, and presents a nuanced understanding of Israel’s legitimate defense needs — and “disproportionate” actions. He also carefully describes the Palestin- ians’ right to a state as non-negotiable. Sarkozy defends Chirac’s decision not to join in the invasion of Iraq, although he slams his predecessor’s threat to veto a U.N. resolution autho- rizing U.S. intervention. Turning to Iran, he insists that the “outlaw regime” must be prevented from developing nuclear weapons and stoking a regional arms race. Ideally, it should be blocked through diploma- cy, but with all options on the table to strengthen chances for success. Sar- kozy’s one novel idea is a corollary to that position: he proposes the creation of a “World Bank for civilian nuclear fuel,” under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Sarkozy urges the French to em- brace globalization and change, argu- ing that growth is required to address unemployment. He opines that France has adopted the worst ele- ments of two neighboring economic systems: the “inequality and poverty of the Anglo-Saxon model” and the high taxes of the Nordic system— but with none of the benefits of either model. The new president has given con- siderable thought to the French- American relationship. He takes on the leftist critics who dubbed him “Sarkozy, the American” by arguing cogently for strong relations with the United States, while defending his European sensibilities. Alluding to his status as the son of an immigrant, he praises the U.S. for its social mobil- ity and diversity among elites, for valuing work, and for political checks and balances. But he prefers France’s public health-care system, its strict handgun-control laws, and its tradi- tion of giving immigrants a “new iden- tity as French citizens.” Foreshadowing his efforts as presi- dent to reach out to Washington — while challenging the U.S. to lead — he diplomatically assigns some blame to both countries for poor relations. He tells his countrymen that they should refrain from systematically opposing or criticizing the U.S., a good friend and ally, but he notes that Americans have an irritating habit of always thinking they are on the side of good, “and thus everyone else is on the side of evil.” Despite occasional lapses into utopian political rhetoric, notably in the concluding section, Testimony B OOKS