Sarkozy tries to retrieve support by cabinet reshuffle
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In only three months, French President Nicolas Sarkozy unveiled another government reshuffle by removing scandal-ridden Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux, eager to reverse sliding public support.
Sarkozy announced new cabinet reshuffle on Sunday night. Defense Minister Alain Juppe is assigned the foreign affairs portfolio, while his post was replaced by Gerard Longuet, leader of the ruling UMP party in the Senate. The president's chief staff Claude Gueant took the post of interior minister.
Alliot-Marie, 64, had served in previous governments as minster of defense, interior and justice and was regarded as a political star until the Tunisian uprising broke out.
Last Christmas, she spent holiday in Tunisia with her family and took two free flights from a Tunisian businessman, who is said to be close to the country's ousted president Ben Ali.
The scandal brought her under severe controversy, adding to the criticism on her blunders of aiding Tunisia to quell protests, especially when demonstrations against Ben Ali's government started to spread.
In a seven-minute televised speech on Sunday, Sarkozy admitted the French diplomacy had failed and needed to reorganize the spirit and leadership of his cabinet.
This is the seventh cabinet since Sarkozy took office in 2007, and the fourth time the cabinet was reshuffled within a year. Last November Alliot-Marie and Juppe were introduced to the government while Francois Fillon remained as prime minister. That team was supposed to give new stability and raise the president's popularity till the next presidential elections in 2012.
But the scandalous ties of Alliot-Marie with Ben Ali's regime has dragged down the president's popularity. Up till now Sarkozy's rating has reached a historically low of 30 percent.
With 2012 elections approaching, Sarkozy faces pressure not only from challengers of the left-wing socialist party but also International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who is widely speculated to announce his candidacy soon.
In addition, the country's far-right National Front is posing strong challenges to Sarkozy's right-wing UMP. National Front leader Marine Le Pen has garnered support of 20 percent of prospective voters.
In addition to domestic politics, the cabinet reshuffle was also necessitated by France's rotating presidency of the Group of 20 and Group of Eight. The next meeting of G8 foreign ministers is scheduled for mid March. It's high time to choose a proper figure to present France's foreign policies in a wiser way.
Premier Fillon on Monday told a local radio that letting Alliot-Marie go was a "political decision" rather than a "moral" one, supporting the Alliot-Marie's statement that she did nothing wrong to the state and her duty.
Declaring that this change has taken into account France's diplomacy and security, Sarkozy stressed his confidence in the new foreign minister and defense minister, saying they are very experienced in what they are delegated. However, it's still too early to tell whether sacrificing Alliot-Marie could make a difference.
Left-wing newspaper Liberation cast doubts on the reshuffle and found no difference in Sarkozy's basic policy in both diplomacy and domestic security.
Right-wing daily Le Figaro described Sarkozy as a top judo practitioner, who is struggling with a heavier opponent and tries to turn his difficulties to his own advantage.
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