'A Sarkozy Loss Would Be Severe Setback for Berlin'

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,812477,00.html

Nicolas Sarkozy has never been one to sit still for long. Leaders the world over have frequently wrinkled their brows in disapproval at the French president's peripatetic interventions into myriad issues, large and small. No matter what the situation, Sarko, it would seem, has little time for extended cogitation.

As such, Sarkozy's Sunday evening speech, which filled the French airwaves for 71 minutes and was chock full of ideas for finally jerking France out of its economic stasis, was anything but out of character. Broadcast on fully eight television stations, Sarkozy announced a cornucopia of recipes meant to strengthen economic growth, lower unemployment and improve his country's competitiveness in the global marketplace.

The reason for Sarkozy's sudden burst of policy creativity is clear. He is up for re-election in just three months -- and isfacing stiff competition from the Socialist candidate Francois Hollande. Indeed, a recent opinion poll found that, were elections held this week, Sarkozy would receive just 24 percent of the vote to 27.5 percent for Hollande. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is a mere seven percentage points behind Sarkozy in the polls.

It is a dire situation from Sarkozy's perspective. Indeed, he recently told reporters that, if he lost the election, he would disappear from politics entirely. "For the first time in my life, I am in a situation where I am confronted by the end of my career," he reportedly said. "It is a question facing me today."

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1. Bye Bye. Sarko!!