Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sárközy de Nagy-Bócsa (born January 28, 1955, in Paris, 17th arrondissement), simply known as Nicolas Sarkozy (French pronunciation ▶(?)), is a notable French politician. He is often praised for his charisma, strong leadership qualities, and his many innovative initiatives, but criticised by others for being populist, careerist, and "repression-happy" for his law-and-order policies; in addition, his departures from traditional French values in favour of American-style economic reforms have been opposed by those who dislike laissez-faire economics. As of November 2004, he is president of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP), a conservative political party, and he is French Minister of the Interior in the government of Dominique de Villepin, with the high honorific title of Minister of State. It is in this role that he has been particularly prominent during the recent riots in France.
|