Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine
What was the position of Nicolas Sarkozy between Dec 1983 and Aug 1986?
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa ( ; ; born 28 January 1955 ) is a French politician who served as President of France and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra from 16 May 2007 until 15 May 2012 . Born in Paris , he is of one half Hungarian , one quarter Greek Jewish , and one quarter French origin . Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine from 1983 to 2002 , he was Minister of the Budget under Prime Minister Édouard Balladur ( 1993–1995 ) during François Mitterrands second term . During Jacques Chiracs second presidential term he served as Minister of the Interior and as Minister of Finances . He was the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement ( UMP ) party from 2004 to 2007 . He won the 2007 French presidential election by a 53.1% to 46.9% margin against Socialist Ségolène Royal . During his term , he faced the financial crisis of 2007–2008 ( causing a recession , the European sovereign debt crisis ) , the Russo-Georgian War ( for which he negotiated a ceasefire ) and the Arab Spring ( especially in Tunisia , Libya , and Syria ) . He initiated the reform of French universities ( 2007 ) and the pension reform ( 2010 ) . He married Italian-French singer-songwriter Carla Bruni in 2008 at the Élysée Palace in Paris . In the 2012 election , François Hollande , candidate of the Socialist Party , defeated Sarkozy by a 3.2% margin . After leaving the presidential office , Sarkozy vowed to retire from public life before coming back in 2014 , being subsequently reelected as UMP leader ( renamed The Republicans in 2015 ) . Being defeated at the Republican presidential primary in 2016 , he retired from public life . He was charged with corruption by French prosecutors in two cases , notably concerning the alleged Libyan interference in the 2007 French elections . In 2021 , Sarkozy and two co-defendants were convicted of corruption ; he has appealed the ruling . Personal life . Family background . Sarkozy was born in Paris , and is the son of Pál István Ernő Sárközy de Nagy-Bócsa ( ; —in some sources Nagy-Bócsay Sárközy Pál István Ernő ) , ( born 5 May 1928 ) , a Protestant Hungarian aristocrat , and Andrée Jeanne Dadu Mallah ( 12 October 1925 – 12 December 2017 ) , whose Greek Jewish father converted to Catholicism to marry Sarkozys French Catholic maternal grandmother . They were married in the Saint-François-de-Sales church , 17th arrondissement of Paris , on 8 February 1950 , and divorced in 1959 . Early life . During Sarkozys childhood , his father founded his own advertising agency and became wealthy . The family lived in a mansion owned by Sarkozys maternal grandfather , Benedict Mallah , in the 17th arrondissement of Paris . The family later moved to Neuilly-sur-Seine , one of the wealthiest communes of the Île-de-France région immediately west of Paris . According to Sarkozy , his staunchly Gaullist grandfather was more of an influence on him than his father , whom he rarely saw . Sarkozy was raised Catholic . Sarkozy said that being abandoned by his father shaped much of who he is today . He also has said that , in his early years , he felt inferior in relation to his wealthier and taller classmates . What made me who I am now is the sum of all the humiliations suffered during childhood , he said later . Education . Sarkozy was enrolled in the Lycée Chaptal , a well regarded public middle and high school in Paris 8th arrondissement , where he failed his sixième . His family then sent him to the Cours Saint-Louis de Monceau , a private Catholic school in the 17th arrondissement , where he was reportedly a mediocre student , but where he nonetheless obtained his baccalauréat in 1973 . Sarkozy enrolled at the , where he graduated with an M.A . in private law and , later , with a D.E.A . degree in business law . Paris X Nanterre had been the starting place for the May 68 student movement and was still a stronghold of leftist students . Described as a quiet student , Sarkozy soon joined the right-wing student organization , in which he was very active . He completed his military service as a part-time Air Force cleaner . After graduating from university , Sarkozy entered Sciences Po , where he studied between 1979 and 1981 , but failed to graduate due to an insufficient command of the English language . After passing the bar , Sarkozy became a lawyer specializing in business and family law and was one of Silvio Berlusconis French lawyers . Marriages . Marie-Dominique Culioli . Sarkozy married his first wife , Marie-Dominique Culioli , on 23 September 1982 ; her father was a pharmacist from Vico ( a village north of Ajaccio , Corsica ) , her uncle was Achille Peretti , the mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine from 1947 to 1983 and Sarkozys political mentor . They had two sons , Pierre ( born in 1985 ) , now a hip-hop producer , and Jean ( born in 1986 ) now a local politician in the city of Neuilly-sur-Seine where Sarkozy started his own political career . Sarkozys best man was the prominent right-wing politician Charles Pasqua , later to become a political opponent . Sarkozy divorced Culioli in 1996 , after they had been separated for several years . Cécilia Ciganer-Albéniz . As mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine , Sarkozy met former fashion model and public relations executive Cécilia Ciganer-Albéniz ( great-granddaughter of composer Isaac Albéniz and daughter of a Moldovan father ) , when he officiated at her wedding to television host Jacques Martin . In 1988 , she left her husband for Sarkozy , and divorced one year later . She and Sarkozy married in October 1996 , with witnesses Martin Bouygues and Bernard Arnault . They have one son , Louis , born 23 April 1997 . Between 2002 and 2005 , the couple often appeared together on public occasions , with Cécilia Sarkozy acting as the chief aide for her husband . On 25 May 2005 , however , the Swiss newspaper Le Matin revealed that she had left Sarkozy for French-Moroccan national Richard Attias , head of Publicis in New York . There were other accusations of a private nature in Le Matin , which led to Sarkozy suing the paper . In the meantime , he was said to have had an affair with a journalist of Le Figaro , Anne Fulda . Sarkozy and Cécilia ultimately divorced on 15 October 2007 , soon after his election as president . Carla Bruni . Less than a month after separating from Cécilia , Sarkozy met Italian-born singer , songwriter and former fashion model Carla Bruni at a dinner party , and soon entered into a relationship with her . They married on 2 February 2008 at the Élysée Palace in Paris . The couple have a daughter , Giulia , born on 19 October 2011 . It was the first time a French president has publicly had a child while in office . Personal wealth . Sarkozy declared to the Constitutional Council a net worth of €2 million , most of the assets being in the form of life insurance policies . As the French President , one of his first actions was to give himself a pay raise : his yearly salary went from €101,000 to €240,000 , matching other European officeholders . He is also entitled to a mayoral , parliamentarian and presidential pension as a former Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine , member of the National Assembly and President of France . Early political career . Sarkozy is recognized by French parties on both the Right and Left as a skilled politician and striking orator . His supporters within France emphasize his charisma , political innovation and willingness to make a dramatic break amid mounting disaffection against politics as usual . Overall , he is considered more pro-American and pro-Israeli than most French politicians . From 2004 to 2007 , Sarkozy was president of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire ( UMP ) , Frances major right-wing political party , and he was Minister of the Interior in the government of Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin , with the honorific title of Minister of State , making him effectively the number three official in the French State after President Jacques Chirac and Villepin . His ministerial responsibilities included law enforcement and working to co-ordinate relationships between the national and local governments , as well as Minister of Worship : in this role he created the French Council of the Muslim Faith ( CFCM ) . Previously , he was a député in the French National Assembly . He was forced to resign this position in order to accept his ministerial appointment . He previously also held several ministerial posts , including Finance Minister . In Government : 1993–1995 . Sarkozys political career began when he was 23 , when he became a city councillor in Neuilly-sur-Seine . A member of the Neo-Gaullist party RPR , he went on to be elected mayor of that town , after the death of the incumbent mayor Achille Peretti . Sarkozy had been close to Peretti , as his mother was Perettis secretary . A more senior RPR councillor , Charles Pasqua , wanted to become mayor , and asked Sarkozy to organize his campaign . Instead Sarkozy took that opportunity to propel himself into the office of mayor . He was the youngest mayor of any town in France with a population of over 50,000 . He served from 1983 to 2002 . In 1988 , he became a deputy in the National Assembly . In 1993 , Sarkozy was in the national news for personally negotiating with the Human Bomb , a man who had taken small children hostage in a kindergarten in Neuilly . The Human Bomb was killed after two days of talks by policemen of the RAID , who entered the school stealthily while the attacker was resting . At the same time , from 1993 to 1995 , he was Minister for the Budget and spokesman for the executive in the cabinet of Prime Minister Édouard Balladur . Throughout most of his early career , Sarkozy had been seen as a protégé of Jacques Chirac . During his tenure , he increased Frances public debt more than any other French Budget Minister , by the equivalent of €200 billion ( US$260 billion ) ( FY 1994–1996 ) . The first two budgets he submitted to the parliament ( budgets for FY1994 and FY1995 ) assumed a yearly budget deficit equivalent to six percent of GDP . According to the Maastricht Treaty , the French yearly budget deficit may not exceed three percent of Frances GDP . In 1995 , he spurned Chirac and backed Édouard Balladur for President of France . After Chirac won the election , Sarkozy lost his position as Minister for the Budget , and found himself outside the circles of power . However , he returned after the right-wing defeat at the 1997 parliamentary election , as the number two candidate of the RPR . When the party leader Philippe Séguin resigned , in 1999 , he took the leadership of the Neo-Gaullist party . But it obtained its worst result at the 1999 European Parliament election , winning 12.7% of the votes , less than the dissident Rally for France of Charles Pasqua . Sarkozy lost the RPR leadership . In 2002 , however , after his re-election as President of the French Republic ( see 2002 French presidential election ) , Chirac appointed Sarkozy as Minister of the Interior in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin , despite Sarkozys support of Edouard Balladur for President in 1995 . Following Chiracs 14 July keynote speech on road safety , Sarkozy as Minister of the Interior pushed through new legislation leading to the mass purchase of speed cameras and a campaign to increase the awareness of dangers on the roads . In the cabinet reshuffle of 30 April 2004 , Sarkozy became Finance Minister . Tensions continued to build between Sarkozy and Chirac and within the UMP party , as Sarkozys intentions of becoming head of the party after the resignation of Alain Juppé became clear . In party elections of 10 November 2004 , Sarkozy became leader of the UMP with 85% of the vote . In accordance with an agreement with Chirac , he resigned as Finance Minister . Sarkozys ascent was marked by the division of UMP between sarkozystes , such as Sarkozys first lieutenant , Brice Hortefeux , and Chirac loyalists , such as Jean-Louis Debré . Sarkozy was made Chevalier de la Légion dhonneur ( Knight of the Legion of Honour ) by President Chirac in February 2005 . He was re-elected on 13 March 2005 to the National Assembly . ( As required by the constitution , he had to resign as a deputy when he became minister in 2002. ) On 31 May 2005 the main French news radio station France Info reported a rumour that Sarkozy was to be reappointed Minister of the Interior in the government of Dominique de Villepin without resigning from the UMP leadership . This was confirmed on 2 June 2005 , when the members of the government were officially announced . First term as Minister of the Interior : 2002–2004 . Towards the end of his first term as Minister of the Interior , in 2004 , Sarkozy was the most divisive conservative politician in France , according to polls conducted at the beginning of 2004 . Sarkozy has sought to ease the sometimes tense relationships between the general French population and the Muslim community . Unlike the Catholic Church in France with their official leaders or Protestants with their umbrella organisations , the French Muslim community had a lack of structure with no group that could legitimately deal with the French government on their behalf . Sarkozy supported the foundation in May 2003 of the private non-profit Conseil français du culte musulman ( French Council of the Muslim Faith ) , an organisation meant to be representative of French Muslims . In addition , Sarkozy has suggested amending the 1905 law on the separation of Church and State , mostly in order to be able to finance mosques and other Muslim institutions with public funds so that they are less reliant on money from outside France . It was not followed by any concrete measure . Minister of Finance : 2004 . During his short appointment as Minister of Finance , Sarkozy was responsible for introducing a number of policies . The degree to which this reflected libéralisme ( a hands-off approach to running the economy ) or more traditional French state dirigisme ( intervention ) is controversial . He resigned the day following his election as president of the UMP . - In September 2004 , Sarkozy oversaw the reduction of the government ownership stake in France Télécom from 50.4 percent to 41 percent . - Sarkozy backed a partial nationalisation of the large engineering company Alstom decided by his predecessor when the company was exposed to bankruptcy in 2003 . - In June 2004 , Sarkozy reached an agreement with the major retail chains in France to concertedly lower prices on household goods by an average of two percent ; the success of this measure is disputed , with studies suggesting that the decrease was close to one percent in September . - Taxes : Sarkozy avoided taking a position on the ISF ( solidarity tax on wealth ) . This is considered an ideological symbol by many on the left and right . Some in the business world and on the liberal right , such as Alain Madelin , wanted it abolished . For Sarkozy , that would have risked being categorised by the left as a gift to the richest classes of society at a time of economic difficulties . Second term as Minister of the Interior : 2005–2007 . During his second term at the Ministry of the Interior , Sarkozy was initially more discreet about his ministerial activities : instead of focusing on his own topic of law and order , many of his declarations addressed wider issues , since he was expressing his opinions as head of the UMP party . However , the civil unrest in autumn 2005 put law enforcement in the spotlight again . Sarkozy was accused of having provoked the unrest by calling young delinquents from housing projects a rabble ( racaille ) in Argenteuil near Paris , and controversially suggested cleansing the minority suburbs with a Kärcher . After the accidental death of two youths , which sparked the riots , Sarkozy first blamed it on hoodlums and gangsters . These remarks were sharply criticised by many on the left wing and by a member of his own government , Delegate Minister for Equal Opportunities Azouz Begag . After the rioting , he made a number of announcements on future policy : selection of immigrants , greater tracking of immigrants , and a reform on the 1945 ordinance government justice measures for young delinquents . UMP leader : 2004–2007 . Before he was elected President of France , Sarkozy was president of UMP , the French conservative party , elected with 85 percent of the vote . During his presidency , the number of members increased significantly . In 2005 , he supported a yes vote in the French referendum on the European Constitution , but the No vote won . Throughout 2005 , Sarkozy called for radical changes in Frances economic and social policies . These calls culminated in an interview with Le Monde on 8 September 2005 , during which he claimed that the French had been misled for 30 years by false promises . Among other issues : - he called for a simplified and fairer taxation system , with fewer loopholes and a maximum taxation rate ( all direct taxes combined ) at 50 percent of revenue ; - he approved measures reducing or denying social support to unemployed workers who refuse work offered to them ; - he pressed for a reduction in the budget deficit , claiming that the French state had been living off credit for some time . Such policies are what are called in France libéral ( that is , in favour of laissez-faire economic policies ) or , with a pejorative undertone , ultra-libéral . Sarkozy rejects this label of libéral and prefers to call himself a pragmatist . Sarkozy opened another avenue of controversy by declaring that he wanted a reform of the immigration system , with quotas designed to admit the skilled workers needed by the French economy . He also wanted to reform the current French system for foreign students , saying that it enabled foreign students to take open-ended curricula in order to obtain residency in France ; instead , he wanted to select the best students to the best curricula in France . In early 2006 , the French parliament adopted a controversial bill known as DADVSI , which reforms French copyright law . Since his party was divided on the issue , Sarkozy stepped in and organised meetings between various parties involved . Later , groups such as the Odebi League and EUCD.info alleged that Sarkozy personally and unofficially supported certain amendments to the law , which enacted strong penalties against designers of peer-to-peer systems . Presidential election : 2007 . Sarkozy was a likely candidate for the presidency in 2007 ; in an oft-repeated comment made on television channel France 2 , when asked by a journalist whether he thought about the presidential election when he shaved in the morning , Sarkozy commented , Not just when I shave . On 14 January 2007 , Sarkozy was chosen by the UMP to be its candidate in the 2007 presidential election . Sarkozy , who was running unopposed , won 98 percent of the votes . Of the 327,000 UMP members who could vote , 69 percent participated in the online ballot . In February 2007 , Sarkozy appeared on a televised debate on TF1 where he expressed his support for affirmative action and the freedom to work overtime . Despite his opposition to same-sex marriage , he advocated civil unions and the possibility for same-sex partners to inherit under the same regime as married couples . The law was voted in July 2007 . On 7 February , Sarkozy decided in favour of a projected second , non-nuclear , aircraft carrier for the national Navy ( adding to the nuclear Charles de Gaulle ) , during an official visit in Toulon with Defence Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie . This would allow permanently having an operational ship , taking into account the constraints of maintenance , he explained . On 21 March , President Jacques Chirac announced his support for Sarkozy . Chirac pointed out that Sarkozy had been chosen as presidential candidate for the ruling UMP party , and said : So it is totally natural that I give him my vote and my support . To focus on his campaign , Sarkozy stepped down as Minister of the Interior on 26 March . During the campaign , rival candidates had accused Sarkozy of being a candidate for brutality and of presenting hard-line views about Frances future . Opponents also accused him of courting conservative voters in policy-making in a bid to capitalise on right-wing sentiments among some communities . However , his popularity was sufficient to see him polling as the frontrunner throughout the later campaign period , consistently ahead of rival Socialist candidate , Ségolène Royal . The first round of the presidential election was held on 22 April 2007 . Sarkozy came in first with 31.18 percent of the votes , ahead of Ségolène Royal of the Socialists with 25.87 percent . In the second round , Sarkozy came out on top to win the election with 53.06 percent of the votes ahead of Ségolène Royal with 46.94 percent . In his speech immediately following the announcement of the election results , Sarkozy stressed the need for Frances modernisation , but also called for national unity , mentioning that Royal was in his thoughts . In that speech , he claimed The French have chosen to break with the ideas , habits and behaviour of the past . I will restore the value of work , authority , merit and respect for the nation . Presidency ( 2007–2012 ) . Inauguration . On 6 May 2007 , Nicolas Sarkozy became the sixth person to be elected President of the Fifth Republic ( which was established in 1958 ) , and the 23rd President in French history . The official transfer of power from Chirac to Sarkozy took place on 16 May at 11:00 am ( 9:00 UTC ) at the Élysée Palace , where he was given the authorization codes of the French nuclear arsenal . In the afternoon , the new president flew to Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel . Under Sarkozys government , François Fillon replaced Dominique de Villepin as Prime Minister . Sarkozy appointed Bernard Kouchner , the left-wing founder of Médecins Sans Frontières , as his Foreign Minister , leading to Kouchners expulsion from the Socialist Party . In addition to Kouchner , three more Sarkozy ministers are from the left , including Éric Besson , who served as Ségolène Royals economic adviser at the beginning of her campaign . Sarkozy also appointed seven women to form a total cabinet of 15 ; one , Justice Minister Rachida Dati , is the first woman of Northern African origin to serve in a French cabinet . Of the 15 , two attended the elite École nationale dadministration ( ENA ) . The ministers were reorganised , with the controversial creation of a Ministry of Immigration , Integration , National Identity and Co-Development—given to his right-hand man Brice Hortefeux—and of a Ministry of Budget , Public Accounts and Civil Administration—handed out to Éric Wœrth , supposed to prepare the replacement of only a third of all civil servants who retire . However , after 17 June parliamentary elections , the Cabinet was adjusted to 15 ministers and 16 deputy ministers , totalling 31 officials . Sarkozy broke with the custom of amnestying traffic tickets and of releasing thousands of prisoners from overcrowded jails on Bastille Day , a tradition that Napoleon had started in 1802 to commemorate the storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution . In the 2007 and 2008 , French President Nicolas Sarkozy , Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper , and Quebec Premier Jean Charest all spoke in favour of a Canada – EU free trade agreement . In October 2008 , Sarkozy became the first French President to address the National Assembly of Quebec . In his speech he spoke out against Quebec separatism , but recognized Quebec as a nation within Canada . He said that , to France , Canada was a friend , and Quebec was family . Release of hostages . Shortly after taking office , Sarkozy began negotiations with Colombian president Álvaro Uribe and the left-wing guerrilla FARC , regarding the release of hostages held by the rebel group , especially Franco-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt . According to some sources , Sarkozy himself asked for Uribe to release FARCs chancellor Rodrigo Granda . Furthermore , he announced on 24 July 2007 , that French and European representatives had obtained the extradition of the Bulgarian nurses detained in Libya to their country . In exchange , he signed with Muammar Gaddafi security , health care and immigration pacts—and a $230 million ( 168 million euros ) MILAN antitank missile sale . The contract was the first made by Libya since 2004 , and was negotiated with MBDA , a subsidiary of EADS . Another 128 million euro contract would have been signed , according to Tripoli , with EADS for a TETRA radio system . The Socialist Party ( PS ) and the Communist Party ( PCF ) criticised a state affair and a barter with a Rogue state . The leader of the PS , François Hollande , requested the opening of a parliamentary investigation . Green policy . On 8 June 2007 , during the 33rd G8 summit in Heiligendamm , Sarkozy set a goal of reducing French CO emissions by 50 percent by 2050 in order to prevent global warming . He then pushed forward Socialist Dominique Strauss-Kahn as European nominee to the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ) . Critics alleged that Sarkozy proposed to nominate Strauss-Kahn as managing director of the IMF to deprive the Socialist Party of one of its more popular figures . In 2010 , a study of :Yale and Columbia universities ranked France the most respectful country of the G20 concerning the environment . Economic policy . The Union for a Popular Movement ( UMP ) , Sarkozys party , won a majority at the June 2007 legislative election , although by less than expected . In July , the UMP majority , seconded by the Nouveau Centre , ratified one of Sarkozys electoral promises , which was to partially revoke the inheritance tax . The inheritance tax formerly brought eight billion euros into state coffers . Sarkozys UMP majority prepared a budget that reduced taxes , in particular for upper middle-class people , allegedly in an effort to boost GDP growth , but did not reduce state expenditures . He was criticised by the European Commission for doing so . On 23 July 2008 , parliament voted the loi de modernisation de léconomie ( Modernization of the Economy Law ) which loosened restrictions on retail prices and reduced limitations on the creation of businesses . The Government has also made changes to long-standing French work-hour regulations , allowing employers to negotiate overtime with employees and making all hours worked past the traditional French 35-hour week tax-free . However , as a result of the global financial crisis that came to a head in September 2008 , Sarkozy has returned to the state interventionism of his predecessors , declaring that laissez-faire capitalism is over and denouncing the dictatorship of the market . Confronted with the suggestion that he had become a socialist , he responded : Have I become socialist ? Perhaps . He has also pledged to create 100,000 state-subsidised jobs . Security policy . Sarkozys government issued a decree on 7 August 2007 to generalise a voluntary biometric profiling program of travellers in airports . The program , called Parafes , was to use fingerprints . The new database would be interconnected with the Schengen Information System ( SIS ) as well as with a national database of wanted persons ( FPR ) . The Commission nationale de linformatique et des libertés ( CNIL ) protested against this new decree , opposing itself to the recording of fingerprints and to the interconnection between the SIS and the FPR . Constitutional reform . On 21 July 2008 , the French parliament passed constitutional reforms which Sarkozy had made one of the key pledges of his presidential campaign . The vote was 539 to 357 , one vote over the three-fifths majority required ; the changes are not yet finalized . They would introduce a two-term limit for the presidency , and end the presidents right of collective pardon . They would allow the president to address parliament in-session , and parliament , to set its own agenda . They would give parliament a veto over some presidential appointments , while ending government control over parliaments committee system . He has claimed that these reforms strengthen parliament , while some opposition socialist lawmakers have described it as a consolidation of a monocracy . International affairs . During his 2007 presidential campaign , Sarkozy promised a strengthening of the entente cordiale with the United Kingdom and closer cooperation with the United States . Sarkozy wielded special international power when France held the rotating EU Council Presidency from July 2008 through December 2008 . Sarkozy has publicly stated his intention to attain EU approval of a progressive energy package before the end of his EU Presidency . This energy package would clearly define climate change objectives for the EU and hold members to specific reductions in emissions . In further support of his collaborative outlook on climate change , Sarkozy has led the EU into a partnership with China . On 6 December 2008 , Nicolas Sarkozy , as part of Frances then presidency of the Council of the EU , met the Dalai Lama in Poland and outraged China , which has announced that it would postpone the China-EU summit indefinitely . On 3 April 2009 , at the NATO Summit in Strasbourg , Sarkozy announced that France would offer asylum to a former Guantanamo captive . We are on the path to failure if we continue to act as we have , French President Nicolas Sarkozy cautioned at the U.N . Climate Summit on 22 September 2009 . On 5 January 2009 , Sarkozy called for a ceasefire plan for the Gaza Strip Conflict . The plan , which was jointly proposed by Sarkozy and Egyptian ex-President Hosni Mubarak envisions the continuation of the delivery of aid to Gaza and talks with Israel on border security , a key issue for Israel as it says Hamas smuggles its rockets into Gaza through the Egyptian border . Welcoming the proposal , US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called for a ceasefire that can endure and that can bring real security . Military intervention in Libya . Muammar Gaddafis official visit to Nicolas Sarkozy in December 2007 triggered a strong wave of protests against the President in France . In March 2011 , after having been criticized for his unwillingness to support the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions , and persuaded by the philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy to have France actively engage against the forces of the Libyan leader , Muammar Gaddafi , Nicolas Sarkozy was amongst the first Heads of State to demand the resignation of Gaddafi and his government , which was then fighting a civil war in Libya . On 10 March 2011 , Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed to the Elysee Palace , three emissaries from the Libyan National Transitional Council ( NTC ) , brought to him by Bernard-Henri Levy who mediated at the meeting . Nicolas Sarkozy promised them a no-fly zone would be imposed on Gaddafis aeroplanes . He also promised them French military assistance . On 17 March 2011 , at the behest of France , resolution 1973 was adopted by the Security Council of the United Nations , permitting the creation of a no fly zone over Libya , and for the undertaking of necessary measures for the protection of the countrys civilian population . On 19 March 2011 , Nicolas Sarkozy officially announced the beginning of a military intervention in Libya , with Frances participation . These actions of Nicolas Sarkozy were favorably received by the majority of the French political class and public opinion . In 2016 , the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament published a report stating that the military intervention was based on erroneous assumptions that the threat of a massacre of civilian populations has been overvalued and that the coalition Has not verified the real threat to civilians ; He also believes that the true motivations of Nicolas Sarkozy were to serve French interests and to improve his political situation in France . 2012 presidential campaign . Sarkozy was one of ten candidates who qualified for the first round of voting . François Hollande , the Socialist Party candidate , received the most votes in the first round held on 22 April election , with Sarkozy coming second , meaning that both progressed to the second round of voting on 5–6 May 2012 . Sarkozy lost in the runoff and conceded to Hollande . He received an estimated 48.38% compared to Hollandes 51.62% . After his defeat . Temporary retirement : 2012–2014 . After his defeat at the 2012 election , Nicolas Sarkozy asked his supporters to respect Hollandes victory . He invited his successor to attend his last 8 May Victory in Europe Day commemoration in office . His last day as President of the French Republic was 15 May . Shortly after , Sarkozy briefly considered a career in private equity and secured a €250 million commitment from the Qatar Investment Authority to back his planned buyout firm . He abandoned his private equity plans when he decided to make a political comeback in 2014 . Return to politics : 2014–2016 . On 19 September 2014 , Sarkozy announced that he was returning to politics and would run for chairman of the UMP party . and was elected to the post on 29 November 2014 . Led by Sarkozy , UMP won over two-thirds of the 102 local departements in the nationwide elections on 29 March 2015 . On 13 December , the Republicans won the majority of regional office races , another set of national elections . ( On 30 May the UMPs name was changed to the Republicans. ) In January 2016 , Sarkozy published the book La France pour la vie . In August 2016 , he announced his candidacy for 2016 Republican presidential primary in November 2016 , but only came in third place behind François Fillon and Alain Juppé . He decided to endorse Fillon and to retire from politics . Other activities . Corporate boards . - Lagardère Group , Member of the Supervisory Board ( since 2020 ) - Accor , Independent Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the International Strategy Committee ( since 2017 ) - Groupe Lucien Barrière , Member of the Board of Directors ( since 2019 ) Non-profit organizations . - Berggruen Institute , Member of the 21st Century Council - Schwarzman Scholars , Honorary Member of the Advisory Board Public image . Sarkozy was named the 68th best-dressed person in the world by Vanity Fair , alongside David Beckham and Brad Pitt . However , Sarkozy has also been named as the third worst-dressed person in the world by GQ , a listing that has been disputed . Beside publicising , at times , and at others , refusing to publicise his ex-wife Cécilia Ciganer-Albénizs image , Sarkozy takes care of his own personal image , sometimes to the point of censorship—such as in the Paris Match affair , when he allegedly forced its director to resign following an article on his ex-wife and her affair with Publicis executive Richard Attias , or pressures exercised on the Journal du dimanche , which was preparing to publish an article concerning Ciganer-Albénizs decision not to vote in the second round of the 2007 presidential election . In its edition of 9 August 2007 , Paris Match retouched a photo of Sarkozy in order to erase a love handle . His official portrait destined for all French town halls was done by Sipa Press photographer Philippe Warrin , better known for his paparazzi work . Former Daily Telegraph journalist Colin Randall has highlighted Sarkozys tighter control of his image and frequent interventions in the media : he censors a book , or fires the chief editor of a weekly . Sarkozy is reported by Reuters to be sensitive about his height ( believed to be ) . The French media have pointed out that Carla Bruni frequently wears flats when in public with him . In 2009 , a worker at a factory where Sarkozy gave a speech said she was asked to stand next to him because she was of a similar height to Sarkozy . ( This story was corroborated by some trade union officials. ) This was the subject of a political row : the presidents office called the accusation completely absurd and grotesque , while the Socialist Party mocked his fastidious preparation . Sarkozy lost a suit against a manufacturer of Sarkozy voodoo dolls , in which he claimed that he had a right to his own image . Sarkozy was nicknamed as Hyper-president or hyperpresident by some French media after his 2007 election as president , to describe his desire to control everything . Whereas in the history of the Fifth Republic , the successive presidents were traditionally focused on the foreign policy of the country and on international relations , leaving the Prime Minister and the government to determine the domestic policy , as the Constitution states it , Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to determine both the foreign and domestic policy . Some compared Nicolas Sarkozy to Napoléon Bonaparte and Louis XIV . Indeed , he appointed a very close friend of his , François Fillon , as a Prime Minister . François Fillon was accused of being an instrument of the Presidents power . The biopic The Conquest is a 2011 film that dramatizes Sarkozys rise to power , with candid portrayals of Sarkozy himself , Chirac and Villepin . It was shown at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival . Controversies . Sarkozy is generally disliked by the left and has been criticised by some on the right , most vocally by moderate Gaullist supporters of Jacques Chirac and Dominique de Villepin . The communist-leaning magazine LHumanité accused Sarkozy of populism . Views on religions . In 2004 Sarkozy co-authored a book , La République , les religions , lespérance ( The Republic , Religions , and Hope ) , in which he argued that the young should not be brought up solely on secular or republican values . He advocated reducing the separation of church and state , arguing for the government subsidies for mosques to encourage Islamic integration into French society . He has opposed financing of religious institutions with funds from outside France . After meeting with Tom Cruise , Sarkozy was criticized by some for meeting with a member of the Church of Scientology , which has been seen by some as a cult . Sarkozy was criticized by some Christians after he claimed the roots of France are essentially Christian at a December 2007 speech in Rome . Similarly , he drew criticism from Christians after he called Islam one of the greatest and most beautiful civilizations the world has known at a speech in Riyadh in January 2008 . Controversial statements . In the midst of a tense period and following the death of an 11-year-old boy , caught in the crossfire of a gang brawl in the Paris suburb of La Courneuve in June 2005 , Sarkozy went to the scene and said : on va nettoyer au Kärcher la cité ( we will clean the area with a pressure washer ) . Two days before the 2005 Paris riots , he referred to young criminals of nearby housing projects as voyous ( thugs ) and racaille , a slang term which can be translated into English as rabble , scum or riff-raff , in answer to resident who addressed Sarkozy with Quand nous débarrassez-vous de cette racaille ? ( When will you rid us of these dregs? ) The French Communist Party publication , LHumanité , branded this language as inappropriate . Following Sarkozys use of the word racaille many people in the banlieues identified him as a politician of the far right . His period as Minister of the Interior saw the use of police as shock troops in the banlieues , and a police raid on the suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois in October 2005 led to two boys being electrocuted in a power sub-station . The riots began that night . In September 2005 Sarkozy was accused of pushing for a hasty inquiry into an arson attack on a police station in Pau , of which the alleged perpetrators were acquitted for lack of proof . On 22 June 2005 Sarkozy told law enforcement officials that he had questioned the Minister of Justice about the future of the judge who had freed a man on parole who had later committed a murder . A few weeks before the first round of the 2007 presidential elections , Sarkozy had an interview with philosopher Michel Onfray . Sarkozy stated that disorders such as paedophilia and depression have a genetic as well as social basis , saying .. . Id be inclined to think that one is born a paedophile , and it is actually a problem that we do not know how to cure this disease ; he claimed that suicides among youth were linked to genetic predispositions by stating , I dont want to give parents a complex . Its not exclusively the parents fault every time a youngster commits suicide . These statements were criticised by some scientists , including geneticist Axel Kahn . Sarkozy later added , What part is innate and what part is acquired ? At least lets debate it , lets not close the door to all debate . On 27 July 2007 , Sarkozy delivered a speech in Dakar , Senegal , written by Henri Guaino , in which he claimed that the African has never really entered into history . The controversial remarks were widely condemned by Africans , with some viewing them as racist . South African president Thabo Mbeki praised Sarkozys speech , which raised criticism by some in the South African media . On 30 July 2010 , Sarkozy suggested a new policy of security , and he proposed stripping foreign-born French citizens who opted to acquire their nationality at their majority of their citizenship if they are convicted of threatening the life of a police officer or other serious crimes . This policy has been criticized for example by the US newspaper The New York Times , by Sarkozys political opponents , including the Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry , and by experts of French law , including the ex-member of the Constitutional Council of France , Robert Badinter , who said that such action would be unconstitutional . He called for coercive methods to promote métissage , cultural mixing ( which can sometimes include genetic mixing ) , which he called an obligation during a press conference on 17 December 2008 . Casse-toi , pauvcon . On 23 February 2008 , Sarkozy was filmed by a reporter for French newspaper Le Parisien having the following exchange while visiting the Paris International Agricultural Show:While quickly crossing the hall Saturday morning , in the middle of the crowd , Sarkozy encounters a recalcitrant visitor who refuses to shake his hand . Ah no , dont touch me! , said the man . The president retorted immediately : Get lost , then . Youre making me dirty , yelled the man . With a frozen smile , Sarkozy says , his teeth glistening , a refined Get lost , then , poor dumb-ass , go . A precise translation into English has many possible variations . On 28 August 2008 , Hervé Eon , from Laval came to an anti-Sarkozy demonstration with a sign bearing the words Casse-toi pov con , the exact words Sarkozy had uttered . Eon was arrested for causing offence to the presidential function and the prosecutor , who in France indirectly reports to the president , requested a fine of €1000 . The court eventually imposed a symbolic €30 suspended fine , which has generally been interpreted as a defeat for the prosecution side . This incident was widely reported on , in particular as Sarkozy , as president of the Republic , is immune from prosecution , notably restricting Eons rights to sue Sarkozy for defamation . Position on the Iraq war . Sarkozy opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq . However , he was critical of the way Chirac and his foreign minister Dominique de Villepin expressed Frances opposition to the war . Talking at the French-American Foundation in Washington , D.C . on 12 September 2006 , he denounced what he called the French arrogance and said : It is bad manners to embarrass ones allies or sound like one is taking delight in their troubles . He added : We must never again turn our disagreements into a crisis . Chirac reportedly said in private that Sarkozys speech was appalling and a shameful act . Accusations of nepotism . In October 2009 , Sarkozy was accused of nepotism for helping his son , Jean , try to become head of the public body running Frances biggest business district EPAD . On 3 July 2012 , French police raided Sarkozys residence and office as part of a probe into claims that Sarkozy was involved in illegal political campaign financing . Political and financial scandals . On 5 July 2010 , following its investigations on the Bettencourt affair , online newspaper Mediapart ran an article in which Claire Thibout , a former accountant of billionairess Liliane Bettencourt , accused Sarkozy and Eric Woerth of receiving illegal campaign donations in 2007 , in cash . On 1 July 2014 Sarkozy was detained for questioning by police over claims he had promised a prestigious role in Monaco to a high-ranking judge , Gilbert Azibert , in exchange for information about the investigation into alleged illegal campaign funding . Mr Azibert , one of the most senior judges at the Court of Appeal , was called in for questioning on 30 June 2014 . It is believed to be the first time a former French president has been held in police custody , although his predecessor , Jacques Chirac , was found guilty of embezzlement and breach of trust while he was mayor of Paris and given a suspended prison sentence in 2011 . After 15 hours in police custody , Sarkozy was put under official investigation for active corruption , misuse of influence and obtained through a breach of professional secrecy on 2 July 2014 . Mr Azibert and Sarkozys lawyer , Thierry Herzog , are also now under official investigation . The two accusations carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison . The developments were seen as a blow to Sarkozys attempts to challenge for the presidency in 2017 . Nevertheless , he later stood as a candidate for the Republican party nomination , but was eliminated from the contest in November 2016 . A trial on this case , Sarkozys first , started on 23 November 2020 . On 16 February 2016 , Sarkozy was indicted on illegal financing of political campaign charges related to overspending in his 2012 presidential campaign and retained as witness in connection with the Bygmalion scandal . In April 2016 , Arnaud Claude , former law partner of Sarkozy , was named in the Panama Papers . On 23 November 2020 , the trial of Nicolas Sarkozy started who is accused of corruption and influence peddling , for an attempted bribery of a judge . The trial was postponed until November 26 , following a request from one of his co-defendants for health reasons . On 1 March 2021 , a court in Paris found former French President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption , trading in influence in a wiretapping and illegal data exchange case involving a number of individuals like magistrate Gilbert Azibert and Sarkozys former lawyer Thierry Herzog . Both men were tried with him and convicted as well . Sarkozy and his two co-defendants were sentenced to three years , two of them suspended , and one in prison . Sarkozy appealed the ruling , which suspends its application . On 20 May 2021 , the criminal trial began for Sarkozy and 13 other defendants who were said to have been involved in the Bygmalion scandal . Sarkozys second corruption trial involves allegations of diverting tens of millions of euros which was intended to be spent on the his failed 2012 re-election campaign and then hiring a PR firm to cover it up . The illicit campaign finance money was instead used to overspend on lavish campaign rallies and events . Alleged Libyan agent of influence . Shortly after his inauguration as President of France in 2007 , Sarkozy invited Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to France over the objections of both the political opposition , and members of his own government . The visit marked the first time Gaddafi had been to France in more than 35 years and , during it , France agreed to sell Libya 21 Airbus aircraft and signed a nuclear cooperation agreement . Negotiations for the purchase of more than a dozen Dassault Rafale fighter jets , plus military helicopters , were also initiated during the trip . During the 2011 Libyan Civil War – a conflict in which France intervened – Saif-al-Islam Gaddafi said in an interview with euronews that the Libyan state had donated €50 million to Sarkozys 2007 presidential campaign in exchange for access and favors by Sarkozy . Investigative website Mediapart subsequently published several documents appearing to prove a payment of €50 million , and also published a claim by Ziad Takieddine that he had personally handed three briefcases stuffed with cash to Sarkozy . French magistrates later acquired diaries of former Libyan oil minister Shukri Ghanem in which payments to Sarkozy were mentioned . Shortly thereafter , however , Ghanem was found dead , floating in the Danube in Austria and thereby preventing his corroboration of the diaries . In January 2018 , British police arrested Alexandre Djouhri on a European Arrest Warrant . Djouhri was an associate of Sarkozy and had refused to respond to a French judicial summons for questioning over allegations he had helped launder Libyan funds on behalf of Sarkozy . Political career . - President of the French Republic : 2007–2012 . - Member of the Constitutional Council of France : since 2012 . Governmental functions - Minister of Budget and governments spokesman : 1993–1995 . - Minister of Communication and governments spokesman : 1994–1995 . - Minister of State , minister of Interior , of the Internal Security and Local Freedoms : 2002–2004 . - Minister of State , minister of Economy , Finance and Industry : March–November 2004 ( resignation ) . - Minister of State , minister of Interior and Land Planning : 2005–2007 ( resignation ) . Electoral mandates European Parliament - Member of the European Parliament : July–September 1999 ( resignation ) . Elected in 1999 . National Assembly of France - Member of the National Assembly of France for Hauts-de-Seine ( 6th constituency ) : 1988–1993 ( became minister in 1993 ) / 1995–2002 ( became minister in 2002 ) / March–June 2005 ( became minister in June 2005 ) . Elected in 1988 , reelected in 1993 , 1995 , 1997 , 2002 , 2005 . Regional Council - Regional councillor of Île-de-France : 1983–1988 ( resignation ) . Elected in 1986 . General Council - President of the General Council of Hauts-de-Seine : 2004–2007 ( resignation , became President of the French Republic in 2007 ) . - Vice-president of the General Council of Hauts-de-Seine : 1986–1988 ( resignation ) . - General councillor of Hauts-de-Seine , elected in the canton of Neuilly-sur-Seine-Nord : 1985–1988 / 2004–2007 ( Resignation , became President of the French Republic in 2007 ) . Municipal Council - Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine : 1983–2002 ( resignation ) . Reelected in 1989 , 1995 , and 2001 . - Deputy-mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine : 2002–2005 ( resignation ) . - Municipal councillor of Neuilly-sur-Seine : 1977–2005 ( resignation ) . Reelected in 1983 , 1989 , 1995 , and 2001 . Political functions - President of the Union for a Popular Movement : 2004–2007 ( resignation , became President of the French Republic in 2007 ) . Elected in 2004 . - President of the Rally for the Republic : April–October 1999 . - General secretary of the Rally for the Republic : 1998–1999 . - Deputy general secretary of the Rally for the Republic : 1992–1993 . Awards and honours . French Honours . - Legion of Honour - ex officio Further reading . - , interviews with Michel Denisot - , Grand livre du mois 1995 - , subject ( s ) : Pratiques politiques—France—1990– , France—Politique et gouvernement—1997–2002 - Alvarez-Montalvo , Marta ( 9 July 2004 ) : ¿Quién teme a Nicolas Sarkozy ? El ministro de economía francés se postula como próximo candidato a las presidenciales de 2007 , in Epoca ( [ Madrid ] : Difusora de Informacion Periodica S.A. , DINPESA , 9 July 2004 ) , number 1012 , p . 46 ( 2 ) , 3 pages , 829 words , available online at - , subject ( s ) : Sarkozy , Nicolas ( 1955– ) —Caricatures et dessins humoristiques - , Grand Livre du mois 2004 , subject ( s ) : Chirac , Jacques ( 1932– ) , Sarkozy , Nicolas ( 1955– ) , France—Politique et gouvernement—1995– - , subject ( s ) : Laïcité—France—1990– , Islam—France—1990– External links . Official websites . - President of France - Website of the UMP , Sarkozys party - Official personal website - 2012 campaign website - Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations during the General Debate of the 63rd Session , 23 September 2008 . Nicolas Sarkozy addressed the Assembly both as President of France and as President of the European Union Press . - Radio France International feature Sarkozys 90-minute address to the nation , 6 February 2009 - Hosing Sarkozy an article in the TLS by Sudhir Hazareesingh , 28 November 2007 - Interview after One Month in Office Le Figaro , 7 June 2007 - Sarkozy takes over Chiracs UMP party ( BBC News ) - Profile : Nicolas Sarkozy ( BBC News ) - Nicolas Sarkozy : French Choose the American Way ? by David Storobin - Vive this difference by Suzanne Fields - Frances chance , The Economist , 12 April 2007 - Letter From Europe- Round 1 Jane Kramer , The New Yorker , 23 April 2007 - On the so-called rupture by Sarkozy , Mathieu Potte-Bonneville & Pierre Zaoui , Vacarme n°41 , Winter 2007 - The Bettencourt/LOréal scandal Radio France Internationale in English - French politics no stranger to scandals Radio France Internationale in English - LOréal , scandals and the far right Radio France Internationale in English - Articles and Coverage ( Guardian UK ) Related contents . - Extended biography by CIDOB Foundation - Sarkozys opinion poll tracker - Some of Sarkozys quotations