When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Geopolitics

Sarkozy Already Planning Comeback: "I'm Doing It For My Country"

RUE89, BVA (FRANCE)

Worldcrunch

PARIS - In an exclusive interview with right-wing magazine Valeurs Actuelles, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that he was thinking about a political comeback.

After his defeat at the last presidential elections, Sarkozy had said he was leaving politics for good.

According to Rue 89, the interview will be published in tomorrow's edition of Valeurs Actuelles.

In the interview, Sarkozy says: “There will be, unfortunately, a moment where the question is no longer "do you want to?" but "do you have a choice?" In which case, I won't be able to tell myself anymore: I am happy, I take my daughter to school and I take part in conferences around the world. And so when that does happen, I will have to come back. Not by choice, but by duty to my country.”

Rue89 notes that Sarkozy's daughter must be very precocious if is already in school at 17-months. French children usually start school when they are three years old and potty-trained.

Nicolas Sarkozy goes on to say he hates politics: "It should be clear that I really don't want to deal with the political world, which bores me to death. And look how I was treated! ... Do you really think I want to come back? Don't forget how they treated my wife."

Sarkozy's wife is former Italian-born model Carla Bruni.

The 58-year-old former French president tells Valeurs Actuelles that the only reason he is coming back into the spotlight is because of the severity of the crisis: “There will be a social crisis. And then we will have a most violent financial crisis and it will create political havoc. French people are more afraid than they are angry right now.”

However, in a poll published last month by BVA, 62% of people said they didn't want Sarkozy to run for the 2017 presidential elections.

[rebelmouse-image 27086378 alt="""" original_size="323x500" expand=1]

Nicolas Sarkozy. Photo by: Moritz Hager

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Ideas

A Brazilian Plea For Science, Religious Freedom And The Right To Samba As You Wish

An evangelic group has threatened to take legal action against a samba school because of its mix of religious iconography at the 2023 Carnival festivities. A Brazilian secular institute has a response.

Photo of Rio's carnival 2015

Rio carnival in full swing

Daniel Gontijo E Pirula

-OpEd-

SÃO PAULO — To celebrate religious diversity at 2023 carnival, the samba school Gaviões da Fiel in São Paolo combined Christian symbols with imagery from African religions — for example, Christ with Oxalá (a deity from Candomblé, an African diasporic religion).

Gaviões received a disclaimer note from the country's conservative Evangelical Parliamentary Front (FPE). In these politicians’ view, "one cannot compare Christ and Oxalá … under no circumstances", and there would only be one god, one Son, and one Holy Spirit.

Having interpreted this artistic syncretism as an immoral, vile act, the FPE is now threatening to take legal action against the samba school.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

The latest