In Conjunction with the cartoon ‘Si Vous Avez le ‘Bling-Bling…’

Several weeks ago, I enjoyed lunch at a Chelsea brasserie with an acquaintance, accompanied by his Parisian boyfriend. Eventually, the topic of discussion drifted to contemporary French politics, and I asked the boyfriend, Phillipe, what he thought of the Sarkozy presidency.

Phillipe quickly responded in English, thankfully, because my spoken French is ghastly embarrassing, that while he had voted for Sarkozy (primarily because Socialist candidate Segolene Royale seemed a disorganized and unconvincing candidate), he was very disappointed with le président’s behavior. “We call him ‘bling-bling’ because of his flashiness,” his ostentatiousness, his materialism. The president, it seemed, was far more interested in hobnobbing with the celebrity-riche than ensuring a secure economic and social future for France.

It turns out, Phillipe expressed a discontent that has become common throughout France: disillusionment with the Sarkozy administration, from both vocal leftist and reticent conservative constituents, who cast a wary eye at his over-exposed private life and impotent reform efforts. In a 2007 article for Time Magazine, Bruce Crumley described this attitude:

even as it follows Sarkozy’s lead to reform elsewhere, much of French society still remains unwilling to drop the traditional attitudes that frown upon the flaunting of wealth, and which divide the celebrity of showbiz and the recognition of political leadership in separate categories.

Increasing dissatisfaction with the Sarkozy administration is tangibly reflected in his approval ratings, which have dropped from a high of 65% in the summer of 2007 to a present-day 41%. The dissipation of public confidence in le président portends to have serious ramifications in important, upcoming municipal elections. In a separate article, Crumley suggests that “rightist candidates fear a possible leftist rout in cities across France as voters signal their displeasure with Sarkozy’s national leadership.”

Sarkozy seems to be running France in nouveau-CEO fashion: he’s thoroughly pro-business and anti-regulation, he maintains a well-groomed and luxurious veneer (perhaps indicating an awareness of the power associated with ‘erotic capital’) replete with a shining trophy-wife in Carla Bruni, and he has nothing but contempt for those who stand in his way.

It sounds like, in Sarko’s mind, if you have the bling-bling, you may as well flaunt it, damn what anyone else says. No wonder he’s also referred to as ‘The American.’