Une vue prudente (et britannique) de Sarko le réformateur

Bronwen Maddox, spécialiste des affaires internationales au Times, donne aujourd’hui une vision prudente de “Sarko le réformateur”, cette fois dans le domaine strictement intérieur et par rapport aux évaluations selon lesquelles le nouveau président voudrait changer la France de fond en comble. Vue britannique et prudente sur Sarkozy, une fois n’est pas coutume, — mais ce n’est pas inintéressant.

Maddox remet les pendules à l’heure. Elle détaille aussi bien les contraintes que les véritables projets de Sarkozy et conclut que nous serons loin, très loin de Margaret Thatcher au bout du compte, lorsqu’il aura achevé son programme, — s’il l’achève. Bref, la fête est finie, les lampions sont éteints, Sarko est sur son yacht prêté en train de courtiser Cecilia et nous revenons aux réalités.

Si Sarkozy «divides his list into the easy and the controversial, he can get some way down it without anticipating news pictures of riot shields and burning cars. The most popular, inevitably, will be his tax-cutting plans. Even those who are suspicious of his presumed attack on France’s “social safety net” may not object to his plans to pare away wealth and inheritance taxes, and some corporate taxes.

»His plans for tougher sentences for repeat offenders and tighter criteria for immigrants wanting to bring their families to France may also not face much organised opposition, although those who object will do so passionately.

»But when he starts changing labour law, he may face uproar. One of his most advertised plans is to scrap taxes on overtime pay to encourage people to work more than 35 hours a week. His solid victory still left doubt about whether France wants to ditch this totem. On the face of it, the change should not be controversial, simply making it easier for those who want to work longer. But his plan will be a test of whether every policy will be taken as a symbol of his supposed assault on French values, or considered on its own.

»Other plans – also on the 100-day list – include narrowing the eligibility for unemployment benefits and shrinking the civil service by replacing only half of those who retire.

»Even if Sarkozy did all this, he would hardly be Margaret Thatcher, as some portrayed him during the campaign. All his plans together amount to a small shift in policy – and he may not get far down the list. However showy his ambitions for the first 100 days, he may be inhibited by the need to avoid riots, at least in the first three weeks.»

Mis en ligne le 9 mai 2007 à 08H13