"Dead wrong!
I will try to come back here tomorrow and respond. Villepin is running to become captain of the Titanic. Sarkozy is fighting to save France, even Europe...against Islam. Even France isn't that stupid. I hope?"
It truly does not matter who would be the better man, or what his motivations might be, or what Americans think. What matters is who the French will vote for. Dominique de Villepin has emerged, as Prime Minister, from the shadow of Chirac, and has shown himself to be much smoother and more flexible than anyone suspected. He does not rankle in the way that Sarkhozy does. His proposals lightening the burden of the 35 Hours threaded the needle, and reformed labor law somewhat for the better. That is to touch the third rail of French politics, and he did it without provoking a general strike.
Sarkozy is tougher, to be sure, but that is not enough. He must show that he can resolve the problems. A week of disturbances with no end in sight - or envisionable without an overall policy - this will not help Sarkozy. In the end, Villepin has the upper hand and will win the Presidency.
LOL! So true.