Valdai Club

Sarkozy has a real chance of becoming president of France again. Unlike Italy, France is a nuclear power and generally plays a more important role internationally.

Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to Russia has attracted much attention both in Paris and Moscow. It has become a significant event, something that cannot be said for visits paid by other have-beens.

The most important thing about the visit is that Sarkozy intended it as a domestic policy move for French consumption.

In this way, he has demonstrated to the French that it is he and not Marine Le Pen who is the main figure opposed to the current authorities. It is also his message to Alain Juppé, his main rival in the forthcoming Republican primaries, and to Juppé’s supporters. What is ignored in Russia is that Alain Juppé, a member of the Republicans party and former prime minister, upholds the same position toward Russia as François Hollande’s current foreign minister, Laurent Fabius. Everyone in Russia seems to think that France will turn “pro-Russian” following Hollande’s departure. This is not so if he is succeeded by Juppé.

By his visit, Sarkozy is also sending a signal to the right-wing (not to be confused with the extreme right) electorate in France. Paradoxically, Putin himself is not very popular in France, judging by the opinion polls. What is very popular with the right wing is his position on Syria and the migrants, as well as his invocation of Christian values. Thus, Sarkozy is taking in his stead Putin’s philosophy and “strong-leader” posture rather than associating with President Putin himself.

Another important point is that Sarkozy is on the same page as mainstream France with regard to Russia. Obviously, he is not challenging anything, nor bridging any gaps. After the Mistral deal fell apart, even “official” France seeks to turn over a new leaf and normalize relations. In October, two French government ministers visited Moscow for the first time in two years. The government in Paris decided to resume the work of the Franco-Russian Council for Economic, Financial, Industrial and Commercial Cooperation (CEFIC). While visiting Moscow, Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy Ségolène Royal invited Vladimir Putin to visit this year’s most important international event – the Paris Climate Conference (COP21) – in December.

Russia also appreciates what Paris is doing in the context of the Minsk 2 Agreements. Speaking at the latest meeting of the Valdai Club, both Lavrov and Putin praised its constructive role. Paris is clearly willing to end sanctions against Russia, even if this does not happen at once in January. Though Sarkozy is putting himself in opposition to Hollande, the French authorities are taking real steps to normalize relations with Russia, doing this unobtrusively and without ostentation.

How can Putin benefit from this visit? Sarkozy’s trip is of more interest for Russia than, for example, that of Silvio Berlusconi, because Sarkozy has a real chance of becoming president of France again. Unlike Italy, France is a nuclear power and generally plays a more important role internationally.

It is also clear that for the first time in the last 25 years Moscow is back as an international decision-maker: “Everyone is visiting Putin in Moscow to address world issues.” The Sarkozy visit demonstrates this once again. Putin and Russia cannot but rejoice at the conclusion that in France, like in Israel, the Russian factor has emerged as an important component of domestic policy, with politicians feeling the need to have a position of their own on Russia.

This visit was beneficial, albeit for different reasons, both for Putin and Sarkozy.