Sarko the darko?

Much is being made of mon mec Sarko, and rightfully so. Sarko is doing so much in his first months as President that everyone is taking notice, which is exactly how he likes it. He is ruffling feathers like it’s his job. He has:

• challenged the independence of the Euro Bank, contending that the overvalued euro is hurting French exports;
• been adamantly against Turkey’s EU candidacy and instead proposed a Mediterranean Union;
• hired no fewer than 3 prominent Socialists into his cabinet (more on that shakeup later).

Sarko is clearly determined to get his term off with a bang--perhaps not as impressive as his predecessor Chirac’s testing of a nuclear bomb in the South Pacific, but a pretty good showing nonetheless. He has most people surprised, scared, or skeptical--like John Vinocur, who will be the last one to be seduced by Sarko’s flurry of photo-ops.

There are undeniable signs that Sarko is mistakenly trying to throw around weight that he has not yet gained (or earned) in Europe. It’s too early to tell, but Sarko’s smiles and promises may be hiding a darker, more confrontational and megalomaniacal side. Does Sarko have a long term strategy, or is he just opening up a bunch of cans of worms and waiting to see what crawls out? It seems the most vexed of all France’s partners is Germany, specifically Miss Mild Mannered Merkel, Europe’s de facto leader. MMMM has proven herself as a smart lady and good leader, but will she figure out a way to deal with the Sarko attack? Der Spiegel is worried:

The new administration in Paris is doing its utmost to provoke Berlin…. Sarkozy is looking for a fight wherever he can…. A showdown appears unavoidable.

Oh snap! I hope they air this showdown on Pay Per View! I would pay 25eur to see these two go at it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Miss Mild Mannered Merkel were a beast deep down inside—she’s probably a firebreathing negotiator behind closed doors. I can imagine the Mild Manneredness giving way to the heft of her fist banging on an oak table and scaring the shit out of the men in the room. 

At the same time I worry that mon mec Sarko might full of sound and fury but signify nothing. MMMM has been around the block, and a clearly deluded, hyperactive Sarko probably needs a little beatdown to come back to earth and learn his place. Let the showdown begin!