THE Nation on Tuesday 2nd October, 2007 announced in a front-page article that the President of the Republic, Mr James Alix Michel, had left Seychelles a day before for Paris for a meeting with the President of the Republic of France, Monsieur Nicolas Sarkozy.
All Press Releases with respect to President Michel’s abrupt two days meeting in the French capital speak in terms of “bilateral relations” and also negotiation in progress concerning the economic partnership agreement with the European Union. Most surprising to all political observers was the fact that there was not one word in these Press Releases which mentioned China. It would be strange if the President of France, a country which has always regarded the Indian Ocean as a crossroad of her influence, would not have been bothered with the transparent growing ties (even military ones) between Victoria and Beijing. Of course, political analysts are of the opinion that the China factor was the prime motivator of President Sarkozy’s call on President Michel to fly to Paris for an urgent meeting.
In this instance, it is interesting to learn some of the leadership characteristics and philosophy of the man who took over the Elysée Palace from President Chirac. Sarkozy has moved France closer to the USA whilst making it obvious that he is for a multi-polar world in which the United States of Europe would emerge as another superpower – perhaps with him seen to be the leader of that Europe.
In this context, it is interesting to note what a few experts of French politics recently had to say about the new French President – who up to now has had a dazzling start. The question is whether President Sarkozy will prove himself to be a great reformer or merely a gifted showman.
According to Monsieur Alain Duhamel, Political Commentator for RTL Radio, the daily Libération and several other publications – “Never before under the 5th Republic has a President personally taken and stood behind so many decisions in such a little time.” Accor-ding to Dominique Moisi, Senior Adviser to the French Institute of International Relations – “You have to won-der whether Sarkozy’s political genius may have over-shadowed his effectiveness as a statesman.” Marielle de Sarnez, Executive Vice President of the Centrist Union for French Democracy – “For all his kinetics, Sarkozy has done nothing to reverse France’s trade or halt its growing debt.” According to Philip H. Gordon, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington and Translator of Sarkozy’s Book Testimony – “For all the rhetoric about making a ‘clean-break’ with the past, Sarkozy seems well aware of the need to avoid moving too quickly or radi-cally.” And as far as Joseph Joffe, Publisher and Editor of the German Weekly Die Zeit is concerned – “Anglo-Saxon Capitalism is no longer an epithet in the Elysée, but the reality is, well, very French: leave the driving to the State.”
To go back to the crux of the meeting between President Sarkozy and President Michel, Michel’s growing dilemma is revealed in the answer which Former President James R. Mancham gave in an interview to the question asked by Nation – “How would you describe the relations between Seychelles and China today?” – a question which was part of an overall interview Mr Mancham gave on the occasion of the visit of H.E. Hu Jintao – President of the People’s Republic of China to Seychelles in February 2007. We quote the answer Mr Mancham gave – “The relationship at the moment is a very healthy one. China over the years since our independence has been extremely generous towards the Republic of Seychelles. But there is no free meal anywhere in the world. Last year, I wrote a leading article in the ‘Seychelles Review’ entitled “Seychelles in the Web of Global Politics” which projected the geo-strategic dimension of our archipelago. At the moment, our Government can claim to have “excellent relation” with China but she can also allow herself to the same claim vis-à-vis USA, Europe, India, Russia, Japan and others. So long therefore as China’s relationship with these other powerful nations remain on a steady amicable course – it could be business as normal for the Government of the Republic of Seychelles. But what if these relationships were to become sour and confrontational, which way will Seychelles sway? This is the unanswered and worrying question. When we became an independent Nation in 1976, I proclaimed the policy of “Friend to all and Enemy to none”, but this did not seem to have worked out.”
No doubt, President Sarkozy must have been interested to learn from President Michel as to which side Seychelles will sway. If President Michel has given an answer, we have not up to now heard much about it and we are certainly not hearing much from the French Ambassador Michel Trétout, who gallantly attended the get-together. Indeed, it is obvious that there is a price to pay for consuming both the Beijing duck and the civet de canard. The question is whether one can digest both at the same time!
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