Bernard-Henri Lévy

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Bernard-Henri Lévy – Big Think : Bernard-Henri Lévy on Nicolas Sarkozy (October 3, 2008)

Question: Do you regret voting against Nicolas Sarkozy?

Bernard Henri Levy: It is not the biggest pride of my life. It is not the biggest glory I have, but I don’t regret it. Not at all. I tell you why. The only reason I could have had to vote for Sarkozy is what he said, in general and to me in particular, this makes the first pages of the book, of “Left In Dark Times,” what he said about foreign policy. He was supposed to lead the first foreign policy, more balanced between the Arab countries and Israel, more balanced about America, and much more strong and militant on the topic of human rights. He said during the campaign, for example, that China would, if he was elected, would find a real adversary in his person. He said that Putin should not be treated with a sort of kindness and indulgence we had. He said that every single oppressed, repressed, offended woman in the world will find in France shelter and a new fatherland. All that was, none of that happened. When Ayan Hirsi Ali, this oppressed lady, condemned to death by some radical Muslim groups came to France to ask for protection, she was politely said to go elsewhere, which she did. She went to America. Putin, Sarkozy were the first with Ahmadinejad, I must say, with Ahmadinejad. The first to congratulate him when his party won the last election at the Russian congress, which [IB] nobody did it, only Ahmadinejad, Sarkozy, and then Sarkozy, feeling a little uncomfortable with Ahmadinejad, asked his friend [IB] to give a phone call to in order to be [IB]. China, look at the question of Tibet. Human rights in China, Olympic games. We could have gone. Maybe it was right to go to the Olympic games, but using the leverage of our acceptation, acceptance in order to obtain some results which Sarkozy again did not do. So, all the promises of Sarkozy, which could be appealing during the campaign were not held at all. So, I fear to have to say that I don’t… I confess that I don’t regret not voting for him.

#BHL #Sarkozy #Putin #Russia #China