MEDIA REACTION; FRENCH PRESIDENT-ELECT NICOLAS SARKOZY'S

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000962

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/R/MR, I/GWHA, WHA, WHA/PDA, WHA/BSC,
WHA/EPSC
CDR USSOCOM FOR J-2 IAD/LAMA

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OPRC KMDR PREL MEDIA REACTION
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION; FRENCH PRESIDENT-ELECT NICOLAS SARKOZY'S
FOREIGN POLICY; SECRETARY RICE TO RUSSIA; UK PM TONY BLAIR LEGACY;
05/16/07; BUENOS AIRES


1. SUMMARY STATEMENT

Major international stories today include French President-elect
Nicolas Sarkozy's expected foreign policy; US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice's trip to Russia; and UK PM Tony Blair's legacy.


2. OPINION PIECES AND EDITORIALS

- "Sarkozy, with his eyes placed on Europe and also in Washington"

Patricio Arana, on special assignment in Paris for daily-of-record
"La Nacion," wrote (05/16) "Nicolas Sarkozy's top foreign policy
priorities will be his ties to the EU, the US, Russia and China, the
Mediterranean countries and Africa, in this order... His diplomatic
action will sway between continuity (of long-standing policies) and
the introduction of new world approaches.

"Obviously enough, the question is to what extent his foreign policy
will entail his purpose of breaking with the past.

"... If Jacques Chirac seemed to have a world view of international
politics..., Sarkozy seems to have a more constrained range of
action, in which major priorities will be his ties to Europe and the
US. According to French political analyst Bertrand Badie, 'he has a
limited knowledge of societies of other hemispheres and, in spite of
his pro-Israeli fondness, he never committed to the conflicts that
dramatically mark the evolution of our world.'

"In Washington, they expressed satisfaction following the
announcement of Sarkozy's victory. President George W. Bush called
him on the same day to congratulate him and the president-elect
devoted one paragraph of his speech to the US-French relationship.

"That night, Sarkozy said 'A friendly and allied country,'
(referring to the US). His attitude breaks with the tradition
established by Charles de Gaulle, which Chirac fully honored by
opposing the war in Iraq in 2003. With Sarkozy, Washington may rely
on having one more ally in Europe.

"Regarding the Middle East, one can expect that France's clout will
lessen, particularly because Sarkozy does not have the personal ties
Chirac used to have with several Arab leaders.

"The new president underscored that his concern over Israel's
security includes the creation of an 'independent' Palestinian
State, although he added that it is in the EU 'that the French
policy on the Middle East should manifest itself.'

"... His ties to Moscow promise to be frozen. More than once,
Sarkozy criticized Russia's conflict with Chechnya. Additionally,
his victory in the French presidential election did not go down well
in Russia.

"Latin America, which was absent from his election campaign, should
not expect major changes in its ties to France."

- "Rice and Putin, far from reaching an understanding, only managed
to agree on rhetorical issues"

Business-financial "InfoBae" reports (05/16) "(US Secretary of
State) Condoleezza Rice's visit to Russia only served to demonstrate
the deep disagreement between Moscow and Washington, even if both
countries will now downplay their rhetoric.

"... When arriving in Moscow, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
did not hide her interest in rebuffing versions that a new Cold War
was emerging between Washington and Moscow.

"While she asserted that her meetings with the Kremlin's main
government officials and Russian President Vladimir Putin himself
were fruitful, both parties did not make much progress in reaching
agreement on sensitive issues for their own interests.

"While Rice asserted that 'we will have points of disagreement, but
there is no doubt that the (bilateral) relationship needs to be free
from exaggerated rhetoric,' strong expressions were heard again when
dealing with the 'thorny issues' between the two countries that were
in conflict after the Second World War.

"The White House purpose of installing a radar system in the Czech
Republic and a group of interceptive missiles in Poland as the first
elements of an antimissile shield are seen by the Kremlin as a
threat to its own security and the regional strategic balance as
well as a dangerous US step forward in its former area of
influence."


- "Blair's legacy and farewell"

Leading "Clarin" editorializes (05/16) "After ten years in
government, UK PM Tony Blair has finally announced his expected
decision to leave power in the next weeks.

"... Blair has left strong accomplishments as the leader of the
renewed Labor Party... He epitomizes for the European left wing what
Margaret Thatcher did for conservatives of past decades.

"He managed to reform the country's agenda and the domestic and
foreign political debate, made the economy more competitive and
modernized the British society. He also imposed a greater
rapprochement with Europe and an active commitment to Northern
Ireland's peace process.

"Nonetheless, his luck started to change following his decisive
alignment with the US in invading Iraq based on arguments that were
then rebutted by events. His international image was irreversibly
tainted by the outcome of that war, which casts a shadow over his
farewell."

To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our
classified website at:
http://www.state.sqov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires

WAYNE