Nicolas Sarkozy Criticizes US and China’s COP15 Promises

President of France Nicolas Sarkozy reminds global leaders that failure is not an option during the COP15 climate summit. Against the consensus of the EU, President Sarkozy proposes to retain the environmental agreements set forth by the Kyoto Protocol, yet hopes a full political “umbrella” agreement is establish by June 2010. -- COP15

Nicolas Sarkozy, born Nicolas Paul Stephane Sarkozy de Nagy-Bocsa on January 28, 1955 in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, is the current President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra, elected on May 6, 2007 after defeating Socialist Party contender Segolene Royal during the second round of the 2007 election.

Before his presidency, he was leader of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) right wing party. Under Jacques Chirac’s presidency, he served as the Minister of the Interior in Jean-Pierre Raffarin (UMP)’s first two governments (from May 2002 to March 2004), then was appointed Minister of Finances in Raffarin’s last government (March 2004-May 2005), and again Minister of the Interior in Dominique de Villepin’s government (2005-2007).

Sarkozy was also president of the General council of the Hauts-de-Seine department from 2004 to 2007 and mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, one of the wealthiest communes of France from 1983 to 2002. Furthermore, he was also Minister of the Budget in the government of Edouard Balladur (RPR, predecessor of the UMP) during Francois Mitterrand’s last term.