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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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Derechos | Equipo Nizkor
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18Dec13
Yearender: Hollande seeks diplomatic grandeur as criticism soars at home
Cornered by his failure to transform economic promises into concrete deeds, French President Francois Hollande has shifted his focus to the diplomatic front to gain some success.
Widely criticized over his placid manner and indecision, the Socialist occupant of the Elysee Palace tried to defend his political credentials mainly through tough talk on Syria and Iran, the two major political crises that dominated his presidency in 2013.
Breaking rank with his European partners, Hollande was the first to hail Syria's new opposition coalition as the sole representative of its people and as "future government of a democratic Syria".
Furthermore, the French president risked diplomatic isolation by pushing for a strong international response and the use of force in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syria.
He said a clear UN mandate was preferable but added he would aim to bring together a coalition of states in favor of intervention if the UN Security Council could not agree.
However, a Russian proposal on Syrian chemical arms control aborted a French and U.S.-led offensive in Damascus.
In order not to miss his shot, Hollande on Sept. 9 proposed a resolution outlining binding deadlines and "extremely serious consequences" if the Syrian regime violates its commitment.
The UN resolution was under Chapter 7 of the UN charter covering possible military and non-military action to restore peace.
Days later, Damascus agreed to sign up to the global treaty banning chemical weapons, and accepted an international control of its nuclear arsenal, a result of "French pressure that bore fruit," according to French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius.
"Before, there were doubts on his (Hollande's) ability to address international affairs as he did not speak frequently on these issues. The surprise is that he is as active on the international stage as his predecessors," Eric Bonnet, an analyst at BVA pollster, told Xinhua.
"Concerning Syria, he has tried to intervene strongly with Obama and he showed once again that he does not remain inactive," he added.
This year, Hollande has also sought to play hardball in nuclear talks with Iran to impose a binding agreement to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In this context, France opposed the easing of economic sanctions against Iran until Tehran realizes its pledge to stop its nuclear program and asked Iran to guarantee that it will renounce a pursuit of nuclear arms.
Hollande also became the first Western leader to meet with the new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani since 2005.
According to sources close to Hollande, the head of state wanted to open a new chapter with Tehran in order to convince Iran, one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main allies, to pursue a political solution to stop the conflicts in Syria.
"Hollande's position on Iran is clever and flexible that satisfies every one by raising the tone to impose sanctions against Iranian officials for nuclear enrichment and at the same time he showed openness in dealing with the issue by meeting Rohani. He left the game open and that is a good move by him," Bonnet said.
[Source: Xinhua, Paris, 18Dec13]
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