Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Brits Ready the Red Carpet for Sarko Visit

Flashy French prez will meet queen, work on often-turbulent UK ties

By Kate Rockwood, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 23, 2008 9:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – Carla Bruni isn’t the only tempestuous romance in Nicolas Sarkozy's life—the “turbulent love affair” of Anglo-French relations comes to the fore Wednesday as the flamboyant French prez prepares to meet with Queen Elizabeth. But Sarkozy is a vocal fan of Britain’s hardy economy, and with increasing economic interdependence between the oft-warring neighbors, smoother relations are expected.

At least 300,000 French people live in Britain and half a million Britons have homes in France. Sarkozy, known as “President Bling-Bling,” will also meet with PM Gordon Brown, a preacher’s son known for his austerity. But the French aren’t the only one given to excess: British tabloids will likely gobble up every detail of the newlywed Sarkozys' stay.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

In this photo released by the European Union Presidency, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, left, chats with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the start of the EU summit in Lisbon, Portugal. (AP Photo/Miguel A. R. Lopes)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his girlfriend, Carla Bruni, were married Feb. 2, 2008 at the Elysee Palace. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, center, shares a laugh with Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, left, and British counterpart Gordon Brown, right, at an EU summit. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Sarkozy Walks Out On 60 Minutes (NewsGuy2005 (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Sarkozy Seeking 5 More Years

Rival shrugs as president officially launches bid

(NEWSER) - To the surprise of nobody in France, Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that he's seeking a second term as president. He officially launched his re-election bid in a TV interview last night, comparing himself to a "ship captain whose boat is in the thick of a storm," and promising that "if the French trust me and give me another five years in office, these five years will not be the same as the first.” More»

Sarkozy Unveils 'Robin Hood' Tax

Financial transactions to be taxed starting this summer

(NEWSER) - With the French presidential election just three months away, Nicolas Sarkozy took to the airwaves last night to tell voters about a tax hike. The president announced a sales tax rise from 19.6% to 21.2% and a new "Robin Hood" tax on financial transactions, the BBC reports. Sarkozy said he wants to "create a shockwave" with the 0.1% levy and he hopes other European countries will soon follow his lead. More»

World's Timekeepers: Kill 'Leap Seconds'

Debate rages over fundamental shift

(NEWSER) - Countries across the globe are divided—and it's only a matter of time. Some, including Britain and China, want to retain a special "leap second" occasionally added to the calendar to keep atomic clocks in line with the Earth's rotation. The US, France, Germany, and others, however, want to ditch the second . The matter is up for debate in Geneva today, the BBC reports, and barring an agreement among 200 countries, it could go to a vote. But "this is not a technical issue, it is more a diplomatic one," says an official with the International Telecommunication Union. More»

France Toughens Citizenship Gauntlet

Now citizens must pass test of language, 'values'

(NEWSER) - Bad news, Francophiles: It just became harder to become French. Nicolas Sarkozy’s government has just thrown up some tough new hurdles for would-be French citizens, requiring them to pass a difficult language test (foreigners will need to speak French at the level of a French 15-year-old) and swear allegiance to "French values," the Los Angeles Times reports. The new rules, which went into effect on Jan. 1, also forbid the new citizens from claiming “allegiance to another country while on French soil,” though dual nationality is still permitted. More»

France's Woman of Year: DSK Wife

Poll finds Anne Sinclair more popular than husband's successor at IMF

(NEWSER) - Standing by her man has made Anne Sinclair a very popular woman in France. Dominique Strauss-Kahn's wife has been named as woman of the year by a French women's magazine after topping an opinion poll, the New York Post reports. With 25%, Sinclair came out ahead of Christine Lagarde, Strauss-Kahn's successor as IMF chief, who scored 24%. Tristane Banon, who accused DSK of attempted rape, came in last in the poll, with 4%. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Brits Ready the Red Carpet for Sarko Visit