Sarkozy Storms Away From Bastille Day Fête

We are saw the Sarkozy Storms Away From Bastille Day Fête

PARIS—Every year on July 14, France's ruling elite mixes with thousands of ordinary citizens in the president's garden to toast Bastille Day and the birth of La République. Not this year.


Reuters
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, arrive at Paris's Hotel Marigny on July 14, 2008, to attend the Bastille Day garden party.

As part of his austerity drive, President Nicolas Sarkozy has abolished the annual garden party. The official reason is that the party isn't an appropriate use of money at a time when the government is pushing belt-tightening measures.

But another factor is Mr. Sarkozy's battle to change his image as the bling-bling president who spends too much time hosting parties. With his popularity ratings at record lows and allegations of illegal campaign financing—which he denies—Mr. Sarkozy is under pressure to lead by example.

In dumping the get-together, Mr. Sarkozy won't be the first president to meddle with France's national day of celebration. The country's leaders have long sought to transmit their own vision of the republic to the masses through the July 14 festivities.

"Bastille Day is a mirror which reflects whatever image a French president wants to create," say Olivier Ihl, a professor at French university Sciences-Po Grenoble. "Over the years, the image has varied enormously."

The daylong party, which kicks off with a military parade followed by village fêtes and fireworks, was born out of political necessity in the late 19th century.

In 1880, following a stinging defeat at the hands of the Prussians, French politicians decided to create a day of national celebration to boost morale.

There was debate over which date to pick. The storming of the Bastille prison in July 1789 was a bloody affair at the start of the French Revolution. However fêting the beginning of a brutal popular uprising was deemed too controversial by some. As a result, politicians plumped for July 14, 1790, a date when people from all over France came together to celebrate the creation of a short-lived constitutional monarchy.

"That day no one can say that a drop of blood was spilt, or that there was any division amongst the country," concluded French Senator Henri Martin in an 1880
speech. "It was the total unity of France." The Marseillaise was selected as the official French national anthem and a republican tradition was born.

At first, Bastille Day had to compete with other national days of celebration, notably Joan of Arc Day and May Day. However, July 14 got a boost after it was banned following France's invasion by Germany during World War II, says Mr. Ihl. After the country's liberation, Bastille Day again became a symbol of French resistance and pride.

Politicians were quick to harness the event to serve their own needs. In the 1960s, France tried to present itself as a "third voice" by distancing itself from both Russia and the U.S. The then-president, Gen. Charles De Gaulle, used Bastille Days to promote his vision of a unified and independent France. The ceremonies under Gen. De Gaulle were famed for large military parades and grandiose speeches.

The general's successor took a softer line. In the 1970s, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing presented a younger and more inclusive image of France. He created the Bastille Day garden party and instigated an annual July 14 televised address to the people.

In the two decades that followed, French presidents sought to reconcile the country with its tumultuous past and build ties with their European neighbors. Under President Jacques Chirac, foreign nations were increasingly invited to parade down Paris's Champs Élysées. France's former colonies were also encouraged to play a more important role in events.

In 2007 Mr. Sarkozy was elected on the premise of a "rupture" with past governments. Accordingly, he did away with the annual presidential televised July 14 interview. He also shunned the presidential grace, which often saw speeding tickets rescinded and prison sentences shortened.

During the economic downturn, the revamped July 14 celebrations seemed out of place. Last year, his glamorous wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, invited cameras into the gilded presidential palace for a private tour, while Mr. Sarkozy welcomed guests in the garden.

Now the president can ill-afford to publicize this glitzy existence.

"He wants to do away with this image of bling," says Mr. Ihl. "He wants something more in tune with the national mood."

Some question whether cutting the €700,000 ($884,380) garden party will have any real effect on the country's budget. In 2008, the French president had a €112 million annual budget to spend on his palace, travel and staff, said Jean Launay, a Socialist Party politician who publishes an annual review of the president's expenditures.

Canceling the garden party "seems like a small sacrifice to me," said Mr. Launay.
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