«What is dangerous is not minarets, but basements and garages that hide clandestine places of worship. Thus we must choose between mosques, where we know that the rules of the republic are respected, and secret places where extremism has been developing for too long...»
«When there's a misunderstanding, one must make a compromise. This word is not a bad word.»
«Europe cannot enlarge for ever. We must hold up enlargement at least until
institutions have been modernised»
He is elected deputy of Neuilly, and then he is appointed Minister of the Budget in Edouard Balladur's government. During the capture of hostages from the nursery school at Neuilly, he negotiates directly with the madman and succeeds in getting out of the school, with a child in his arms.
Sarkozy is appointed Minister of Economics, Finance and Industry in Raffarin's third Government. He leaves this post due to the wishes of the Head of State, after having been elected President of the UMP with 85.1% of the votes. He is also elected County Councillor of the Neuilly-sur-Seine Nord canton and President of the Hauts-de-Seine County Council.
After the failure of the referendum on Europe and the resignation of the Raffarin Government, he returns to the government as Minister of both the Interior and Territorial Management. During the October riots, he applies his ‘zero tolerance' policy to regain order, which turns opposition parties and numerous journalists against him, while 68% of French people approve of his actions.
The National Assembly passes his draft law concerning immigration and integration. It involves replacing the old immigration policy, by one of chosen immigration, which favours welcoming immigrants with University qualifications.
The UMP, after being assembled in ‘congrès exceptionnel', votes by 98.1%, for Nicolas Sarkozy to be the party's presidential candidate at the next elections. His campaign slogan is «Together anything becomes possible».
At 8pm, Nicolas Sarkozy is officially announced as the winner of the presidential elections with nearly 53% of the votes. He becomes the sixth President of the fifth Republic.
Sarkozy becomes President of the European Council for six months. Immigration, energy-climate package, agricultural policies and European defence policy are the French presidency's priorities. «France is back in Europe» is marked by the proposition of the Lisbon «Mini-treaty» simplifying the constitutional one rejected by European people in 2005.
