Jean-David Levitte, from Washington to Paris
Le Figaro
May 15, 2007
The man who, as the president's diplomatic adviser and "sherpa," will coordinate international and security matters at the Elysee [president's office], is arriving from Washington. This is surely no coincidence: he has forged solid relations that will be useful in the management of the major dossiers, from Iran to Darfur. This is also a signal that confirms the more "Atlanticist" orientation suggested by Nicolas Sarkozy in foreign policy.
Jean-David Levitte, 61 next month, arrived in Washington at the end of 2002, at the height of the Franco-US crisis over Iraq, which he had already had to manage in his previous capacity as representative to the United Nations. This career diplomat - a graduate in law, political sciences, and Oriental languages (Chinese) - had been a member of Valery Giscard d'Estaing's and Jacques Chirac's staffs. But he proved himself in the negative climate caused by the disagreement over Iraq. "That was a tough time," he says now, when the political crisis degenerated into an "emotional crisis with racist overtones." That was when Congress renamed its cafeteria's French fries "freedom fries"...
[source]
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