(Thumbnail image from The First Post)
“He’s the son of his father, precocious, tireless, ambitious. Now, after a year as an elected counselor in western Paris, Jean Sarkozy is aiming at bigger things. He wants to head the public agency that runs La Defence, the high rise district that’s home to some of the biggest names in French business. The job comes up in December and he seems certain to get it.” (BBC)
Jean Sarkozy is 23 years old and is in his second year of law school. The Financial Times reports that “his rise has been stellar.” If he secures the nomination to oversee the Epad agency, he will be following in his father’s footsteps: Nicholas Sarkozy held the same job in 2005 and 2006.
The problem is, many claim Jean Sarkozy’s recent nomination is pure nepotism. Others say he is simply too young for the job. Perspectives from the media and on the Internet vary from support to accusation to humor.
We take a look at how the issue is covered by BBC, SkyNews, France24, the Telegraph, and YouTube.
The BBC presents a perspective on the issue of favoritism.
“The cries of nepotism have become a chorus. The opposition has been joined by most of the press with editorialists decrying a reversion to the days of royal privilege.”
Sky News also highlights the idea of royal privilege and puts the controversy in a historical context.
“Nicholas Sarkozy says his son is being persecuted by the opposition and is being thrown to the wolves. But in a country, which violently abolished the privilege of birth, the controversy surrounding Jean Sarkozy’s political success is unlikely to dim anytime soon.”
So, will the nomination have larger political implications? France 24 reports on coverage in French daily newspaper Libération, which accuses Sarkozy of hypocrisy.
"They go on inside to say that it has caused a lot of irritation in the right leaning UMP party, the ruling party. Many MPs are saying this could lead to a rise in the far-right Front National."
Finally, despite all criticisms, a Daily Telegraph content editor says it’s not fair to pick on Sarkozy’s age.
"This focus on age is very narrow-minded....Take Alexander the Great. He took the throne of Macedon when he was 19 years old and created quite an empire in his 20s. There is such a thing as a born leader. We shouldn’t try and stifle them with hackneyed, jealous arguments."
Is this a case of nepotism? Or do you think Jean Sarkozy is the right man for the job?
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