Jean Sarkozy
Encyclopedia
Jean Sarkozy de Nagy-Bocsa (born 1 September 1986) is the son of the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy
from his first marriage, to Marie-Dominique Culioli. Jean is a regional councillor in the city of Neuilly-sur-Seine, France and registered as a 1st year Law student at Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University in 2007. He is a backroom activist for his father's Union for a Popular Movement
(UMP), a right-wing party.
, and candidates from the Democratic Movement
(MoDem) and the Front National.
, just west of Paris. La Défense is an important office centre, with 43 high-rise buildings, and its development agency controls an annual budget of more than 1 billion euros. French and many international newspapers reported this as a new case of nepotism
. Much criticism has been made about the obvious lack of academic qualities and professional experience for such a high position. An online petition against the nomination has been diffused in all of the major news outlets and receives some 10,000 signatures a day. In October 2009, a survey found that 64% of French people oppose the arrival of Sarkozy at the Epad.
The controversy prompted various ironic comments from the international press. The Daily Mail noted that "when asked whether the President's son might be a bit young for such a relatively prestigious job, [EPAD's current president] responded using the traditional French political foil of quoting classic literature: 'In souls nobly born, valour does not depend upon age.'" The Times calls the nomination an "astonishing act of nepotism by Nicolas Sarkozy" and reminds that "[Jean], who is repeating his second year of undergraduate law at the Sorbonne, after having repeated the first year, was elected to a Neuilly seat on the notoriously sleaze-ridden department council last year. He was immediately given the job of heading Dad's Union for a Popular Movement on the body."
The President of Medef replied to these criticisms saying she believed it was "fantastic that a young and motivated man" may want to be at the head of the largest business district in France. Likewise, Nicolas Sarkozy defended his son by saying that "it's never good when someone is attacked in an excessive manner for no reason," not long however after having been mocked by some French media for having fiercely underlined during an unrelated speech on high school reform that "what matters in France to succeed no longer relates to birth privileges, rather, to succeed, it is important to work hard and to have demonstrated significant skills at school, at work." Jean Sarkozy said he is not going to give up the position, and demanded on French television not to be judged on his name, but on his acts. He received the support of David Douillet
, a former champion of the world of Judo
, newly elected as a député
under the banner of the UMP. However, finally due to mounting pressure, Jean Sarkozy had to renounce.
and educated at the Lycée Pasteur
. He married Jessica Sebaoun-Darty on 10 September 2008 at the Neuilly-sur-Seine city hall. She gave birth to their first child—a son, Solal Nicolas Marc-Andre—on 13 January 2010. His wife is the daughter of Marc-André Sebaoun and Isabelle Maruani (née Darty). Maruani is heiress to a major consumer electronics
company, the Darty
group. He has denied reports that he intends to convert to Judaism, Sebaoun's religion. The cartoonist Siné
came under sharp criticism and was sacked from his magazine after accusing Jean Sarkozy of converting out of ambition and being sued by the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism
(LICRA).
In 2007, Le Canard enchaîné
, a satirical weekly newspaper, reported that French police had gone to extraordinary lengths to try to find his scooter when it was stolen, including taking DNA samples from his helmet. The scooter was recovered in ten days.
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
from his first marriage, to Marie-Dominique Culioli. Jean is a regional councillor in the city of Neuilly-sur-Seine, France and registered as a 1st year Law student at Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University in 2007. He is a backroom activist for his father's Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
(UMP), a right-wing party.
Neuilly-sur-Seine mayorship
Nicolas Sarkozy attempted to parachute David Martinon, his protégé and presidential spokesman, into the mayorship of Neuilly-sur-Seine, the richest town in France, where the president had formerly served as mayor. It was seen as one of the UMP's safest seats because 86% of the voters supported Sarkozy in the 2007 presidential election. Jean Sarkozy was asked to persuade the voters to support his father's choice. After a poll showed that Martinon was so unpopular that he would lose the election, Jean publicly broke rank and said it was impossible to continue backing his father's mayoral choice. He and other politicians from the president's centre-right UMP party decided to campaign on their own ticket. Martinon stepped down as the party's candidate for mayor. Jean Sarkozy announced he was running for office himself as the UMP candidate for regional councillor in the electoral district of Neuilly-Sud. He was born, brought up and now lives in Neuilly-Sud, which includes the Bagatelle quarter, a neighbourhood of 27,000 people, the richest part of Neuilly. He faced three other candidates, Marie Brannens from the Socialist PartySocialist Party (France)
The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in France and the largest party of the French centre-left. It is one of the two major contemporary political parties in France, along with the center-right Union for a Popular Movement...
, and candidates from the Democratic Movement
Democratic Movement (France)
The Democratic Movement , MoDem) is a centrist, social liberal and pro-European French political party that was founded by centrist politician François Bayrou to succeed his Union for French Democracy and to contest the 2007 legislative election, after his strong showing in the 2007 presidential...
(MoDem) and the Front National.
La Défense controversy
In 2009 Jean was offered to become head of Epad, the development agency for La DéfenseLa Défense
La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
, just west of Paris. La Défense is an important office centre, with 43 high-rise buildings, and its development agency controls an annual budget of more than 1 billion euros. French and many international newspapers reported this as a new case of nepotism
Nepotism
Nepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
. Much criticism has been made about the obvious lack of academic qualities and professional experience for such a high position. An online petition against the nomination has been diffused in all of the major news outlets and receives some 10,000 signatures a day. In October 2009, a survey found that 64% of French people oppose the arrival of Sarkozy at the Epad.
The controversy prompted various ironic comments from the international press. The Daily Mail noted that "when asked whether the President's son might be a bit young for such a relatively prestigious job, [EPAD's current president] responded using the traditional French political foil of quoting classic literature: 'In souls nobly born, valour does not depend upon age.'" The Times calls the nomination an "astonishing act of nepotism by Nicolas Sarkozy" and reminds that "[Jean], who is repeating his second year of undergraduate law at the Sorbonne, after having repeated the first year, was elected to a Neuilly seat on the notoriously sleaze-ridden department council last year. He was immediately given the job of heading Dad's Union for a Popular Movement on the body."
The President of Medef replied to these criticisms saying she believed it was "fantastic that a young and motivated man" may want to be at the head of the largest business district in France. Likewise, Nicolas Sarkozy defended his son by saying that "it's never good when someone is attacked in an excessive manner for no reason," not long however after having been mocked by some French media for having fiercely underlined during an unrelated speech on high school reform that "what matters in France to succeed no longer relates to birth privileges, rather, to succeed, it is important to work hard and to have demonstrated significant skills at school, at work." Jean Sarkozy said he is not going to give up the position, and demanded on French television not to be judged on his name, but on his acts. He received the support of David Douillet
David Douillet
David Douillet is a French judoka and politician.Douillet was born in the city of Rouen. Standing at 1.90 meters and weighing 125 kilograms , he won the judo heavyweight gold medals in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games in Atlanta and Sydney. He also gained four world titles and a European crown...
, a former champion of the world of Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, newly elected as a député
Chamber of Deputies of France
Chamber of Deputies was the name given to several parliamentary bodies in France in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries:* 1814–1848 during the Bourbon Restoration and the July Monarchy, the Chamber of Deputies was the Lower chamber of the French Parliament, elected by census suffrage.*...
under the banner of the UMP. However, finally due to mounting pressure, Jean Sarkozy had to renounce.
Personal life
Jean Sarkozy was born in Neuilly-sur-SeineNeuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although Neuilly is technically a suburb of Paris, it is immediately adjacent to the city and directly extends it. The area is composed of mostly wealthy, select residential...
and educated at the Lycée Pasteur
Lycée Pasteur
The Lycée Pasteur is a French state-run secondary school in Neuilly-sur-Seine, on the outskirts of Paris. It accept students from collège through to classes préparatoires .Built in the grounds of the former chateau de Neuilly, the lycée is named in...
. He married Jessica Sebaoun-Darty on 10 September 2008 at the Neuilly-sur-Seine city hall. She gave birth to their first child—a son, Solal Nicolas Marc-Andre—on 13 January 2010. His wife is the daughter of Marc-André Sebaoun and Isabelle Maruani (née Darty). Maruani is heiress to a major consumer electronics
Consumer electronics
Consumer electronics are electronic equipment intended for everyday use, most often in entertainment, communications and office productivity. Radio broadcasting in the early 20th century brought the first major consumer product, the broadcast receiver...
company, the Darty
Darty
Darty, founded in 1957 by the Darty family in France, is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK-based KESA Electricals Plc specialising in Electrical retailing...
group. He has denied reports that he intends to convert to Judaism, Sebaoun's religion. The cartoonist Siné
Siné
Maurice Sinet , known as Siné, is a French cartoonist.As a young man he studied drawing and graphic arts, while earning a living as a cabaret singer. After his military service he started publishing his drawings and also worked as a photo-retoucher for porn magazines. His first published drawing...
came under sharp criticism and was sacked from his magazine after accusing Jean Sarkozy of converting out of ambition and being sued by the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism
International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism
The International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism – or Ligue Internationale Contre le Racisme et l'Antisémitisme in French— was established in 1926, and is opposed to intolerance, xenophobia and exclusion....
(LICRA).
In 2007, Le Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné
Le Canard enchaîné is a satirical newspaper published weekly in France. Founded in 1915, it features investigative journalism and leaks from sources inside the French government, the French political world and the French business world, as well as many jokes and humorous cartoons.-Early...
, a satirical weekly newspaper, reported that French police had gone to extraordinary lengths to try to find his scooter when it was stolen, including taking DNA samples from his helmet. The scooter was recovered in ten days.