Jean Sarkozy's first TV appearance

Friday 14 March 2008

Jean Sarkozy, 21, made his first TV appearance as a newly-elected council member for the Haut-de-Seine department on FRANCE 24. He said he chose run for elected office in Neuilly because he "deeply loves this city."

Jean Sarkozy told France 24 host Roselyne Febvre that he had very strong emotional links to the city of Neuilly. “I was born there and that’s where I grew up. I know the city and its network of associations; shopkeepers and restaurant owners. That’s where my commitment to Neuilly comes from. It’s not about being in politics for the sake of being in politics. It’s a local commitment to talk about local issues.”

Asked if his candidacy paved the way for a Sarkozy dynasty, Sarkozy junior said he “rejected the term.” “The fact that my father was once the mayor of Neuilly doesn’t make me 'illegitimate' and it doesn’t prevent me to campaign for a city I love,” he protested.

"My initiative was completely transparent," he explained. "I meet people. I could have made the choice to stay in the shadow, to use my connections. (…) But I didn’t do it. Not out of defiance, but because I’m committed to contribute something to this city. I also did it to gather my political family around me. I played the democratic game,” he added.

Jean Sarkozy said he was committed to carry out his mission until the end of his six-month mandate. “Public action means you’re serving the community,” he said. “It’s about carrying a project, positive values and trying to convince.” He concluded that in politics, “ if it was possible to get hit, it wasn’t necessary to hit back but to define other priorities. Today, I have a mission and I’m fully committed to pursuing it.”