THE QUESTION
Does it matter who the next French president is, or is France doomed to decline?
Posted by Fareed Zakaria & David Ignatius on April 23, 2007 10:21 AM
FROM THE PANEL

Miriam Leitao is a reporter and columnist for O Globo and Radio CBN in Brazil. She is also a commentator on Globo TV Network and runs her own blog, www.miriamleitao.com, hosted at Globo online at www.oglobo.com.br. She was awarded Columbia University’s Maria Moors Cabot Prize in 2005.
New Energy at the Ballot Box
France is showing strong commitment to the democratic process, and that process is bearing fruit. This first round of voting has been characterized by many novelties, including high voter turnout and two winners from a new generation of politicians.
Miriam Leitao Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Apr 25, 2007 at 9:52 AM

Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff is a Senior Director at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a transatlantic public policy and grant-making foundation. He overseas the fund's policy programs. He was previously the Washington bureau chief of the German newsweekly, Die Zeit.
Leadership Matters
Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff Germany |

Dr. Ali Ettefagh serves as a director of Highmore Global Corporation, an investment company in emerging markets of Eastern Europe, CIS, and the Middle East. He is the co-author of several books on trade conflict, resolution of international trade disputes, conflicts in letters of credit, trade-related banking transactions, sovereign debt, arbitration and dispute resolutions and publications specific to the oil and gas, communication, aviation and finance sectors. Dr. Ettefagh is a member of the executive committee and the board of directors of The Development Foundation, an advisor to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and an advisor to a number of European companies. Dr. Ettefagh speaks Persian (Farsi), English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Turkish.
It's Cyclical, France Will Be Back
Ali Ettefagh Tehran, Iran |

Bill Emmott is the former editor of The Economist magazine, a leading international current affairs publication from England. He is now an independent writer, speaker, and consultant on international affairs.
Not Decline, But Rupture with the Past
Bill Emmott Great Britain |
READER RESPONSE

» Fleur de Lys, Canada | What a question! How about: "Does it matter who the next US president is, or is the US doomed to decline?", as a reality check?...
France is a wonder...

» D. Hodara | It is indeed very important that the new president be Nicolas Sarkosy, because the programme he presented contains a number of items to correct numero...

» anon. in oxon hill | This is a loaded question--'doomed to decline'. A much better question is what are the implications of this destiny to fail in the context of the "w...
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