In France the jogging habit of President Sarkozy has become the subject of debate, analysis and yes ... even psychoanalysis. In the cafes favored by Paris intellectuals the talk is no longer about existentialism or post-modernism - but about Sarkozy's penchant for dressing in shorts and runners, then hitting the road in order to engage in an activity involving leg-propelled forward momentum and the generation of sweat.

Why ask his critics, does the President feel the need to jog? An activity after all that is viewed by many jaded Gaulois smokers as well ... American. Dangerously American. What has happened to France, when the president of the Republic starts running around in public, sweating and grimacing?

Moreover Sarkozy has other disconcerting athletic habits. He doesn't reliably mount the steps of the Elysee Palace with presidential dignity. No longer the haughty Chiracian aplomb of old. No, on occasion the suspiciously buffed newcomer bounds up the steps like a sort of right wing gazelle. A deeply disturbing sight to those who suspect that all of this has a threatening sub-text - kind of like being invaded by humanoid aliens who betray themselves by some peculiar trait or other.

The president's jogging has become linked in the minds of the paranoid with some muscular, testosterone-driven ideological agenda. Can you imagine how appalled Jean-Paul Sartre would have been by this spectacle? It would reliably have prompted long philosophical discussions and perhaps even lengthy essays.

One French philosopher, Alain Finkelkraut, has gone so far as to beg the president to give up his "undignified" hobby. Finkelkraut suggested on the TV channel, France 2, that instead of jogging, Sarkozy should take up walking ... like Socrates and the poet, Arthur Rimbaud.

The philosophical speculation also focuses on the nature of the activity itself and some critics are of the opinion that unlike walking, jogging is a projection of power and control. A walker takes in nature - there is a reciprocal exchange between the walker and surroundings during a promenade, inspiring thought and even dreams. Whereas jogging ... well it's virtually like giving the finger to nature. It declares "I am the master of my domain" in an unseemly fashion. It is almost imperial. Like invading the Champs Elysees without first going to the UN. Shocking!

But even more disconcerting than the jogging, is the outfit the president is sometimes seen wearing. You would think that if he insists on jogging he would at least try to help the planet by wearing a T'shirt that supports the environment or maybe even one with something recognizably French like a baguette. But no, he has the temerity to wear a shirt emblazoned with 'NYPD'. Mon Dieu! Can you imagine this? The president of the Republic running around Paris with a T'shirt touting New York cops? Unbelievable.

Le jogging or "le footing" as it is sometimes known has resulted in nicknames for the new president, such as "Speedy Sarko" and "Supersarko". This may seem light hearted, but the nicknames don't detract from the deeper concern that the president's jogging is nothing less than a crass display of individualism. Some even suspect creeping totalitarianism. After all the Nazis were fond of athletic pursuits and strutting their stuff for the camera. A media critic, Daniel Schneidermann, goes even further and has stated publicly that he believes Sarkozy's jogging is "a major weapon of media manipulation".

What next? Sarkozy jogging with Bush at the Crawford ranch? High fives with Schwarzenegger as the pair bounce along a beach framed by a Cali sunset? Or God forbid jogging around Brussels like a yank?

All of this attention on what is after all an exercise routine, confirms many in their view that the French are prone to hyperbole and love to create drama for the sake of it. Of course, the suspicions that Sarkozy is too pro-American and too right wing in general required a tangible symbol. So it's hardly surprising that some on the left are milking this for all it's worth.

So far the president has remained blithely unaffected by the fuss. When he starts chewing gum and wearing a Sony Walkman on his runs, then his critics can be assured that France is really in serious peril.

By: Aidan Maconachy
Aidan Maconachy resides in Ontario, Canada. He has a BA Hons and a BEd. He taught in the UK and Canada, and has been a contributor to a variety of magazines and newspapers over the years. You can visit his blog at http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com.

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There are pros and cons with the election of Nicolas Sarkozy as French president.

Behind his progressive economic agenda there lurks an appeal to xenophobia, nationalism and traditional moral codes. A portion of his vote came directly from the Le Pen camp. But what's the option? France is in a mess and something has to give. Years of political correctness, artificially high wages, union obduracy and a multicultural arrangement that has been more like warehousing of immigrants in some instances has led to an untenable situation.

When you compare France with Germany, the challenge becomes clear. The German economy is on a roll, in part thanks to a spartan regimen that saw a virtual wage freeze over some six years. Meanwhile wages have remained unrealistically high in France. While the Germans are becoming more competitive, France is lagging far behind. In fact it is one of the weakest performers in the eurozone with a budget deficit of 2.5% of GDP - as compared to the eurozone average of 1.6%. Also its debt levels are close to twice as high as the UK.

Like it or not the solution appears to be Sarkozy. For some reason remedies to social and economic ills often involve this dramatic swing of the pendulum, rather than a more graduated approach.

If you take Sarkozy at his word he is all about turning France upside down and unleashing a revolution to transform the economy. The good side of this of course, is that it may break down doors that have long been closed to immigrants and allow them to become more integrated and competitive. This needs to happen because droves of talent has been crossing the channel and taking jobs in England, after running into endless roadblocks in France. Sarkozy has a real chance to alter this situation for the better.

He's been accused of being racist, but most of this is exaggerated. The left has tended to hype his more inflammatory remarks in order to play them for political advantage. When he says that France doesn't need or want immigrants who slaughter sheep in the bath tub, it may seem like harsh talk, but it's a metaphor that speaks to the mistake of allowing immigrants to transport their former lives into France where many live in ghettoized versions of 'little N. Africa' - often while subsisting on state handouts. This does nothing for the unity of the country, and by extension for Europe as a whole.

I view Sarkozy mostly as a tough talking pragmatist. Having said that, it's hard not to have reservations about a number of his views. His appeal to nationalism has the potential to whip up xenophobia in ways that could prove to be deeply divisive.

At least his speech was a rallying call and made an effort to bridge the divides. I like the line - "I want a France where everyone has a chance - but the chance comes for those who work for it." Fair enough. The nanny state mentality in France has been a major contributor to current problems.

He also gave the thumbs up to America while cautioning that "friendship means accepting that friends can have different opinions." He mentioned one source of possible dissension - climate change - and urged the US to take the lead. I'm sure George Bush is chaffing at the bit to do just that. On the environment front Sarkozy has his work cut out for him if he is hoping to make converts of the Bush administration.

It's a wait-and-see situation with Sarkozy. The point is, something had to give. Considering that one third of the French populace claim to have "sympathies" with the far right, all I can say is that I'd much rather see Sarko at the helm than the likes of a Jean-Marie Le Pen.

By: Aidan Maconachy
Aidan Maconachy resides in Ontario, Canada. He has a BA Hons and a BEd. He taught in the UK and Canada, and has been a contributor to a variety of magazines and newspapers over the years. You can visit his blog at http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com.

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