The entente fraternelle that London dares not enter

9th May 2008
By Christian Lequesne

For French diplomacy, Nicolas Sarkozy’s State visit to London has been a success. The French president showed a political commitment towards the UK which was different from the formal attitude of his predecessors. He spoke of the necessity to build a new ‘entente fraternelle’ between the two countries. For his French audience, he also cited the economic reforms that have taken place in Britain since Margaret Thatcher as a ‘reference’ or ‘model’ for th…