Nicolas Sarkozy (born on 28January 1955) is the 23rd and currentPresident of the French Republic andex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Heassumed the office on 16 May 2007 afterdefeating the Socialist Party candidateSégolène Royal 10 days earlier.

Before his presidency, he wasleader of the Union for a PopularMovement (UMP). Under JacquesChirac’s presidency he served as Ministerof the Interior in Jean-Pierre Raffarin’s(UMP) first two governments (from May 2002 to March 2004), then wasappointed Minister of Finances in Raffarin’s last government (March 2004to May 2005) and again Minister of the Interior in Dominique de Villepin’sgovernment (2005–2007).

Sarkozy was also president of the General council of the Hauts-de-Seine department from 2004 to 2007 and mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, oneof the wealthiest communes of France from 1983 to 2002. He was Ministerof the Budget in the government of édouard Balladur (RPR, predecessor ofthe UMP) during Fran鏾is Mitterrand抯 last term.

Sarkozy is known for wanting to revitalize the French economy. Hehas pledged to revive the work ethic, promote new initiatives and fightintolerance. In foreign affairs he has promised a strengthening of the ententecordiale with the United Kingdom and closer cooperation with the UnitedStates. He married Carla Bruni on 2 February 2008 at thePalace inParis.

Public imageSarkozy was named he 68th best-dressed person in the world?

by Vanity Fair, alongside David Beckham and Brad Pitt. However,Sarkozy has also been named as 揟he third worst-dressed person in theworld?by GQ, a listing that has been disputed. Beside publicising, at times,and at others, refusing to publicise his ex-wife Cilia Ciganer-Albimage, Sarkozy takes care of his own personal image, sometimes to thepoint of censorshipuch as in the Paris Match affair, when he allegedlyforced its director to resignfollowing an article on hisex-wife and her affair withPublicis executive RichardAttias, or pressures exercisedon the Journal du dimanche,which was preparing topublish an article concerningCiganer-Albdecision 　not to vote in the second round of the 2007 presidential election. In its 9August 2007 edition, Paris Match retouched a photo of Sarkozy in orderto erase a love handle. His official portrait destined for all French townhalls was done by SIPA photographer Philippe Warrin, better known for hispaparazzi work.