France’s President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy rejected opposition criticism of his post-election holiday on a luxury yacht on Wednesday, saying there was nothing out of the ordinary about the three-day break.
”I have no intention of hiding. I have no intention of lying. I have no intention of apologising,” Sarkozy told reporters on the Mediterranean island of Malta after a jog in the countryside. ”I don’t see the controversy.”
He said he had the right to a break before assuming his post next week.
Sarkozy beat his Socialist presidential rival Ségolène Royal on Sunday, presenting himself as the ”candidate of the people”, promising to cut high unemployment, raise low purchasing power and reduce France’s debt mountain.
Socialists said his stay on the yacht of billionaire friend and media mogul Vincent Bollore showed Sarkozy was out of touch with the problems of normal people.
During his campaign, critics attacked Sarkozy’s close ties to media and business barons.
Sarkozy was due to return to France later in the day and was set to face more trouble back in Paris, where youths staged a third night of violence to protest against his election.
France’s interior minister accused far-left activists of fanning political violence on Wednesday. Police reported 200 cars were torched overnight and about 80 people arrested.
”For the last three days, since the night of the election, we have had an unacceptable situation,” Interior Minister Francois Baroin told France Info radio. ”It is clearly politically motivated and linked to the extreme left.”
Shouting ”Fascist Sarko! The people will have your skin”, about 200 to 300 people blocked Paris’ Place de la Bastille late on Tuesday for the third night running.
There was also violence in and around the south-eastern city of Lyon, where an office belonging to Sarkozy’s UMP party was set ablaze by youths throwing Molotov cocktails.
However, police chiefs said Tuesday’s troubles were less serious than on the previous two nights.
Calls for calm
Sarkozy, a former interior minister, has a reputation as a law-and-order hardliner and is a hate figure for many on the left.
Socialist officials repeated calls for calm on Wednesday, saying violence would only boost support for the UMP ahead of next month’s crucial parliamentary election.
”We’ve had an election. It’s legitimate. It’s democratic,” said Socialist lawmaker Henri Emmanuelli. ”For me, Mr Sarkozy is the president and we are not conducting a third round [of the election] through street violence,” he told LCI television.
Sarkozy is due to hold his first official engagement on Thursday when he will join outgoing President Jacques Chirac at a ceremony to commemorate the abolition of slavery.
Sarkozy is also due to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday.
Chirac, who held his final Cabinet meeting on Wednesday after 12 years in power, is due to hand over power to Sarkozy on May 16. The incoming president will then name his new government and start campaigning for the June legislative elections. – Reuters