Former French President Sarkozy Praises Morocco’s King Mohammed VI in New Book

"Morocco is very lucky to have such a quality sovereign," writes the former French president. In the eyes of Nicolas Sarkozy, King Mohammed VI is "a man of great intelligence, very Francophile and with a kindness that never wavers". According to him, the sovereign has inherited from his father Hassan II, "power and strength". He highlights the "modernity of his age" and "the humanity of his temperament".

Reflecting on his relations with the King of Morocco, Mr. Sarkozy could not help but make a comparison between Mohammed VI and the former Algerian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika. "Conversing with him [Bouteflika] took time. The unit of measurement was three hours. If a meeting lasted less, it could be considered shortened. One detail bothered me. He did not want to converse face to face. We were always sitting side by side. I constantly had to turn my head to look at him. I often left the residence where he received me with a terrible stiff neck," he recounts.

"The first hour of meetings with Bouteflika was always devoted to talking about the liberation revolution and the pain and suffering that colonialism left behind," continues Nicolas Sarkozy. The former Algerian president, ousted on April 22, 2019, reproached the former French president for what he called "Moroccan tropism".

"I also had to justify what he called my Moroccan tropism. I defended myself vigorously, even though inwardly I said to myself: ’At least when I’m in Rabat, the king doesn’t reproach me for the protectorate!’" he says.