Will U.S. visit help Sarkozy win back support?
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Differences discussed
During their meeting, Obama and Sarkozy also discussed a recent dispute between the United States and Europe over a Pentagon contract for aerial refueling tankers.
"What I said to President Sarkozy is that the process will be free and fair and that the trust is justified," Obama said.
The American president spoke in reference to an accusation by the European EADS aerospace group that Washington's attempt to renew the contract with Boeing was protectionism.
Another dispute concerns financial regulation reform. Sarkozy, who will assume leadership of the G-20 and the G-8 in 2011, expects Washington to take concrete measures to regulate its financial markets.
The differences between the United States and Europe on regulating financial markets remain obvious, although Sarkozy could be satisfied with Obama's promise to push the U.S. Congress to pass reform legislation.
"We must provide sufficient oversight so that reckless speculation or reckless risk-taking by a few big players in the financial markets will never again threaten the global economy or burden taxpayers," Obama said.
But the question might not be whether the U.S. Congress would pass the legislation. It instead could be whether the American effort would agree with what the Europeans expect.
Ahead of his visit to Washington, Sarkozy's center-right allies suffered a hefty defeat in regional French elections,the worst in more than five decades. The French president's personal approval rating also took a nose dive.
Sarkozy was forced to announce a cabinet reshuffle and a retreat from a carbon tax plan that has been considered one of his pillar policies.
Some analysts say that Sarkozy intended to leverage the achievements in his U.S. visit to ease some political pressure at home. But apart from reaffirming the U.S.-France relationship, the visit has not generated any other remarkable results.
"Under President Sarkozy's leadership, France has further secured its rightful place as a leader in Europe and around the world, recognizing that meeting global challenges requires global partnerships," Obama said.
However, will Obama's praise ensure that Sarkozy wins back public support in France?
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