‘ Blog：Damaged’ country

The venue was packed with members of Mr Sarkozy’s governing centre-right UMP party but it was also carried live on national television.
Mr Sarkozy said there was much that was wrong with the country, like the economy and public services, but he wanted to convince people who were disillusioned and no longer believed in politics to have faith.
“Over recent years, profound virtues of the French people and some of France’s secular mainstays have been damaged…” he said
“France has so often been gripped by a fever of destruction.”
He focused on some of the issues likely to dominate next year’s presidential election, like immigration.
He has advocated tough new rules making it difficult for the families of immigrants already in France to join them from abroad.
The interior minister said he would be tough on crime – another big concern.
He was, our correspondent says, appealing to those who might be tempted to vote for a far-right candidate.