Fury at La Défense job for Sarko son

THE 23-year-old son of President Sarkozy has caused a political storm by bidding to join the board of Epad, the agency which runs La Défense, the financial suburb on the edge of Paris.

La Défense aims to rival the City of London and Jean Sarkozy, who is resitting the second year of his law degree at the Sorbonne, would be in line to be chairman.

Critics have denounced it as nepotism and more than 31,000 people have signed an internet petition against the appointment, with the online forums of the centre-right Le Figaro full of condemnation.

One poster says: "My grandson is in the second year of kindergarten and loves aeroplanes. Do you think he has a chance of becoming boss of Air France next year?"

Mr Sarkozy is following in his father’s footsteps. He has been a councillor in wealthy Neuilly in Hautes-de-Seine for two years and is now head of his father’s UMP party on the council.

It is a position President Sarkozy held himself – and he, too, joined the board of Epad and then took the chairmanship. He was mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine at the age of 28.

Mr Sarkozy told Le Parisien newspaper's website: "Whatever I say, whatever I do, I will be criticised.”

Higher Education minister Valérie Pécresse says he is the “natural candidate” for the job but one UMP MP was quoted as saying: "You can imagine how this goes down with middle-class parents worried about their children's futures in a time of recession. Nicolas Sarkozy should remember that he was elected on a promise of bringing equal opportunities to all."

Socialist Ségolène Royal suggested there were financial motives for President Sarkozy in the move – La Défense brings in €1bn a year in rents and taxes. She said: "Money like that is always useful just before the next presidential election. Holding the keys to the generation of billions of euros ... you know what I mean."

La Défense is the base for some of Europe’s largest companies.
Photo: GSbear