Sarkozy Faces Down Motion of No Confidence Over Us Stance

The French government yesterday faced down its first vote of no confidence since Nicolas Sarkozy's election, as Socialists accused the president of a dangerous "Atlanticist drift" that risked turning France into Washington's poodle.

Leftwing politicians tabled a motion of no confidence over Sarkozy's decision to send 700 more troops to Afghanistan and his proposal that France should rejoin Nato's integrated command, which it left in 1966 when Charles de Gaulle rejected US dominance of the alliance.

Both issues have proved controversial among the French public, with two recent polls showing a majority against more French troops being sent to Afghanistan.

But the no-confidence motion was largely a symbolic gesture as Sarkozy's ruling centre-right UMP party holds a clear majority in parliament and was never in danger of losing the vote.

However, it allowed for a heated exchange in parliament, in which Socialists sought to capitalize on their recent good showing in local elections and the president's poor poll ratings.

François Hollande, the Socialist leader, said Sarkozy decided to send military reinforcements to Afghanistan "under pressure from the Americans" and that France risked losing its independence on the world stage. Other opposition politicians have warned that France's ability to stand apart, as demonstrated by its opposition to the Iraq war in 2003, would be lost for ever.

The prime minister, François Fillon, countered: "The opposition accuses us of Atlanticism, a pleasant way of saying we are in the pay of George Bush. Everyone understands that their aim is to surf on one of our most questionable failings: basic anti-Americanism."

He said that under Sarkozy France was a friend to America, but "independent" and "not subordinate". They were allies who were allowed to disagree, but also agree.

Fillon's speech to parliament was eagerly applauded by his own center-right MPs - a crucial gauge of support for his reform agenda.

He is to push through some of Sarkozy's most difficult policies in the coming months, on issues such as pensions, health, labor laws, education and public sector workers.