Indeed, the Gaullist tradition ends with him.

In this way Gaullism and Communism emerged as the most popular political forces in the country.

For that reason the Gaullists refused to re elect him to that position after the 1968 legislative election.

Many grandiose Gaullist economic projects from the Concorde supersonic airplane to a national computer industry failed.

Challenging authoritarianism, the revolt triggered an explosion at the heart of the typically French two headed power structure, which combined a dominant Gaullism and a Communist Party managing the working class.

With most of the political class discredited, and containing many members who had more or less collaborated with the enemy, Gaullism and Communism became the most popular political forces in France.

The Gaullist tradition has also been maintained by an independent diplomatic corps that tends towards non alliance with allies and is often perceived as perfidious and arrogant.

Wariness of America was, to be sure, not just a leftist pose many Gaullists over the decades have been tinged with anti Americanism, too.

The fourth lesson follows from Sarkozy s stance as a classical ultra liberal. While he is very French in his upbringing and education he does not speak English! he is nevertheless neither a Jacobin nor a Gaullist.