Introduction

Nicolas Sarkozy became President of France in May 2007. In February 2008 he formed a special "Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress" co-chaired by two economists with international reputations, Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz. The Commission, which delivered its final report in September 2009, described its charge as examining "the limits of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as an indicator of economic performance and social progress" and proposing alternative measures. Sarkozy repeated the themes of his campaign addresses, balancing acknowledgment of colonial pillage with claims about the hard work, sincerity, and "civilizing mission" of many colonizers. The distinction Sarkozy made between "civilizations" guided not only his view of Africa but also his policy on immigration. He argued forcefully that immigrants represented an alien civilization, that they were a burden on the state and a threat to French jobs.