Sarkozy Faces Confidence Vote Over Rejoining NATO

Nicolas Sarkozy’s government must submit to a vote of confidence after the president announced his intention to have France rejoin NATO’s integrated military command, the BBC reports. Opposition politicians and some in Sarkozy’s UMP party say tightening NATO ties will threaten France’s independence. But Sarkozy says it doesn't make sense for France, a NATO founder, to be left out of strategic decisions. 

"To distance ourselves would limit our … room for maneuver," he said. While the vote of confidence shows how controversial Sarzkozy’s NATO plan is, he is expected to win easily because members of his party—even those critical of the NATO decision—will rally behind the government. The UMP party has a substantial majority in both houses of Parliament. (More Nicolas Sarkozy stories.)