Hopes that hip young politicians Barack Obama, 47, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, 54, might restore international detente’ after the Franco-phobia of the Bush years were rewarded when Sarkozy announced Wednesday that he will make France a full member of NATO after 43 years.

In 1967, President Charles de Gaulle, patron saint of France’s old guard, removed his nation from full membership, expelled NATO troops from France along with decreasing commitments for soldiers and money.

Even though NATO no longer has the Soviet Union to kick around, Sarkozy’s move is symbolic of his aim to make France more invested on the national stage.

This move is very controversial among many in French politics for different reasons. Sarkozy’s own Conservative Party look on de Gaulle’s advice to stay out of NATO as a move to keep France strong and independent, as opposed to restricting its military in a world dominated by the United States. Sarkozy has already committed more French groups to Afghanistan and spoke Wednesday that France and America should work together to define their mission for the 21st century.

“The time has come,” Sarkozy said to the French Strategic Research Foundation. “Our strategy cannot remain stuck in the past when the conditions of our security have changed radically.”

Like George W. Bush, former French President Jacques Chirac surrounded himself with the old guard of his country, the ancien’ regime, to quote the revolutionary phrase about a draconian power base. Being mutually arrogant, both leaders let disagreement on the Iraq War grow into some serious bad blood.

Don’t get me wrong; Franco-phobia is a time honored Anglo-Saxon tradition, going back at least 1,000 years to the Norman conquest of England. But the joke went too far under Bush and Chirac when it got to the point that John Kerry had to pretend he that couldn’t speak French and french fries were branded un-American. Even in July 2008, then-candidate Obama had to downplay his visit to Paris to mere hours.

Any number of people will tell you about French jerks like Parisian waiters who serve dishwater to the Griswolds in “National Lampoon’s European Vacation.” Incidentally, restaurants in Paris will charge you $8 for a glass of Coke.

But in my experience, most stereotypes of French arrogance apply their anicen’ regime. I hope the same could be said of Americans. When I took a year studying abroad at the University of London, my visits to France were wonderful because of the good advice and hospitality of young French people.

On the other hand, some French people older than 60 have never left their country and think it’s the center of the universe. Sound familiar?

President Obama will be in attendance in Strasbourg, France on April 3 when Sarkozy makes an offical declaration of membership in NATO command. Since Obama’s first visit to France as President is sure to be a big hit, I’d pass on a phrase that comes to mind when I think of France and America: “Nous sommes des freres dans la liberte’,” which means, “we are brothers in liberty.”

!Vive’ la Revolution!

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