Sarkozy Defends Diplomatic Record ahead of Vote

French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended his diplomatic record on Sunday ahead of an election in April, praising France's role in Europe and Libya but admitting that some errors had been made.

In a wide-ranging interview with French quarterly review Politique Internationale, Sarkozy highlighted what he said were diplomatic successes in reforming Europe, ending the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia and intervening in Libya.

"I believe the international action that I took in France's name... was useful," Sarkozy said.

He said he was particularly proud to have worked with Germany on imposing fiscal restraint rules in the European Union in response to the eurozone economic crisis.

"We convinced our European partners to finally put in place the economic government that Europe and the eurozone needed so much," he said.

Sarkozy also highlighted his role as EU president in 2008 in "putting an end to the war between Russia and Georgia" and France's participation in the Libya intervention, saying it had saved "the people of Benghazi from the bloodbath (Moammar) Gadhafi had promised".

He admitted that errors had been made but blamed them on the circumstances.

"I am not saying that no mistakes were made ... but when you look at things in retrospect, you must always remember the circumstances," Sarkozy said.

Asked about France hosting Gadhafi in Paris in 2007, Sarkozy said the former strongman was invited as part of an "international consensus" to engage with Libya and "this did not stop France from being the first to send its planes to stop (Gadhafi’s) tanks".

He also admitted to having "underestimated the exasperation" of people in the Arab world when countries like Tunisia began protesting against repressive regimes and of probably being "too complacent" with their leaders.

Critics have accused Sarkozy's government of being slow to back the public protest movements that eventually ousted Tunisian strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Sarkozy said there were things he could have "done better or differently" but that his diplomatic efforts in his first term would be remembered for his "willingness to act".