Nicolas Sarkozy

The chairman of Republicans gave an interview to the seven European newspapers members Lena (Leading European Newspaper Alliance): La Repubblica, El Pais, Die Welt, Le Soir, La Tribune de Genève, Tages-Anzeiger and Le Figaro.

LENA. – What inspired you the latest acts of terrorism, the killing of Orlando and the murder of a French policeman and his wife in Magnanville?

Nicolas SARKOZY. – These tragic events show that we are at war. A foreign war against the Islamic State and al-Qaida, and an internal war against those of our fellow followers of radical Islam. If one wants to fight our enemy, we must designate: the jihadism and radical Islamism, which feed each other. How to accept how radical Islam treats women, persecutes gays … It’s a shame!

What to do about it?

The threat has changed in nature, size and importance. It abolished the last taboos: in France, a business leader was beheaded, a martyred newspaper, referred concert, outdoor cafes strafed, policemen murdered in their homes … It’s our whole society is attacked. But democracies have not yet taken the full measure of changes over the past two years, the response has not been up to.

I propose four immediate steps. First, we must put all Islamists held in solitary confinement, as there is a proselytizing in prisons must be fought. Secondly, I request the urgent creation of a real prison intelligence service. Not only must “add sound” (wiretap, Ed) cells, but it takes human intelligence, as indeed in places of worship and extremists within radicalized groups. Prison guards also must be attached to the Interior Ministry and not to the Department of Justice, because they are security personnel.

Third, foreign or binational person connected with terrorist activities or networks to be deported immediately. That the state of emergency serves at least that! We do not have the means to monitor round the clock stuck the some 11,500 individuals. Now all those who have gone to the act, without exception, had been spotted at some point. I request that the precautionary principle applies to security. The precautionary principle is also lengthen the sentences for those guilty of crimes related to terrorism and ensure their implementation.