France–United States relations between France and the United States became friendlier after Nicolas Sarkozy was elected President of France in 2007. Sarkozy, who has been called "Sarko the American", has said that he "love[s] America" and that he is "proud of his nickname". In 2007, Sarkozy delivered a speech before the U.S. Congress that was seen as a strong affirmation of French–American ties; during the visit, he also met with President George W. Bush as well as senators John McCain and Barack Obama (before they were chosen as presidential candidates). Obama and McCain also met with Sarkozy in Paris after securing their respective
France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 France chose their entry through a national final consisting of 10 performers selected by French television broadcasters. Successful French acts of the past five years were invited to compete for a trip to Helsinki, with emphasis put on more contemporary musical styles. Finally, Les Fatals Picards were chosen as the French representatives for 2007. The French entry finished joint 22nd in the contest with the United Kingdom, with 19 points. As a member of the Big Four, France automatically qualified to compete in final held in May 12. Les Fatals Picards was drawn