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
Salaries of elected offices in France Salaries of elected offices in France In France, all elected positions rerceive salaries based on the civil service index, which was established on 1 July 2010, at 45,617.63 Euros per annum. From 2007 to 2012, the salary of the President of France was established by the National Assembly to €21194,52 per month. It consisted of a basic allowance of €15101.09, a housing allowance of €635.84, and a duty allowance of €5457.59. On May 17, 2012, the new Prime Minister of France Jean-Marc Ayrault presented a decree reducing by 30% the salary of President of the Republic, which now stands at