Policies of Silvio Berlusconi period because during the Cold War Italy had the strongest communist party in western Europe. Vladimir Putin has many times expressed his appreciation for the respect shown by the Italian Prime Minister towards the leadership of the Russian Federation. Silvio Berlusconi is among the most vocal supporters of closer ties between Russia and the European Union. In an article published to Italian media on 26 May 2002, he said that the next step in Russia's growing integration with the West should be EU membership. On 17 November 2005 he commented in regards to the prospect of such a membership that
Domestic policy of the Nicolas Sarkozy administration Parliament allowed various laws to be enacted in a hurry: LRU law, law on recidivists, TEPA law (enacted after the Constitutional council modified it), law on social dialogue and minimum service in transport, adoption of the RSA (implemented for experimentation in November). Reforms continued to be prepared and examined after the summer holidays, with the creation of commissions, releasing of reports and discussions. Nicolas Sarkozy also prepared the pledged reform of secondary education and high school by writing to every teacher a « Letter to teachers » in which he recalled the missions and the values conveyed by school and