Sarkozy and the Right

It really is troubling to read about French President Sarkozy's recent pandering to the populist Right click here
But true to form, what does a devious politician of the centre right do when they're in danger of electoral defeat? They turn up the populism and play the race card (almost without exception). Just like the threat of the xenophobic One Nation Party in Australia, the mainstream Right will attempt to hijack/incorporate their agenda, but with a more civilized face to it.
Sarkozy's latest trick apparently is to ban Muslim prayers in the streets, as they apparently overflow and spill out from the mosques onto the precious Parisian pavements? This supposedly "risks undermining the French secular tradition separating state and religion". I mean what an absurd notion for (seemingly) civilised adults to be arguing. So to be consistent I guess you'd also need to argue that the Greek Orthodox Church could no longer have parishioners spilling outside the church during the viewing of the "epitafio" during Easter services? But of course these bans have nothing to do with stopping the "undermining" of the secular tradition, and everything to do with securing the re-election of Sarkozy at the next election.
But just a final thought on (Muslim) Africans in France, I think the French nation is now reaping what it sowed. France has colonised and plundered the natural resources of its African colonies for hundreds of years for its own gain. But now it's time to pay the piper, France has a social responsibility to its French African population. Perhaps if the State spent less time trying to marginalise them, and more time promoting its diverse human capital, then France may be a happier nation today?