受全球性金融和经济危机的严重打击，法国各项经济指标明显下降，2009年下半年虽出现经济回暖迹象，但彻底摆脱危机尚任重道远。萨科齐政府旨在振兴法国的改革雄心依旧，但经济危机和社会抗议使改革进程步履维艰。萨科齐努力强化行政权力并争取民众支持，以便在2012年连任总统。在危机影响下，法国的罢工和示威活动比以往更加激烈和频繁，甚至蔓延到海外省。在外交方面，法国的大国雄心始终未减，只是在心有余而力不足的情况下，不得不调整策略，采取一些较为现实的做法。
Severely hit by the global financial and economic crises，a downward tendency was evident for all the economic indicators in France. It is still a long way for the country to completely get out of the crisis，even though signs of economic rebound have already emerged. Sarkozy Government is still as ambitious about revitalizing France by reforms as before，which was，unfortunately，fettered by the economic crisis and social protests. Aimed at winning a second election in 2012，Sarkozy is striving to strengthen the administrative power and struggling for the public’s support. However，in the context of crisis，strikes and protests in France were far more intense and frequent and even spread to its Overseas Departments and Territories. With regard to its foreign policy，although it still holds on the strategy of becoming a great power，France has to adapt it to the reality.
