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Heading to his first Group of Eight summit this week, Sarkozy is determined to make his mark - and fast - on the world stage.
He appears to be focusing on areas where quick progress is possible - not thorny issues like Middle East peace or Iran's nuclear program. The G-8 will be a key test of whether the appeal of Sarkozy's get-things-done verve will translate beyond French voters to a more global audience.
"He hasn't made any blunders so far," said Dominique Moisi of the French Institute for International Relations. At the G-8, Sarkozy's "presence will be felt. He will not be discreet but will be ... booming with energy and confidence."
Sarkozy scored one apparent victory Monday when Colombian authorities released the highest-ranking jailed guerrilla from the leftist rebel group FARC - at Sarkozy's request, according to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
The move appeared destined for domestic consumption in France, where Betancourt's predicament has captured widespread attention. It was unclear, however, why Sarkozy pushed specifically for Granda's release, and some questioned his willingness to lobby for the release of a top member of FARC, which is listed by the U.S. as a terrorist group.
Sarkozy met Tuesday with Betancourt's children and former husband and promised to bring up her plight at the G-8 meeting.
Closer to home, Sarkozy has campaigned rapidly to revive efforts at greater integration of the EU's 27 member nations.
On Monday, he won over another backer, Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, for his plan for a less ambitious EU constitution designed to make EU decision-making easier.
Sarkozy has already visited Berlin, Brussels and Madrid and heads to Warsaw next week to push the pared-down document, which is meant to replace a proposed charter that French and Dutch voters rejected in 2005 in a major blow to EU morale.
The focus on the constitution has taken the EU's eyes off the sticky issue of possible Turkish membership - something Sarkozy strongly opposes. While his stance remains firm, Sarkozy quickly sent his top diplomatic adviser to Turkey after his May 16 inauguration to keep communication lines open.
"He doesn't want Turkey in, but he's intelligent enough to say, 'I don't want to make a crisis now,'" Moisi said.
Aid to Africa and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur will also be on Sarkozy's summit agenda. His foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, has proposed setting up a "humanitarian corridor" to allow aid into Darfur and is trying to bring ministers from China, Western nations and other concerned parties to Paris at the end of June to discuss the crisis in the Sudanese region.
Sarkozy is more openly friendly to the United States than his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, earning him the label "Sarko the American" from some in France.
But Sarkozy doesn't fall in lock-step with U.S. policies. He is pressing Washington to take the lead in fighting global warming - something President Bush has resisted but is to be the central issue at the G-8 summit.
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