▁compared ▁him ▁with ▁Nap ol éon ▁Bon ap arte ▁and ▁Louis ▁XIV ▁ ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁his ▁will ▁to ▁control ▁and ▁change ▁everything . ▁While ▁the ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁president ▁was ▁very ▁high ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁his ▁mand ate , ▁it ▁rapidly ▁decl ined ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁months ▁of ▁his ▁mand ate , ▁and ▁the ▁government ▁faced ▁several ▁protest s . ▁ ▁The ▁presiden cy ▁of ▁Nicolas ▁S ark o zy ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁the ▁global ▁financial ▁and ▁economic ▁crisis . ▁As ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Union ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁six ▁months ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁and ▁as ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁a ▁member ▁country ▁of ▁the ▁G - 8 ▁and ▁the ▁G - 2 0 , ▁Nicolas ▁S ark o zy ▁was ▁very ▁much ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁international ▁deb ates ▁and ▁propos itions ▁to ▁fight ▁against ▁the ▁crisis . ▁He ▁had ▁also ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁the ▁economic ▁and ▁social ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁crisis ▁in ▁France . ▁In ▁particular , ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁ren ounce ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁public ▁def ic it ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁promised , ▁and ▁instead ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁launch ▁a ▁stim ulus ▁package , ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁European ▁Union ▁stim ulus ▁plan , ▁to ▁limit ▁social ▁dis content ment . ▁As ▁he ▁had ▁promised ▁to ▁reach ▁full - emp loyment ▁and ▁to ▁boost ▁the ▁economic ▁growth , ▁he ▁faced ▁growing ▁protest . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁president ial ▁elections , ▁S ark o zy ▁was