Smarting over criticism for its lack of support for Tunisia’s revolution, France was the first country to recognize the rebel government as the official representative of the Libyan people. That it led the pack on recognition wasn’t a surprise – French President Nicholas Sarkozy was a driving force behind the rapid UN response to the the Libyan rebels’ plea for assistance.
France remains an active part of the NATO campaign in Libya, and the rebel government is slated to establish representation in France soon.
