2007 Timeline

French presidential elections and other May 2007 events

Nikolas Sarkozy won the second round of the French Presidential elections against the candidate of Socialist Party Ségolène Royal on May 6, 2006. Sarkozy began his political career in 1977 when he became a city councillor in Neuilly-sur-Seine. From 1983 to 2002 he served as Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine. Sarkozy was elected deputy in the National Assembly in 1988 and was Minister for the Budget and spokesman for the executive in the cabinet of Prime Minister Édouard Balladur from 1993 to 1995. For his support to Édouard Balladur at the French Presidential elections of 1995 he lost his position as Minister for the Budget but he was re-elected as deputy in the French Parliamentary elections in 1997. In 1999 Sarkozy became the leader of the Neo-Gaullist (RPR) party but lost the RPR leadership after the bad results at the 1999 European Parliament election. However, in 2002 he was appointed French Minister of the Interior in the cabinet of Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and served the office until 2004 when he became the Finance Minister. Sarkozy was also elected leader of the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (UMP) in the same year and in accordance with an agreement with Chirac he resigned as minister. However, he was reappointed Minister of the Interior in the government of Dominique de Villepin after the French Parliamentary elections in 2005. He served as Minister of Interior until March 28, 2007, when he resigned to focus on presidential campaign.

Timeline of May 2007 events

May 1
- Iraqi officials announced that the leader of al-Queda in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri was killed.

May 3
- Scottish National Party won the Scottish local elections.
- American astronaut Wally Shirra died at age 84.
- Disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

May 5
- Hundreds of thousands Turks protested in Ankara against the nomination of former adherent of the pro-Islamic party, Abdullah Gul for the President of Turkey.

May 6
- Nicolas Sarkozy was elected President of the French Republic.
- Panathinaikos BC won basketball's Euroleague.
- British magazine editor and international style icon Isabella Blow died at age 48.

May 10
- Tony Blair announced that he will resign as British Prime Minister on 27 June
- Jose Ramos-Horta won the elections for the President of East Timor.

May 12
- At least 34 people were killed in violent riots in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi.
- The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland was won by Serbian singer Maria Serifovic.

May 13
- About one million Turks in Izmir protested against the Turkish government and demanded that country remains a secular state.

May 14
- The World Bank committee charged that its President Paul D. Wolfowitz violated ethical and governance rules.

May 15
- American fundamentalist Christian pastor and televangelist Jerry Falwell died at age 74.

May 16
- Nicolas Sarkozy sworn in as the President of France.

May 17
- Labour Party has chosen Gordon Brown to succeed Tony Blair as prime minister.
- Francois Fillon was named the Prime Minister of France by Nicolas Sarkozy.
- The Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Moscow Patriarchate re-united.

May 18
- President of World Bank Paul Wolfowitz announced his resignation.

May 19
- Romanians rejected impeaching of President Traian Basescu on Romanian presidential impeachment referendum.
- Chelsea F.C. won the 126th FA Cup Final.

May 20
- About 50 were killed in clashes between Lebanese troops and Islamist militants in Tripoli, Lebanon.

May 23
- A. C. Milan won the UEFA Champions League 2006-07 final.

May 24
- Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party won the General election in the Republic of Ireland.

May 24
- German professional road bicyclist Erik Zabel admitted he used Erythropoietin (EPO) in preparation for the 1996 Tour de France.

May 25
- Danish former professional bicyclist Bjarne Riis admitted he used doping when winning the 1996 Tour de France.

May 28
- Japan's Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka has died in age of 62 after committing suicide.

May 29
- Riyo Mori became the new Miss Universe 2007 in Mexico City.

May 30
- US President George W. Bush has nominated Robert Zoellick to replace Paul Wolfowitz as the President of World Bank.

May 31
- Valdis Zatlers was elected President of Latvia.