Sarkozy’s staff fabricates apology

Apologizing is never easy. That’s why you get others to do it for you — if you’re the president of France. Over the weekend, President Nicolas Sarkozy was caught on film cursing at a member of the crowd during his appearance at France’s annual agricultural fair. According to Reuters: Sarkozy offered his hand to a ...

Apologizing is never easy. That's why you get others to do it for you -- if you're the president of France.

Apologizing is never easy. That’s why you get others to do it for you — if you’re the president of France.

Over the weekend, President Nicolas Sarkozy was caught on film cursing at a member of the crowd during his appearance at France’s annual agricultural fair. According to Reuters:

Sarkozy offered his hand to a man who said: “Don’t touch me, you are soiling me.” In reply, Sarkozy said, without dropping his smile: “Get lost, dumb ass.”

Watch the incident here:

In an interview following the incident, a journalist from Le Parisien asked the president if he thought his reaction on Saturday appropriate. Sarkozy would not excuse himself for his heated reaction — so his office did it for him, inserting an apology into the version of the interview to be published. Despite Sarkozy’s silence on the matter, the interview that appeared in Le Parisien on Tuesday quoted him as saying, “It would have been better if I had not responded to him.”

Apparently, it’s common practice for French politicians to edit their own interviews before publication. Recalling interviews with Jacques Chirac and Francois Mitterrand, a journalist present at the Sarkozy interview said:

Sarkozy changes rather less. At least he doesn’t touch the questions.”

Lucy Moore is a researcher at Foreign Policy.

More from Foreign Policy

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping give a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping give a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21.

Can Russia Get Used to Being China’s Little Brother?

The power dynamic between Beijing and Moscow has switched dramatically.

Xi and Putin shake hands while carrying red folders.
Xi and Putin shake hands while carrying red folders.

Xi and Putin Have the Most Consequential Undeclared Alliance in the World

It’s become more important than Washington’s official alliances today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

It’s a New Great Game. Again.

Across Central Asia, Russia’s brand is tainted by Ukraine, China’s got challenges, and Washington senses another opening.

Kurdish military officers take part in a graduation ceremony in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, on Jan. 15.
Kurdish military officers take part in a graduation ceremony in Erbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, on Jan. 15.

Iraqi Kurdistan’s House of Cards Is Collapsing

The region once seemed a bright spot in the disorder unleashed by U.S. regime change. Today, things look bleak.