Sarkozy insults Obama, Merkel, Zapatero
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is under fire for comments about a number of his fellow world leaders that he allegedly made at a closed-door lunch with members of parliament. The comments were, not surprisingly, leaked to French newspaper Liberation. Sarkozy on Barack Obama: Obama has a subtle mind, very clever and very charismatic… But he ...
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is under fire for comments about a number of his fellow world leaders that he allegedly made at a closed-door lunch with members of parliament. The comments were, not surprisingly, leaked to French newspaper Liberation. Sarkozy on Barack Obama:
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is under fire for comments about a number of his fellow world leaders that he allegedly made at a closed-door lunch with members of parliament. The comments were, not surprisingly, leaked to French newspaper Liberation. Sarkozy on Barack Obama:
Obama has a subtle mind, very clever and very charismatic… But he was elected two months ago and had never run a ministry. And he is not always up to standard on decision-making and efficiency.”
On Angela Merkel:
Once she realised the state of her banks and her car industry, she had no choice but to come round to my position.”
Worst of all, on Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero:
Perhaps he’s not very clever but I know people who were very clever and who did not make the second round of the presidential election.”
Not sure that Sarkozy’s in the best position to commenting on anyone’s cleverness right now.
Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating
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