Western media condemn Sarkozy remarks

Denials by the French president's office cannot forestall a media outrage at Nicolas Sarkozy's scathing remarks against the country's allies. The "bitchy little princess" "confirmed his superiority complex has no limits" by "Dim, callow, irrelevant… verdict on fellow leaders," read a combination of Friday news headlines by Britain's The Guardian, The Times and Spain's ABC, respectively. Sarkozy -- infamous for blunt and many a time insulting remarks -- this time went as far as backbiting fellow world leaders during a lunch on Wednesday with parliament members to discuss the global financial crisis. He reportedly started by hailing his "very clever and very charismatic" US counterpart Barack Obama and his "subtle mind", but went on to criticize Obama's lack of experience and efficiency, describing him as naive in his call for a world free of nuclear arms. "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," the right-wing president was quoted as saying by a parliamentarian in left-wing Liberation daily. Over dessert, Sarkozy targeted Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, saying "Perhaps he's not very clever but I know people who were very clever and who didn't make the second round of the presidential election." German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also among the preys of Sarkozy's unflattering remarks. "Once she realized the state of her banks and her car industry, she had no choice but to come round to my position," he reportedly said. Sarkozy's office stressed late on Thursday that "the Elysee denies the remarks reported by Liberation," and a number of parliamentarians present at the lunch said the benign, "playful" comments had been taken out of context. The effort, however, fell way short of stemming flurries of Web and press comment on the latest gaffe by the French leader dragging behind the nickname "hyperpresident" and a reputation for tactlessness. During a late 2007 visit to protesting fishermen in Britany, Sarkozy furiously sought to call a critic out to insult him face to face. In another scene during a book fair appearance a year later, Sarkozy snarled "get out of here, you poor *** hole" to a man who refused to shake hands with the president. Sarkozy's behind-closed-doors comments seem not very kind recalling Merkel's support for him against proposed stimulus strategies and financial market regulations backed by Washington and London prior to London's G20 summit. They also draw into question a warm welcome he gave Obama during NATO's 60th anniversary.