Sarkozy Sings ‘Happy Birthday’ To Sasha Obama
Why is US President Barack Obama cold-shouldering European leaders? While we search for the answers, French President Nicolas Sarkozy thought of the next best thing…if the US president could not be persuaded to socialise with him, why not play host to Obama’s family?
Sarkozy enjoyed a consolation prize yesterday: lunch with the President’s wife Michelle and their children, reports The Times.
“Mr Obama was already flying home to Washington after doing the Paris sights with his family when Mrs Obama, Sasha, Malia and other members of the group were greeted at the Élysée Palace by the French President and Carla Bruni, his wife.
“The two premières dames were the stars of the informal lunch that included Mr Sarkozy’s three sons by two marriages and Ms Bruni’s eight-year-old son.
“Mr Sarkozy led a chorus of Happy Birthday to Sasha Obama, who turned 8 yesterday, and they toasted the occasion of Mother’s Day in France. Mrs Obama’s mother, her godmother and a cousin of the two girls joined them.” More here…
Meanwhile here is an earlier report from The Times Paris correspondent Charles Bremner: “After Barack Obama’s two days in France and Germany, Europe is getting a clearer idea of the way the new US president operates. Lesson number one: he keeps his distance.
“In Germany on Friday Chancellor Angela Merkel was put out by Obama’s decision to steer clear of Berlin during his flying visit to the Buchenwald concentration camp. In France, Obama’s way of imposing his own schedule has been more striking — to the embarrassment of President Sarkozy.” More here…
The Times also provides a saucy copy of Michelle Obama’s visit to London…”Until yesterday Malia and Sasha Obama may have been under the impression that politics is largely about cascades of balloons and jubilant crowds cheering on their nation’s leader. Then their mother brought them to Westminster.
“Michelle Obama gave her children a swift tour of British democratic institutions yesterday as they were shuttled across London in an unofficial visit to Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament.
“The First Lady and her daughters flew to Stansted airport in Essex from France, where they had accompanied President Obama on an official visit, in a Boeing 757 US Air Force jet. They were escorted to London in customised Chryslers driven by US Secret Service agents.
“If Mrs Obama had hoped to inject some harsh realism into her children’s lives and show them the unhappy side of political life, she could not have chosen a better time. The world of Westminster as Gordon Brown fights to preserve his leadership and MPs seek to atone for the expenses scandal is a long way from the sunny uplands of today’s US political scene.” More here…
Photo above: President Obama and daughter Malia enjoy the sights of Paris.
