06 Jul 2011 03:59:03
A new book, Où est Sarko? (Where is Sarko?) has captured some of the key moments of his presidency. Based on the Where's Wally? - for some reason known as Où est Charlie? in France - the book caricatures not just Sarkozy's habit of micro-managing the country, but his knack of appearing to be in several places at the same time. When he was elected in 2007 he quickly became known as Super-Sarko the Omnipresident.
There is Sarko with the Roma, depicting the row that erupted a year ago when the government sent riot police into camps to forcibly evict their occupants. Sarko in the Banlieue, tackles the weeks of rioting across France in 2005 after he threatening to clear out "the rabble" with water cannon.
Topically, there is Sarko at the Monaco royal wedding; at the Vatican; on Air Sarko One, his new official plane, depicted entirely filled with dozens and dozens of presidents; and at a meeting of his ruling UMP party.
The authors have even included a drawing of Sarko at the creche, hidden among more than 100 children. Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are expecting a baby in October.
If you look hard enough, you can even find more than one Sarkozy in some scenes, as well as a Carla or two.
Pascal Fioretto says the idea behind Where's Sarko? was to capture France's view of the president as an omnipresent leader.
"Sarkozy really does give the impression of being in several places at the same time, politically and physically, and we wanted to have fun with this idea and capture some of the emblematic scenes of his time in office," Fioretto told the Guardian. "It is not meant to be anti-Sarkozy, but to be impertinent. It's irresistible; you give the book to someone who is seven years old or someone who is 87 and they can't help looking for Sarko."
