Obama Votes Sarkozy (Again)

Has Barack Obama been taken in by Nicolas Sarkozy? It’s been the question asked by many who watched the images filmed at the Elysée Palace on Thursday morning, at the beginning of a video conference meeting between the French and American presidents.

Two weeks away from the election in France, the American president made a call to Paris (after having called Angela Merkel the day before). According to the round up given after the interview by White House spokesperson Jay Carney, the two men called Syria to apply the Annan Plan and hoped that Iran was going to benefit from the meeting in Istanbul in order to respond to interrogations from the international community.

The correspondence would have been unseen if it wasn’t for a France 2 television camera at the beginning of the interview.

In the film, we see Barack Obama, in his office, at the other side of the Atlantic, and Nicolas Sarkozy, his translator and his advisers (Damien Loras and Alexis Morel) sitting to either side and taking notes. Barack Obama sends his condolences to Nicolas Sarkozy for the death of Richard Descoings, the director of Sciences Po. The French president thanks him for keeping up to date with French current affairs.

The two men address the overloaded electoral calendar. “I admire the tough battle you are waging,” says Barack Obama. “We will win, Mister Obama. You and me together,” says Nicolas Sarkozy. Barack Obama lets out a laugh. The image jumps, and the U.S. president explains that he wants to speak primarily about Iran, etc.

It is very unusual to see images like these. But the Obama administration has denied that he presented it as a done deal. Obama knew that the French cameras would be there, the National Security Council spokesperson told Caitlin Hayden, of Le Monde.

“The White House was aware that the French media would be given access to the first minute or two of the president’s discussion with President Sarkozy.”