Nicolas Sarkozy coerced his US counterpart into accepting kiss from girl
Nicolas Sarkozy coerced his US counterpart into accepting kiss from girl A French student who gave a kiss to Barack Obama when he greeted an enraptured crowd on Friday said the
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| yippee: Cecilia Dervogne kisses Barack Obama, thanks to Nicolas Sarkozy |
initially reluctant US president had to be encouraged to accept the gesture by his host Nicolas Sarkozy.
Cecilia Dervogne, a student at the University of Strasbourg, was among a noisy crowd of well-wishers who greeted Obama and his wife Michelle when they arrived in the eastern French city for a summit of NATO leaders.
As they approached the crowd to shake hands, Dervogne called out and asked for a kiss, but Obama had to be encouraged by the French president before submitting.
"I said in slightly hesitating English... 'A kiss for me?'" said Dervogne. "He showed me his bodyguards, who were surveying everything. I think there was a security gap we were supposed to keep to," she said.
"And there was Sarkozy who re-insisted and said, 'What, you're not going to give her a kiss?' so he offered his cheek timidly and I gave him a kiss."
