October 29, 2007
Sarkozy Walks out of '60 Minutes' Interview
French President Nicolas Sarkozy was introduced to "ambush" journalism the other day when 60 Minutes correspondent Leslie Stahl inquired about his recent divorce.
Apparently miffed that Stahl would rather know about his personal life than perhaps some less important subject - like the fate of the planet if Iran were to get nuclear weapons - the Frenchman did what no American politician would dare do; he got up and left:
In the interview conducted earlier this month and aired Sunday night, he candidly discussed what he likes about the U.S. But he grew frustrated when asked about his wife, Cecilia, who helped negotiate the release of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor charged with infecting Libyan children with HIV and then failed to show up at a ceremony in which Sarkozy was given a medal by Bulgaria.Stahl, of course, was not asking about the Bulgarian nurses but about the status of Sarkozy's personal life. Are they perhaps more serious in France about journalism or is Leslie Stahl just a rumor mongering, celebrity hack?
"If I had to say something about Cecilia, I would certainly not do so here," Sarkozy replied. He declared the interview over and said: "Bon courage."
Two weeks later, the Sarkozys' divorce was announced.