Sarkozy jeered for Alsace mix-up

NICOLAS Sarkozy was booed and whistled after an embarrassing slip-up in which he confused Alsace with Germany.

The French president was visiting the Alsatian town of Truchtersheim on Tuesday to meet farmers as part of his national tour of new-year wishes.

He made a remark about competition between France and Germany and then added: "I'm not saying that simply because I'm in Germany."

Sarkozy quickly corrected himself to say: "I'm in Alsace", but his slip-up was immediately met with jeering, whistles and booing.

He then joked: "Now you see why I need to concentrate on dependency reforms."

The Elysée Palace said it was a "simple error". Alsace was constantly fought over by the French and Germans, from the Franco-Prussian war in 1870 to the end of the Second World War in 1945.

Nicolas Sarkozy confond Alsace et Allemagne (en Alsace)
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