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Sarkozy And The Human Bomb
Sarkozy in 1993, speaking to cops as the "Human Bomb" case played out.
Even Sarkozy's history is dominating the press. In May 1993, as Mayor of the swish suburb of Neuilly, Sarkozy stepped in to solve a hostage crisis. Erick Schmitt, calling himself "HB" - the Human Bomb - strapped explosives to his body and entered a nursery school. He issued a set of crazed demands. Police surrounded the school. Sarkozy, who was 38 at the time, entered the school and negotiated with the madman. He left shortly afterwards with some of the children, unharmed. The police entered the building and killed the hostage-taker.
Now, a "television-documentary" has been made about the crisis.
It airs tomorrow night at 20.50. One of the best observers of French life, Adam Gopnik, argues that the hostage crisis revealed two fascinating aspects of Sarkozy's character. His courage, of course, comes first, but also (Gopnik quotes a Sarko associate), "also an almost crazy appetite for living on the edge that is completely outside the normal experience of French politicians. He likes risks, enjoys risks, revels in risks.”
One wonders if the French aren't peering into the future with this little piece of history.
Unfortunately, France 2 is keeping the video under wraps, so we can't bring you any clips. What we did dig up, however, is better.
Here's a clip of footage from the original event put together by Sarko fans. Best to ignore the idoltary and awful mystic Oirish music, lifted from the film Gladiator. It was released in April this year, before the Presidential Election. One of the editors says it "turned the tide of the election", as previously opponents of Sarkozy had dominated the multimedia campaign.
And here's another interesting clip broadcast in 1997, showing previously unreleased footage of Sarkozy speaking directly with the Human Bomb. In this clip, the editors evidently think it is important that Sarkozy demands the hostage taker give him "le petit Noir" - "the little black" - in the class. Is this an example of Sarko's racism, as some enraged commentators claim? More likely an early example of his famed media skills - coming out of the school with a white kid on one arm and a black on the other would have made an irrestible photograph for France's press. Or are we too cynical?
