It looks to me like he's doing a very passable Jerry Lewis impression. We hear he's huge in France.

He's clearly not well...

Nicolas Sarkosy, as much as I despise the character, is known for being a non drinker, as is Vladimir Putin actually.

Here, NS shows signs of consumption of something. I can tell you he is not usually like that, having him for quarter of the news on about every channel every night.

He then either :

- Could not refuse an offer of the kind '30M cubic meter of gas half price if you drink'

- Took a psychoactive substance of some sort to releive stress, anxiety, sleepyness...

This is of couse only personal analysis, and I do not say it is the truth.

My point, Sarkosy is not an alchoolic, but he is clearly affected by something on this video.

(originally received the info from "Le Monde", http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3220,36-921248@51-912509,0.html )

During the elections, a profile was made between him and his opponant, Ségolène Royal: She drinks (red with cheese, and the odd glass of pineau), but Sarko sticks to water and does not drink alcohol.

What is more, if he was drunk, he would get castrated by the thousands of people who lost their driving licences and/or got prison terms due to overindulging in public and/or behind the wheel...

Cheers,

Daniel

but he has been known to accept a glass for diplomatic purposes (agricultural shows while campaigning and so on). Possibly just a combination of a diplomatically-advisable snifter (not necessarily with Putin) and low alcohol tolerance.

Makes a change from his usual stuffed-frog façade anyway.

a thought for your next pub visit:

traditionally, the toast is "za vashe zdorovye" (to your health).

in the States, they rarely ask how to offer a toast in Russian. most people here ask me to teach them scatology or obscenities (once they get over the shock when they find out that i am a naturalized citizen).

as for drinking habits, Mr. Putin may choose abstinence for now (political necessity, i'm sure), but he likely has the elephantine tolerance bestowed by our common gene pool. if he decided to take a little toot, it is unlikely that anyone would notice a change in his behavior.

Mr. Sarkozy, on the other hand, would likely suffer the doom of the severely repressed (waking up naked in some public place, with one hand clutching an empty bottle and the other hand wrapped protectively around one's generative equipment).

better off with Evian, i should think.

If some russian asks you nicely do drink to something, do not try to follow them. You will crawl away and die not even half way through while the Russians are happily downing their 20th toast of the evening....

Also, if Sarko did down a shot glass of vodka or 2 to be politically polite, and you never drink, then yes, you probably would be very happy a few minutes after...

Cheers,

Daniel

... and contrary to what Mr Shubin (or is it Mrs?) seems to think, the traditional Russian toast is "vashe zdorovye" or simply "zdorovye" (as in "[we drink] your health") but I suppose "to your health" is acceptable in less knowledgeable circles :-D

Either way, "Budem zdorovy" means "bless us" (as in "bless you" after someone sneezes) and obviously is rather not appropriate... unless you're allergic to the colorless liquid obviously ;-)

... it may be a comfort to learn that Nicolas Sarkozy didn't either. His marks for the baccalaureat school leaving exam were frankly abysmal, and he just scraped through on the last-chance oral exams.

It may interest some to learn he only got 40% for Economics.