I am still a big name, insists furious Sarkozy

NOTORIOUSLY sensitive about his stature, Nicolas Sarkozy has been mocked in the past for staging photographs to make him appear as tall as his statuesque wife, Carla Bruni.

Now the former French president has insisted on having invitations to a political rally reprinted to show his name twice as large as those of his rivals for the presidential nomination of his party, The Republicans.

Mr Sarkozy reportedly bristled when he saw the original invitation, with his name in the same-size letters as those of Alain Juppé and François Fillon. The two former prime ministers intend to run against him in a party primary next year. “It’s a provocation,” Mr Sarkozy bellowed, according to party sources quoted in the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

“He was angry about the invitation and he made it clear that his name should be larger than anyone else’s, in keeping with protocol for an ex-president. Of course, his wishes were respected,” a party official confirmed.

“Sarkozy doesn’t see himself so small,” the Left-wing newspaper

Libération commented. On Twitter, many said that Mr Sarkozy had an eye for detail when it came to his name but failed to notice his campaign spending for the last presidential election in 2012 had exceeded the legal limit.

During his presidential term, Mr Sarkozy, who is 5ft 5in, reportedly ordered aides to ensure he was surrounded by short people in official photographs. He often wore stacked heels and sometimes stood on tiptoe.

He delivered a barnstorming speech at the rally yesterday in a bid to strengthen his case to be the centreRight Republican candidate in the 2017 presidential election.