How could Obama possibly turn down an offer for a bise? Sarkozy may not normally be known for proper etiquette but in this case, he was right in telling Obama to accept the greeting.
As they approached the crowd to shake hands, Dervogne called out and asked for a kiss, but Obama had to be encouraged by the French President before submitting.I'm not entirely sure about the claim of being used as a greeting between strangers but what the heck? Here's a link to the photos.
"I said in slightly hesitating English... 'A kiss for me?'" Dervogne told i-tele television. "He showed me his bodyguards, who were surveying everything. I think there was a security gap we were supposed to keep to," she said.
"And there was Sarkozy who re-insisted and said: 'What, you're not going to give her a kiss?' so he offered his cheek timidly and I gave him a kiss."
Obama is wildly popular in France, in contrast to his predecessor George W. Bush, but he appeared slightly at sea with the complicated customs regarding the "bise," the kiss on the cheeks often given as a greeting even between relative strangers.
What a difference an election can make.
