Sarkozy in storm for snubbing Obama & Co

PARIS: French President Nicolas Sarkozy came under attack on Friday despite denying he said US President Barack Obama was not "up to standard" and that Spain's prime minister was not very bright.

"Dim, callow, irrelevant - Sarko's verdict on fellow leaders" said Britain's The Guardian, while The Times called him a "bitchy little princess" and Spain's ABC said he "confirmed his superiority complex has no limits".

The media buzz across the continent was sparked by a French press report that Sarkozy let rip at fellow world leaders during a lunch on Wednesday with parliament members to discuss the global financial crisis.