Holidays are not all about relaxation. President Sarkozy has turned his summer break into a political statement by becoming the first democratically elected French President known to have taken his main annual holiday in America.

His visit to the country that France loves to hate provoked furious re- actions in Paris and amazement in Wolfeboro, the chic New Hampshire town where he is expected to spend the next two weeks.

Mr Sarkozy, 52, arrived with Cécilia, 53, his wife, and their ten-year-old son, Louis, on Thursday, signalling his intent to renew Franco-American relations.

The presidential family is reported to have rented a 13,200 sq ft mansion with a spa, home cinema, video games room, a private beach and moorings for four boats on Lake Winnipesaukee — for $30,000 a week (£15,000).

The house, said to belong to Mike Appe, a former Microsoft executive, is two hours’ drive from President Bush’s seaside home in Kennebunkport, Maine, prompting speculation that the two men may meet.

As he flew off for his holidays Mr Sarkozy left behind a growing row in France over the price that he had paid to secure the liberation of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor held for eight years in a Libyan jail.

Critics have denounced a deal with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, which they say included a ¤296 million (£200 million) weapons contract and a nuclear reactor in return for the release of the medical workers.

The revelation that Sarko l’Américain, as he is known, was planning a stay in the US provoked a fresh barrage of criticism from his opponents on internet chat forums. They said that it was further proof that he would ditch the anti-American line which led his predecessor, Jacques Chirac, to stay out of the war in Iraq.

“It would be nice if they could keep the megalomaniac,” said one internet user. “Where else would little Bush chose to spend his summer holidays except in a millionaire’s palace near his big brother?” said another.

Dominique Moisi, a member of the French Institute of International Relations, said that the holiday illustrated Mr Sarkozy’s determination to break with Gallic tradition.

“There is this desire for independence as if he is saying, ‘It’s me who decides, with me things won’t be like they were before, I’m a free man’.” The centre-right President is seeking to convince his leisure-loving compatriots to adopt America’s penchant for hard work and wealth creation.

In Wolfeboro, where the actress Drew Barrymore has a summer residence, locals expressed a warm welcome for Mr Sarkozy while hoping that his presence would not disrupt the town fair this weekend.

“If he has a covert meeting going on nobody’s going to pay attention to the fair,” said Katrina Lindland, who was helping to prepare for the event. Russ MacCable, another organiser, said that Mr Sarkozy was described as “very pro-American . . . I’m not sure what that means.”

Mr Sarkozy provoked a row in France by taking a holiday on a yacht off Malta after his election in May, so his aides tried to keep his latest destination secret. US security services were also coy, saying that he was visiting North America. Wolfeboro gave the game away by putting “Welcome Nicolas Sarkozy” on the town website.

Small-town retreat

4,000 Number of houses in Wolfeboro

5,000 Population outside tourist season

25,000 The estimated population during the summer tourist season

38,000 The number of acres covered by Wolfeboro (7,800 of these are covered by water)

750 million Dollar value of Wolfeboro homes

Sources: wolfeboroonline.com

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