En garde: French presidential bodyguards reveal latest weapon... a black umbrella that changes into a defensive shield

By Peter Allen

Last updated at 8:54 PM on 31st March 2011

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to start using a 10,000 pounds bullet-proof umbrella to protect him from attackers.

It follows opinion polls which portray him as the most unpopular head of state in recent Gallic history.

The umbrella will be carried by security guards who will have to be taller than the 5ft 5ins president.

Equipped: President Sarkozy's bodyguards are to use Kevlar-coated 'Para Pactum' umbrellas similar to this one

Equipped: President Sarkozy's bodyguards are to use Kevlar-coated 'Para Pactum' umbrellas similar to this one

The armour-plated umbrellas weigh 2.2kg compared to 500g for a normal brolly

The armour-plated umbrellas weigh 2.2kg compared to 500g for a normal brolly

In tests, police officers were able to break a wooden stool in two by hitting it repeatedly on top of the umbrella. They also smashed a champagne bottle in the same way.

The so called ‘Para Pactum’ – Latin for ‘prepare for peace’ – is coated in Kevlar, a high strength material originally used as a replacement for steel in motor racing wheels.

It also includes carbon and silver, meaning it would be able to reduce the force of bullets, as well as resisting knives, acids, rocks and most other projectiles.

A source at the elite RAID police unit, which tested the umbrella alongside the Institute of Aeronautical Engineering Institute in Saint-Cyr, said it would prove invaluable to Mr Sarkozy.

 

‘He’s had all kinds of missiles aimed at him from above, especially on visits to high-rise housing estates where he’s particularly unpopular,’ said the source.

‘This umbrella will keep him pretty safe. It won’t stop bullets, but it will reduce their impact considerably.’

The Security Group of the President of the Republic (SGRP) will be equipped with a number of examples of the lightweight umbrella, which they have officially classed as a ‘deployable protective device.’

Protection: A recent French opinion poll portrayed Nicolas Sarkozy as the most unpopular leader in recent Gallic history

Protection: A recent French opinion poll portrayed Nicolas Sarkozy as the most unpopular leader in recent Gallic history

Charles Yvon, of The Real Cherbourg – the Normandy based company which makes the umbrella – confirmed that it would be effective against ‘live fire’.

It was developed using materials used in Formula 1 and space research, and has already been sold to other world leaders, as well as celebrities.

Inspiration?: President Sarkozy's security measure is reminiscent of the bullet and gas-firing equivalent used by the Penguin (Danny DeVito) in Batman Returns

Inspiration?: President Sarkozy's security measure is reminiscent of the bullet and gas-firing equivalent used by the Penguin (Danny DeVito) in Batman Returns

It comes as an opinion poll shows almost three quarters of French people believe that Mr Sarkozy will lose his job following next year’s presidential elections.

The CSA-20 Minutes-BFM TV-RMC poll reveals that 72 per cent of voters of all political persuasions do not believe that Mr Sarkozy has a chance of re-election.

Other polls have placed his popularity rating at below 30 per cent – making him by far the most unpopular president in the history of France’s Fifth Republic.

Mr Sarkozy thought France’s central role in the UN-backed intervention in Libya would strengthen his flagging prospects of winning a second term as French president, but the voters are clearly unimpressed.

Many have accused him of hypocrisy, after he entertained Colonel Gaddafi as a guest in Paris in 2007, while also selling million of pounds worth of arms to the Libyan regime.

The new poll was carried out on 28 and 29 March 2011 using a representative sample of 1,004 French adults, using the quota method.




 

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