Sarkozy's Facebook entry stirs up debate

PARIS: French President Nicolas Sarkozy has posted on Facebook a photo of himself chipping away at the Berlin Wall and a brief reminiscence about the fall of the wall 20 years ago, which triggered intense debate both in the media and online over the veracity of the President's account.

The photo, posted on Sunday, shows a younger Sarkozy taking what appears to be a small pickax to the graffiti-covered wall on November 9, 1989.

In a text accompanying the photo, Sarkozy said he arrived in West Berlin on the morning of the 9th and then crossed Checkpoint Charlie to the East, where he chipped at the wall.

"The night continued amid general enthusiasm," the posting read. "The reunion of the German people signaled the end of the Cold War and the start of a period of great liberty in Europe."

In 1989, Sarkozy was 34 and a top official in France's conservative RPR party.