Sarkozy: Europe Got What It Wanted From Summit

French President Nicholas Sarkozy said Europeans got “virtually everything” they sought at the summit, The Post's Tony Faiola reports.

Sarkozy, as usual, had a number of colorful quotes during a news conference concluded moments ago at Washington's Willard Hotel.

-- On executive compensation being mentioned in the G-20 communiqué:

“Have you ever seen in the Anglo-Saxon world even discussion to have rating agencies downgrade the banks where executive compensation has [encouraged] them to take too much risk? I have never seen it.”

-- On the future of the dollar as a global currency, saying it made sense in an era when America was the world’s only undisputed superpower:

“America is still the No. 1 power in the world. It is the only one? No, it isn’t.”

-- On the difficulty in persuading President Bush to have the summit:

"If you ask me if it was easy, no it wasn’t easy to convince [Bush] to have the summit. But we haven’t traveled this distance just for the pleasure of traveling.”

-- On Bush:

“Mr Bush has been a fair and loyal partner, not always an easy one.”

-- On America:

"The Americans are in a tight economic spot …No, this isn’t easy for them.”

-- On the agreement:

“This isn’t vague language, there is a schedule, there is a time table.”

The Post's Glenn Kessler reports that at photo op of the heads of state, Sarkozy -- ever the playful world leader -- initiated a fist-bump with Bush, who bumped back.

-- Frank Ahrens

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