Power couple

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy have become the unwitting stars of a smash hit, both on TV and on the Internet.

The British vaudeville skit "Dinner for One," which is screened in Germany every year in English as an almost indispensable part of New Year's Eve celebrations, has been adapted by superimposing the two leaders' heads over the original actors.

In the adaptation, the sketch, which has attracted tens of thousands of Internet viewers, becomes a satire on the roles taken by Germany and France in the eurozone debt crisis.

The black-and-white original, filmed in 1963, shows an elderly lady, Miss Sophie, celebrating her 90th birthday with four imaginary guests, while her butler, James, becomes increasingly inebriated as he pretends to be each of them in turn, downing their drinks in the process.

Past and present leaders

In the adapted version, the imaginary dinner companions include former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

As Sarkozy pretends to be Cameron, Merkel toasts him while telling him: "Don't forget we speak German in Europe."

"Cameron" starts off in English, saying "You're looking younger than ever," before continuing with "You are looking richer than ever" in German.

Merkel meanwhile keeps reminding an increasingly drunk Sarkozy, "Nicolas, think of your credit rating!"

As Sarkozy goes about his duties, the narrator comments: "This is what happens every euro rescue summit: whether or not anyone else is there, it's just these two doing everything themselves."

"The same procedure"

The closing lines of the sketch, where the butler escorts Miss Sophie upstairs to bed asking "The same procedure as last year?" - a catchphrase in Germany - then promising to "do his very best" have also been adapted.

Sarkozy, whose country's top sovereign credit rating is at risk, tells Merkel he will give her his "triple A."

More than 200,000 people have viewed the new version of the skit, entitled "The 90th Rescue Summit or Euros for No One" on the Internet. It was made for German broadcaster ARD by satirist Udo Eling.

The original version, starring May Warden and Freddie Frinton, is watched every year on television by millions of Germans, with an explanatory narration provided by Heinz Piper.

Author: Timothy Jones (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Toma Tasovac