Before everyone gets too excited, I read the article from Le Figaro, and the way they are reporting it, it does not appear that Obama thinks Chirac is the current president of France. They are reporting that Obama wrote Chirac a nice letter, hoping that the Americans will be able to work well with the French over the next fours years. This would be similar to Sarkozy writing a nice letter to W, and it would not imply that Sarkozy thinks W is still president. That is how I read the article anyway. Before flaming me for ‘defending Obama,’ I am not a fan of Obama, I did not vote for him, and I think his fiscal decisions so far have been terrible, I’m just trying to be objective here. If it turns out that I am wrong, and Obama really is stupid enough not to know Sarkozy is now President of France, I will fall down on my knees and weep openly for America.
Barack Obama a écrit à Jacques Chirac
Le président américain vient d’adresser une lettre «très sympathique » à Jacques Chirac, selon l’expression de ce dernier. «Je suis certain que nous pourrons au cours des quatre années à venir collaborer ensemble dans un esprit de paix et d’amitié afin de construire un monde plus sûr» , écrit le successeur de George W. Bush au prédécesseur de Nicolas Sarkozy. En évoquant le mot de « paix», Obama rend un hommage implicite à l’action de l’ancien président français qui s’était opposé à la guerre en Irak. Une intervention américaine contre laquelle le futur président américain s’était opposé comme sénateur, lors du vote au Congrès.
The issue is that Barack Obama has been snubbing the (relatively) conservative & pro-American Sarkozy since his election, but has nonetheless somehow found the time to lavishly laud Sarkozy's predecessor Chirac & convey his hopes that "I am certain that we will be able to work together, in the coming four years, in a spirit of peace and friendship to build a safer world. "
In other words, since his election, Barack Obama has been pointedly loathe to give Sarkozy the time of day, but somehow has carved out of his schedule the time to extend this hearts-and-flowers courtesy to the out-of-power Saddam-loving President who was such a thorn in the side of the United States. Sarkozy, the very man who does America a huge favor at great political risk to himself by putting France back up for full-membership with NATO and thereby lessening America's obligations to that organization, is inexplicably given a diplomatic slap in the face by this administration.
That's why people who follow French politics are clucking: Not because they think Obama doesn't know who the French President is (clearly he does), but because this seems to have been a calculated slight to Sarkozy. It's as if the next PM of Great Britain were, after his election, to ostentatiously ignore Obama & then write an effusive note to George W. Bush expressing his fondest hopes that they can work well together for the duration of his term.
Diplomatically, it's just bizarrely gratuitous insult. And Obama knew full well he was writing to the former President. Indeed, Obama's full awareness of that fact was required for him to properly convey this contrived insult to Sarkozy.
You are exactement correct. No faux pas here.