French President Nicolas Sarkozy had to dodge a projectile on Tuesday during a visit to discuss violence and truancy in schools. Sarkozy was in Beauvais, about 80 kilometres north of Paris, where he hit out against absenteeism, which he’s described as a “cancer”.

Advertising Read more

The identity of the bottle-thrower remained a mystery Wednesday morning.

One of Sarkozy’s bodyguards came between the plastic bottle and the president at Charles Fauqueux high school in Beauvais.

It was thrown as pupils gathered around the president, seeking to shake his hand, before he was set to visit an art class in which pupils had drawn pictures on the subject “express your fears”.

Sarkozy was in Beauvais to highlight his government’s plans to freeze benefit payments for families whose children remain absent from school for prolonged periods.

After four and a half days of unjustified absence, the headmaster will propose a “contract of parental responsibility”, explained Sarkozy.

“If it happens again, benefits will be cancelled,” he said. The allocation will then be “retrospectively” paid when the student returns to school.

The proposals will be examined by the French parliament in mid-June.

Footage of the bottle attack (this footage has been blocked by the original broadcaster):

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe