French President Nicolas Sarkozy does not hesitate to fight back in public when someone is stepping on his shoes. The recent public outburst when Sarkozy told someone to “get lost” at the agricultural fair in Paris was recorded by a freelance cameraman and it has become an Internet hit.

The incident occurred Saturday at the annual International Agricultural Fair in Paris, according to Euronews.net. A man refused to shake Sarkozy’s hand telling him “Don’t touch me, you’ll make me dirty.” President Sarkozy could not contain himself from replying “Get lost then, you sad idiot!”

The chairman of the French Socialist Party and one of Sarkozy’s political rivals, Francois Hollande criticized Sarkozy, saying that he “is not setting an example.”

“He is not an ordinary citizen and can't just come out with whatever he might be thinking. He is the president of France,” Hollande told Euronews.net.

Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his regret over the Saturday incident, saying that he should not have lost his cool, and insult back, International Herald Tribune reports.

“It would have been better if I didn’t respond to him,” Le Parisien quoted him as saying in an interview with its readers Tuesday. “Just because you are the president doesn't mean you become a doormat,” he added.

Not everybody has accused the president for losing his temper. Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier said that “I sense the French people have had enough of the systematic aggressiveness towards Nicolas Sarkozy (and) the government,” The Time reports.

The exchange of harsh words between Sarkozy and the unidentified man affects president’s image and popularity, which is already decreasing according to the polls. The latest poll released at the weekend showed Sarkozy’s approval rating dropping to 38 percent, that is he has lost nine points in a month, which is the lowest rate for Sarkozy on the popularity scale since he was elected in May last year.