Thomas Padilla / AP Photo
It's not easy being French President Nicolas Sarkozy's son. When Jean Sarkozy, 23, announced a week ago that he was hoping to become the head of $163 million public agency that manages Paris' business district, replacing one of his father's closest political associates, critics went crazy. Opponents claimed Sarkozy was reneging on a promise to make France a meritocracy. One centrist politician called Jean's candidacy an "enormous abuse of power." On Thursday, demonstrators gathered in the business district and waved bananas to protest France's transformation into a "banana republic." Jean bought the kerfuffle, which risked causing his father significant political damage, to a close, announcing that he was dropping out of the race because any "victory" might be "stained with the suspicion" of nepotism.