President famed for Reagan-like absences from White House draws fire for five weeks ranch trip
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Except for Berlusconi, most leaders keep their breaks short
Russia
President Putin is expected to take no longer than two weeks for his summer holiday beginning in the next 10 days at his residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. He will continue to work informally, meeting with various heads of state. In 2000 he was pictured in the resort in short sleeves and when asked if he knew what had happened to the Kursk submarine - in which 118 sailors died - he said: "It sank". Opinion polls slumped and he cut his holiday short.
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Germany
Although Germans are renowned for taking long holidays, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder seems to be an exception. Ten days into his two-week summer vacation at his home in Hanover, the chancellor returned to Berlin in time for president Horst Köhler's announcement that he would allow early elections to take place.
Japan
Prime minister Junichiro Koizumi is busy with parliamentary debates over his postal privatisation bill. He is expected to take a few days during the o-bon national holidays from August 13 but like many of his compatriots, a holiday of more than week is unthinkable.
France
Following the heatwave in the summer of 2003 in which thousands of elderly people died whilst the government was on holiday the French leadership is reluctant to travel far or for very long. President Jacques Chirac left yesterday for the summer residence reserved for heads of state at the Fort de Bregançon on the Cote d'Azur. The prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, left on Tuesday to spend 10 days at a Britanny seaside resort.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1543132,00.html
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