France always seems to have some of the hardest news stories to come out of Europe, and I find myself addicted to them. Yet, I can't help but notice that more and more, it's not necessarily the political and social news that North Americans are being informed of from the "Hexagon" but rather, the inside life of the Sarkozy's.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, supermodel/singer turned First Lady to the often and rightfully so, vilified president Nicolas Sarkozy , always seems to be in the news. During the spring, she and her husband were rumoured to be having extramarital affairs. Last week, she was reported to have said in her new biography that Michelle Obama called life in the White House "hell". Now, she is being slammed in Germany for attempting to use her celebrity status as a "charity plea" to the Bundestag. Never mind the fact that she is obviously going to come out with a new CD at some point.
Her huband, Nicolas. on the other hand, is apparently losing allies within his own government. Just this week, French prime minister Francois Fillon claimed Sarkozy was never his "mentor" and that their relationship is a political alliance while allegedly "distancing" himself from the president This coincidentally comes at the time that Sarkozy's government is seeing it's approval rating decrease to 49 percent in August, with Roma deportations and the plan to raise the national retirement age to 62 as obvious concerns.
I'd like to parallel the image of Nicolas and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy with that of the Obama's. While Sarkozy's presidental campaign and entrance to the Palais d'Elysee was not a red carpet walk like it was for Obama, he still has received rock-star like press coverage, from quickly divorcing his former wife at the beginning of his term to his union to Carla. The only difference is Sarkozy never had as many people as Obama in his camp to begin with, and now, right at the same time of Tea Partiers and Republican rhetoric, he is starting to look like a single term president.
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