A tale of two “marriages” – French style

One of the many great things about France is the law governing personal privacy and the fact that the mainstream media doesn’t really go around poking its nose into public figures’ private lives. Political scandal as such, focuses more on who has taken a backhander rather than mattress-creaking exploits. As a general rule of thumb then, it “just ain’t that interesting”.

Fair enough, the disclosure that Mitterand had a daughter by his longstanding mistress made the headlines several years ago, but didn’t have nearly the sort of impact it might surely have had back in Blighty. Similarly it’s pretty much common knowledge that Chirac has had a few dalliances during his marriage to Bernadette (her of the Eiffel Tower hairdon’t), and one of them apparently bore fruit somewhere in Japan, which perhaps goes a long way to explaining his many “diplomatic” trips to the Far East.

Right now though there has been a fair number of words penned on the collapse of Segolene’s relationship with her partner, François Hollande. She of course was the Socialist Party’s presidential candidate. He was the boss of the party. Much was made (in the US media) that they were not legally wed. An “unmarried mother of four” was how CNN’s Jim Bitterman disgracefully described her, although Segolene was more than willing to drive home her status as a “mother” in the final days of her unsuccessful campaign.

Anyway Segolene and François are now to split. It’s official. She announced it at on the same evening the final results for parliamentary elections were released. A not-so-well-kept secret timed to hit the stands just before the launch of her book. It won’t exactly be a political kiss-and-tell, but we’re promised some revelations about the back-stabbing she received from all quarters in the final few months of the race for the Elysée Palace.

“A woman scorned” and all that perhaps. But maybe Segolene is a lot cleverer than many think and there is more political depth to her than her critics would have us believe. Most commentators agree that the Left in general and the Socialist Party in particular needs a massive shake-up. And she clearly sees herself as the one to do it. So the first logical step would appear to be to kick that “cheating man” out of her life – which is exactly what she has done.

Troubled conjugal waters on the Left then, but also on the Right. Cecilia spent much of last year in Canada, leaving hubbie alone to pursue his (now successful) presidential ambitions. Lured perhaps by the promise of posh frocks, glitz and even more glamour, she returned a couple of months before the final vote, and has been beautifully and dutifully by his side ever since (apart from not bothering to vote in the second round of the presidential election it should be added)

There have been some very public shows of affection on his part at least.
Just how strong his feelings are though for his wife are probably best demonstrated by how they got together in the first place.

Cecilia María Sara Isabel Ciganer-Sarkozy to give her full blown name has been married before – to former TV host Jacques Martin – BIG in the 70s and 80s when he was a presenter of one of the country’s most popular Sunday afternoon programmes,

They have two gorgeous gals – blonde stunners both of them – very photogenic and so full of style it’s flooding out of their lugholes. Cecilia and Jacques married in the 70s at the local town hall, as is often the custom here in France, and the ceremony was officiated of course by the mayor. Their local town hall was Neuilly, one of the chicest Parisian suburbs. And the mayor was a certain Nicolas Sarkozy!

Apparently he was smitten on the spot, fell in love with the bride and spent the next six years pursuing her. The rest is history – or herstory – or theirstory – if you prefer. Very….um…Mills and Boone?

There’s still a lingering doubt among the cognoscenti whether they’ll last the course. But that said, it probably wouldn’t really hurt Sarkozy’s career if she legged it again. And apart from a couple of paragraphs in the press and glossies, and a few minutes on the box, it probably wouldn’t turn into a “Charles and Diana” style national pastime.