French government minister "comes out"

It's perhaps not startling news - depending on your attitude towards homosexuality - but it's not often that a leading politician "comes out" here in France.

And it's even rarer for a government minister to.

In fact this is the first time a serving government minister has.

But that's exactly what Roger Karoutchi, the junior minister for parliamentary relations, has done ahead of the publication of his book "Mes quatre vérités" at the end of this month.

Furthermore Karoutchi is due to speak about his sexuality (amongst other things) in a popular weekly news magazine programme "Sept à Huit" broadcast on the country's main television channel, TF1 at the weekend.

What was commonly known within the political world up until now, has since his announcement on Friday become public knowledge.

But as usual the French media isn't reporting it in a sordid fashion, but instead rather soberly as information passed on to them from the man himself.

In other words it's "news" but not a "scandal".

And that perhaps says a lot about the way private lives of public figures are on the whole treated here in France.

Karoutchi is a close personal friend of the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and was part of his election campaign team in 2007.

He says he actually sought Sarkozy's advice before coming out, and the French president apparently saw no problem with it.

Indeed Karoutchi says he and his partner have been frequent guests at private receptions held for ministers and their spouses at the president's official residence, the Elysée palace.

And it has also been a pattern of behaviour repeated by the prime minister, François Fillon, for receptions at his official residence, Matignon.

So if Karoutchi's sexuality was known and accepted by those who mattered professionally and personally, why has he chosen now to come out?

After all, Karoutchi is 57 years old, and although a government minister, he's not exactly one of the most high-profile ones.

Plus there had been no indication that he was about to be "outed" any time soon. It's just not the way things are done in France.

Of his decision Karoutchi says that the support of both Sarkozy and Fillon was important, but more than that, he is also comfortable with his sexuality.

"Yes I have a life, which I'm neither denying nor showing off," he told Agence France Presse.

"I'm saying it in a completely natural manner. I have a partner and I'm happy," he continued.

"And as I'm happy I don't see any need to hide my homosexuality."

Of course a cynic might perhaps say that he's looking for publicity for his soon-to-be-released book.

But a closer look at the political landscape here in France could also provide some sort of other explanation and lead an even bigger cynic to perhaps come to a different conclusion.

You see Karoutchi also has his eyes on being the number one candidate for his party - the centre-right Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement, UMP) in regional elections to be held in Ile de France (the area around Paris) in 2010.

Only he's also up against another candidate for that post - and one who has a much higher national profile - in the shape of Valérie Pécresse.

She's the young, dynamic, minister for higher education and research - a frontline cabinet member - brought into government by Sarkozy.

While Karoutchi is certainly making the news today and will make several television and radio appearances over the coming week, maybe he can look to the last high profile politician to "come out" in a similar fashion.

In November 1998, Bertrand Delanoë announced his homosexuality on a national television weekly news programme.

Delanoë went on to secure the Socialist party nomination for the post of mayor of Paris in the 2001 local elections and defended his position last year to secure a second seven-year term.