Women & Words is back with a look at how Cécilia Sarkozy is handling the press after becoming the first First Lady to walk out...
French President Sarkozy's been having a tough old time, not only is he having to deal with a public strike, which French workers tend to do with a passion, but he's also dealing with being the first President to have his wife leave him while in office. Well, technically, it's the second French leader to have a divorce while in office since Napoleon got rid of Empress Joséphine. But it's still being seen as the first really presidential divorce.
Yesterday the Elysée finally made an official announcement that the couple had started divorce proceedings. The story presented is somewhat complicated, as romances often are. The couple had previously separated but got back together in 2005 to try and work things out. Critics are now saying that perhaps this reconciliation was simply spin, so that Sarkozy could run for election with the 'good husband' image intact.
It's very clear by how Cécilia has spoken to the press, that she left him. He apparently even delayed announcing their divorce because he hoped she would come back. Ever since his election though, the couple's relationship has been critiqued, well her behaviour has been judged first as (rarely showing up when she was supposed to) then rude (when she refused to attend the Bush BBQ this summer) and unacceptable (when she involved herself in the . Now, however, she is gaining popularity again.
The French press previously had a taboo about openly discussing politicians private lives. Insinuation and mild speculation was common. Of course, that's all gone out the window now. Cécilia first booked a photo shoot with Paris Match, published yesterday. Today the French press has been all aflutter with her in depth interview in L'Est Républicain after the Palace said that neither Cécilia or the President would be speaking about the matter. The Élysée spin machine is obviously not representing her any more, but she just didn't tell them. So far I'm pretty impressed with how she's done things. She making sure that her side gets out and that she is no longer bound by any duty to her former 'position'. What will be interesting to follow is whether or not she actually does recede form the lime light, something she has proclaimed is a real desire: to disappear into the shadows.