FRANCE: Official confirmation that Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first serving president in modern French history to separate from his wife

Record ID: 451568

  • Title: FRANCE: Official confirmation that Nicolas Sarkozy has become the first serving president in modern French history to separate from his wife
  • Date: 18th October 2007
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (French) CHRISTINE CLERC, AUTHOR, SAYING: "I think that today in the behaviour of Cecilia Sarkozy there is a rupture because she's reclaimed her right to happiness, her right to freedom, her right to more consideration. She doesn't want to be the woman that follows, she doesn't want to be just ornamental. She wants to participate, and participate in an active, responsible way, and as we have seen, this has lead to criticism, for example in the affair of the liberation of the Bulgarian nurses. In this case, she said, well if you criticise me, I'll just leave. If I have to be held accountable for everything, if I can't even go shopping without being harassed - that's the weight of her responsibility, the weight of her function, and she's not ready to accept it"
  • Embargoed: 2nd November 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA810I7CEWJ8BGZH9RYQ4WVYKMJ
  • Story Text: French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia are separating by mutual agreement, the president's office said in a statement on Thursday (October 18).
    The announcementweeks of speculation about the state of the Sarkozy marriage and follows media reports that the pair secretly saw a judge on Monday to file for divorce.
    The terse statement said the couple would not make any comment about their separation, and in a press briefing, presidential spokesman David Martinon took a similar approach. But it is the first time in modern French history that a serving president has separated from his wife, and Sarkozy's reaction to the split will come under intense scrutiny.
    Christine Clerc, a journalist and author of a book called 'Tigres et tigresses' about the history of presidential couples said that submission is commonly expected of a president's wife and Cecilia did not appear prepared to accept that traditional behaviour.
    "Until now, the five first ladies of the fifth republic were submissive, so to speak, not women who didn't have a spirit of initiative about them. But, at the same time everything they did was in service to their husbands. They accepted everything. They've often accepted being cheated on - even being scoffed at publicly - they've accepted to follow them [their husbands] in every circumstance - even to protect them sometimes," said Cecilia.
    "I think that today in the behaviour of Cecilia Sarkozy there is a rupture because she's reclaimed her right to happiness, her right to freedom, her right to more consideration. She doesn't want to be the woman that follows. She doesn't want to be just ornamental," she added.
    Clerc also said it was obvious Cecilia decided to break with the traditional behaviour expected of a First Lady in France.
    "She wants to participate, and participate in an active, responsible way, and as we have seen, this has lead to criticism, for example in the affair of the liberation of the Bulgarian nurses. In this case, she said, well if you criticise me, I'll just leave. If I have to be held accountable for everything, if I can't even go shopping without being harassed - that's the weight of her responsibility, the weight of her function, and she's not ready to accept it," said Clerc.
    Cecilia played no public part in her husband's election campaign this year, did not vote for him at the second round ballot and only appeared alongside him at three public engagements since his May victory -- the last time in July. Confirmation of the separation did not concern some people on the streets of Paris on Thursday.
    "There's not really a French first lady. Her role is not really specified as it is in the United States. So there will be no job vacancy, so it's not a real problem," said bank employee Benoit Oldra.
    Others, such as opera singer Palmina Grettola, accepted the news with regret.
    "I'm very moved. It's a pity because they were a good couple. They were going on well together and I like this woman and I love Sarkozy as well.
    I love both of them. It was good to have them together, but there is always a reason when divorce takes place," she said.
    Sarkozy, 52, and Cecilia, a 49-year old former model, got married in 1996 and have a 10-year old son together, as well as two children each from previous marriages.
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