THE GUARDIAN: One tweet from François Hollande's partner threatens to bring the new president's 'normal' image crashing downOnce it seemed that Nicolas Sarkozy's public love-life sagas were hard to top: his marriage breakdown with Cécilia, her role as his political adviser, their ill-fated bling-encrusted presidential victory celebrations at the posh Fouquet's restaurant and on a billionaire's yacht. Then his reluctant, quickie divorce and speedy re-marriage to the supermodel Carla Bruni barely four months after meeting her. All this churned the stomachs of French voters and sent his popularity plunging to a nadir from which it never recovered.
But the Socialist François Hollande is now at the centre of a rival plotline. He had promised to be the anti-Sarkozy, a sober "Mr Normal" who was prudish about relationship matters and vowed that never again would France see such an outrageous mixing of public and private life.
But one tweet from his partner Valérie Trierweiler, in which she publicly took sides against Hollande's ex, Ségolène Royal, has threatened to bring the president's "normal" image crashing down. French media describe a dangerous love-life "psychodrama", in which the once-nerdy Socialist president is "sandwiched" between two jealous women from his present and past – a "dysfunctional trio" at the highest levels of the French state, said the leftwing Libération. Journalists describe a love-triangle in which there is so much animosity that on stage after Hollande's election as soon as he gave Royal the standard French peck-on-the-cheek, Trierweiler demanded: "Kiss me on the mouth."
This is not just embarrassing for Hollande. It threatens to damage his presidential standing and dent the Socialists' fortunes in crucial parliament elections this Sunday. Instead of asking whether the new French president can handle the euro-crisis or Syria, commentators and politicians are asking whether he can handle his relationships. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Wednesday, June 13, 2012
