Charles Bremner in Paris
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to The Sunday Times

President Sarkozy is planning to marry Carla Bruni, his singer girlfriend, in early February, just over two months after meeting her and three months since his wife divorced him, according to French and Italian reports.
A wedding is provisionally planned for February 8 or 9, according to yesterday’s Journal du Dimanche. As the Elysée Palace made no attempt to deny this, pollsters said that the President’s parading of the former Italian supermodel and his haste in replacing Cécilia, his wife, helped to explain a seven-point slump in his approval rating over the past month.
“Speedy Sarko”, 52, yesterday gave the traditionalists more reason to view his conduct as unseemly when he posed for photographers holding hands with Ms Bruni, 40, on a trip to Jordan as guests of King Abdullah II. Talk of marriage has been in the air since Mr Sarkozy took Ms Bruni on a trip to Egypt over Christmas. Marisa Tedeschi Bruni, her mother, told newspapers that the President had asked for her daughter’s hand. “I said to him, ‘Monsieur le Président, I have no reason to refuse’,” she said. “Carla is living an authentic love story. I think that they make a good couple.”
Mr Sarkozy’s display of his high-speed romance and his taste for le bling bling has turned the tradition of presidential decorum on its head and helped to sour his image as France enters a new year in a state of anxiety over the economy. His approval rating has dropped below 50 per cent for the first time since his election last May. The monthly CSA poll showed that 48 per cent expressed confidence in Mr Sarkozy compared with 55 per cent in December and 65 per cent last summer. Those with no confidence rose seven points to 45 per cent.
The main cause of the slump, however, is Mr Sarkozy’s inability to fulfil campaign promises to halt a slide in the economy that has left the French feeling poorer than at any time since the early 1990s. He promised in a new year TV address to deliver this year, but Christine Lagarde, the Finance Minister, said at the weekend that France faced higher inflation and a battle to weather the global slowdown.
Stéphane Rozès, director of the CSA polling agency, also blamed Mr Sarkozy’s exhibition of his wealth and love life for alienating traditional party supporters.
The pop psychologists and dinner table chat hold that Mr Sarkozy is revealing a vulnerable side with his rush to become an official couple with Ms Bruni, a woman whose prolific past love life has earned her the nickname of “man-eater”. Her past conquests range from Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton to former French Prime Ministers.
The President is expected to give an account of his private life tomorrow at a two-hour meeting with the media at the Elysée Palace. The former Mrs Sarkozy, meanwhile, is preparing to deliver her version of life with Sarko in a book that she is writing with a journalist. Mr Sarkozy is said to be eager for an advance copy, but the publishers are maintaining absolute secrecy.
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Takes one to know one! He too will be one of the past loves of her life and won't he have egg on his face.
V. McCracken, Sydney, Australia
France has not a royal family for great soap...so they need Sarkò: the US have the soaps of the dynasties Kennedy, Clinton, Bush...
linda, aosta, italy
This marriage, if it ever happens. will last two-three years. The next presidential election will be «bis repetita» of the last one...
Corriveau, Quebec, Canada
Bruno, Quebec, Canada
Congratulations, Mr. Sarkozy.....
Robert Schnurstein, Northridge, California
Whan an idiot....he should be focusing uon the significant needs of France. Oh well, his tenure was interesting while it lasted (all of five minutes). Cheers.
N Campbell, New York, NY
Third marriage, how nice
Ivan, Paris, France
peaches1, would you like to borrow my glasses?!??
Tim, Bristol,
Sarkozy should petrify France. This is a nuclear-capable regime under the finger of a head off state who some would say appears less like a president and more like an ecstatic frat boy reeling deliriously with the fruits and fanfare of this newfound good fortune.
Ed, Ontario, Canada
Her face is more plain than homemade soap. And/or a mud fence.
The standards for one to be termed a "supermodel" must have been lowered considerably since the days of Christie Brinkley, Linda Evangelista, et al.
This woman is severely lacking. . .
sheri wallace-gaskin, liberty, tx
Oh la la ! Too quick ! I am afraid...
nicole, obernai, france
Can you imagine what would happen if a female president did this? She'd be accused of being emotional and unstable. Ce la vie!
Dee, Dundee, Scotland
I don't know why he is president of France, he is hardly ever in the country. He is trying to save the planet whilst flying over it most of the time.
andy, Juillac France, France
'What's the rush anyway?' Well, there might be a reason, their little secret, wouldn't be the first time such thing 'happened'.
Heike, Lyon,
Batting well above his average there...though I'm not too sure the French would be proud of him when they hit a recession
Tony, London,
Here it is ! Typically Sarkozy. When it comes to his own happiness & wellbeing, there is no waste of time & no financial limit. When it comes to French people wellbeing, employment, wellfare & purchasing power, then they can wait. And they will have to pay for this luxury wedding. How sad is it.
Maryse, England
Maryse, London, England
Carla has worked her way up to the top by shagging politicains or philosophers (such as her last boyfriend). But in the end, she's just an old model craving for attention... And Sarko? He's just a young president craving for a "bling bling" style and enjoying the powerful place he feels like he deserves...
Constance, Lille,
I would have thought the French would love this sort of thing. If I were them, I'd be more worried about what this NWO lackey is doing to their counrty behind the scenes!
Jeanette, Arlington, Texas, USA
Carla, in spite of her glamour, sings & talks intelligently as opposed to many belonging to her gender in this nation. Sarko han't gone wrong in his choice. I wouldn't be surprised if the president has more surprices like this for his people. come along, old boy!!
vasco, paris, France
So, Ms Bruni... what first attracted you to the most powerful man in France...
Joe, brussels, belgium
It is a repeat of Mary Queen of Scots and Bothwell. She lost her her common sense when she became besotted with him and it was her undoing finally losing her head in every sense. Nobody will be able to tell Sarko. He will have to find out the hard way like Mary.
I am sorry for the French who had such high expectations.
Gizmo, Chester,
Should Starsko carry on at this pace, I doubt he'll manage to carry on another four years without having an heart attack.
In the meantime while he is flashing his wealth we find cost of life tougher and tougher. Our retirement pensions had a rise of 1.1% rise while gas was rised by 4%, plus many other necessities getting more and more expensive.
Happy new year to all of you and your readers
Ott Christian, Ozoir-la-Ferrière, France
Do i sense a Napoleon syndrome here?! Dude, i had a lot of respect for you, until you decided to get married. Haven't you learnt anything? Whats the rush anyway, you are a relatively young, tough, single President with significant powers and a supermodel GF. it will be silly to change that!!!!!
tk, geneva,
The 'Bling President' should never forget that it was the flaunting of riches and privilige by King Louis that helped to bring on the Revolution. The people here voted for a President and not for a Playboy.
burrator, St Sulpice, France
She's hot. Good for him!!! Go for it Sarko!
Steve in the Boat, Scituate, MA
Some conservative...
Maureen, Albany, NY USA
and here i thought the US had it bad with bush
trashley, garden city, mi,
Looks just like Cecelia.
makettle, Montreal, Quebec
This man just can't pick good women. He should really think about this quite a while before he makes a decision. She appears just like the rest.
peaches1, Houston, Tx