Friday, October 19, 2007

The First ex-First Lady


You might have heard the news today, President Sarkozy and his wife Cécilia have announced earlier today (Thursday) that they will get a divorce. This news did not really come as a surprise to most French people as the rumor was already all over the press these past few days. Still, I believe this is some sort of a first (to my knowledge no other President divorced while in office, but you may know of one?). I thought that this photo of a poster I found in Montmartre might help illustrate the new, free French woman that Cécilia has become...

32 comments:

  1. Well, at least his second family hasn't shown up yet...

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  2. i guess that divorce paper has been waiting long before he took his oath as president, he just waited to make sure that he's already in power before dropping the bomb :)

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  3. Yeah, I think you're right, that is a first. Boy, if that happened to a US President, ahem... ;)

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  4. What a nasty comment! Are you implying perhaps that Cecilia is some kind of whore or something just because she doesn't stand Sarkoleon any more?

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  5. Anonyme 8:05 p.m.: take it easy! These kinds of postcards were very common place some years ago and all of it (the comment and the postcard) are meant to be whimsical, not to be taken all that seriously. ;)

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  6. Sarkozy is the first French President divorced while in office. But he is not the first French N°1, as Napoleon 1st divorced from Josephine, ... because she could not "give him" a child !

    And BTW, another eiffel tower today! Welldone, Eric..

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  7. A little bit to smily and "joufflue" for Cecilia if I may say so…

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  8. Bit risque for her, isn't it? Great postcard, very funny and saucy at the same time.

    So, the eiffel tower there behoves me to ask the question, though i hardly dare:

    Eric, commiserations that France are no longer in the rugby game, but now it's down to UK and South Africa. Are you going to be cheering us on or are you on the side of SA? Come on now, no sitting on the fence, are you behind us? lol!

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  9. uhlala! how nasty of you!:)

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  10. Your comment made me laugh!
    By the way, it's the first divorce OF THE 5th REPUBLIC.

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  11. So funny how people can have such different views!

    My first thought was that it was very nice and supportive of Cecelia to postpone the divorce until after the elections. And it was a very giving thing to do as she had nothing to gain by waiting. Actually, it is much easier to leave when you want to leave rather than have to spend time and pretend.

    It was very unselfish of her.

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  12. I love the choice of photo Eric with or without the story. I would love to have the original of this poster on a big wall somewhere in my apartment.

    As for Cécilia and Nicholas, Im glad they did what they thought was necessary and didn't stay together for "the public".

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  13. Shameful, Michael; shameful. In your apartment? Goodness, whatever next.

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  14. Michael, I know what you mean. This is really a replica of what was probably a publicity for something years ago. If you click here you can see a lot of others where I took this photo.

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  15. I just have to have all of these postcards! I guess I'll have to wait until next Summer when I get back to Paris.

    As usual, Eric, you've given me another thing to put on my to-do list.

    XOXO

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  16. "I'm sorry, Cecilia, what did you say? You want me to come and get all of my clothes, trinkets, and cars out of the house and garage? But, ma cheri, the Metro and the buses are not running. I can't get there. The strike, you know. You'll store them for me, won't you? Make sure you dust them every day. Oh, how can you say such a thing? I have to go now, I'm the president, you know. Goodbye.

    "Now, my little heart-covered bluebird, where were we?"

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  17. And a Leno joke:

    Many people are saying that Sarkozy just waited until after the election to announce the divorce so that it wouldn't hurt his chances of being elected.

    Hillary said "So?"

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  18. Oh. Eric popped in but didn't answer my question. I guess he's just expecting England to win then ;)

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  19. The news account I read, also said this is a first.

    But... Does something like this {married people going their separate ways} really bother the French that much? Wasn't this the second marriage for both these people, anyway?

    Please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying Hooray for divorce. I'm simply saying that these things happen and... Well, I thought France was not into tittering over such, with their public officials.

    Yes, I know the usual French way, to deal with ... these matters of differing interests, etc. But, not all do it well, yes? ,-)

    Mari-Nanci
    Photos-City-Mine

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  20. I am all for divorce. If things don't work out, cut your losses and move the f.. on. Better admit to irreconciliable differences and part reasonably friends than stay together and make each other and everyone else around miserable in the process!

    Of course, I don't know about people who get married after they've know each other for .. a whole month or two, either.

    I guess marriage or divorce are like everthing else... you gotta use common sense and think about it a little bit before jumping in or calling it quits. And I don't say people shouldn't try to work out things that may be workable. But sometimes, it's just better to call it quits. Life is simply too short.

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  21. Lynn you will have to see your own blog for the reponse. I can not see taking up space here for such a delicate subject. :-)

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  22. What a great photo...I love the rack of cards also.

    Well...au revoir Cecilia! She never looked very happy to me in any of her photos and I can't believe she passed up that picnic with the whole Bush family in August! She supposedly had a "sore throat" and then she was seen shopping! Come on, she passed up Hamburgers and Potato Salad with the Bush family for "shopping"...Hell, I'd ask for a divorce too!

    The funny thing is that the American papers called them the French Kennedys and Jackie Kennedy was also famous for detesting the Press[she once served the Washington Press Corps warm "Tang" and Egg Salad Sandwiches while she made them wait forty minutes for a 15 minute interview in the White House]too bad Cecilia couldn't take revenge like that; and she also had a "Player" of a husband. In the sixties a divorce between the first American Catholic president and his wife would have ruined his presidency, but it is obvious that in 2007 people don't have to live a life dictated by public opinion any longer. C'est la vie!! Good Luck Cecilia!!

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  23. People don't care, et c'ets tant mieux!!. Anyway since the beginning she was not smiling anyway. I don't think anybody will miss her!

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  24. A typical scene of what people think Paris is like. Can Can girls etc. I wonder if it is really like that?

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  25. Wow, two of Josephine Baker, with a Mona Lisa thrown in for a "proper" tourist.

    Some interesting cultural differences here I hope. Check out the celibate Japanese prime minister's take on holding office. Is Sarkozy lame enough to follow Koizumi's route or will he become fodder for the tabloids as another hot date hits the news stands, or post card racks as the case may be?

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  26. The first thing I thought about was "how does Sarko go about dating women now?" Not that presidents - French, American, or other - have never had affairs while in office, but when does he choose to take a woman with whom he's having a relationship out in public?

    Of course, I also wonder who in the world would every be attracted to him.

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  27. Who would be attracted? Me!

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  28. Who would be attracted? Me!

    Why am I not suprised!

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  29. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...pretty close...only I don't have a hat like that...and...my heart is a little more purple!!! Oh, and my hair a little bit straighter!

    LOL!!!!

    HI ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIC!!!!

    Long time no.....see?

    Be back for more SOON!

    =)
    X
    O

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