Beaming from billboards, magazines and the stage, singer-songwriter and ex-supermodel Carla Bruni has embraced her post-first lady life in a very public way, resuming her career while generating media buzz over the future plans of her husband.
The role of France’s ‘first ladies’ - and what they do once they no longer have that title - has been a matter of comment after photos allegedly showing President Francois Hollande’s night-time visits to a mistress triggered the break-up of his relationship with long-time partner Valerie Trierweiler.
Meanwhile, the previous first lady, who married Sarkozy during his first year in office in 2008, still makes waves. Political watchers and brand analysts say 46-year-old brunette Bruni is still the perfect foil to Sarkozy, who jokes he is ‘the retired guy’ since his May 2012 electoral defeat by Hollande.
‘First, she’s gorgeous, second, she’s classy, and third, she seems nice,’ said Thomas Guenole, political scientist and author of Nicolas Sarkozy, Chronicle of an Impossible Comeback?
Since Sarkozy’s defeat, Bruni has released her fourth album and launched a tour to promote it, while dipping her toe back into the high-glamour modelling world as the face of Italian jeweller Bulgari and with ads for Parrot Zik headphones.
She’s been photographed in the front row at a Paris fashion show and even showed up at a campaign stop for Sarkozy’s former spokeswoman, now running for his conservative camp as Paris mayor in March city hall elections.
‘Because Nicolas Sarkozy is planning a comeback, everyone is looking at it with a political eye, and not just a celebrity-focused one,’ said Bertrand Chovet, managing director of the Interbrand agency in Paris.
He said occasional Sarkozy appearances at Bruni’s concerts also ‘humanise’ the ex-president, who shakes hands and signs autographs from conservative voters waving ‘Come Back’ posters.
Despite a post-defeat promise to leave politics for good, Sarkozy has since hinted he may return ‘out of duty’.
He is the overwhelming favourite among right-wing voters to run for president in 2017 as the candidate of his fractious UMP party. In a poll last month he was picked as best candidate by 62 per cent of right-leaning voters, compared to 14 per cent for his closest challenger, ex-foreign minister Alain Juppe.
The role of France’s ‘first ladies’ - and what they do once they no longer have that title - has been a matter of comment after photos allegedly showing President Francois Hollande’s night-time visits to a mistress triggered the break-up of his relationship with long-time partner Valerie Trierweiler.
Meanwhile, the previous first lady, who married Sarkozy during his first year in office in 2008, still makes waves. Political watchers and brand analysts say 46-year-old brunette Bruni is still the perfect foil to Sarkozy, who jokes he is ‘the retired guy’ since his May 2012 electoral defeat by Hollande.
‘First, she’s gorgeous, second, she’s classy, and third, she seems nice,’ said Thomas Guenole, political scientist and author of Nicolas Sarkozy, Chronicle of an Impossible Comeback?
Since Sarkozy’s defeat, Bruni has released her fourth album and launched a tour to promote it, while dipping her toe back into the high-glamour modelling world as the face of Italian jeweller Bulgari and with ads for Parrot Zik headphones.
She’s been photographed in the front row at a Paris fashion show and even showed up at a campaign stop for Sarkozy’s former spokeswoman, now running for his conservative camp as Paris mayor in March city hall elections.
‘Because Nicolas Sarkozy is planning a comeback, everyone is looking at it with a political eye, and not just a celebrity-focused one,’ said Bertrand Chovet, managing director of the Interbrand agency in Paris.
He said occasional Sarkozy appearances at Bruni’s concerts also ‘humanise’ the ex-president, who shakes hands and signs autographs from conservative voters waving ‘Come Back’ posters.
Despite a post-defeat promise to leave politics for good, Sarkozy has since hinted he may return ‘out of duty’.
He is the overwhelming favourite among right-wing voters to run for president in 2017 as the candidate of his fractious UMP party. In a poll last month he was picked as best candidate by 62 per cent of right-leaning voters, compared to 14 per cent for his closest challenger, ex-foreign minister Alain Juppe.