French politics haven't been this interesting since Marie Antoinette. The new Madame Sarkozy, former top model and world-renowned pop star Carla Bruni, has, in her two weeks of marriage to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, brought France more worldwide attention than it's gotten since the Revolution. Last week, the couple made their first full French state visit to London in 12 years, in hopes of forming a stronger relationship between the neighboring nations.
But just hours before the visit, British tabloids published nude photos of Madame Sarkozy, which are now being sold at Christie's Auction House. Yet Carla Bruni-Sarkozy managed to remain composed during the visit, representing France as any other first lady would.
The attention the Sarkozys are gaining is profound. Fashion magazines, newspapers and tabloids are all watching the new first lady, eager to catch the slightest faults. Although this is expected, Carla Bruni should not be the determinant of global opinion of France as a nation, and respect needs to be shown.
But Bruni's past should be of concern to France, as her independent celebrity status has potential to turn formerly amiable world relations sour. A former top model for fashion houses such as Dior, Versace and Christian Lacroix, Bruni has been accustomed to the limelight since her late teens. Not only is she known for being one of the highest-paid models in history, earning as average of $7.5 million per year, her many relationships have filled the pages of gossip magazines. Former beaus include Eric Clapton, Donald Trump, former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius and singer Mick Jagger, whose wife reported that Jagger's affair with Bruni was a reason for their separation.
Bruni left the world of fashion in 1999 to pursue a career in music, with her debut album "Quelqu'un Ma Dit" being a major success. It was during this time that she gave birth to her only son, Aurlien, the father who is her ex-lover's son, Raphael Ethoven. The affair with Ethoven, a philosophy professor who is 10 years younger than Bruni, led to the dissipation of Ethoven's marriage to novelist Justine Levy - which is not the only marriage Bruni has reportedly destroyed.
With public acknowledgement of her scandalous past, the eyes of the world are looking expectantly on France to see what the new Madame Sarkozy will do next. Unfortunately, focusing on her past belittles her positive qualities and ability to perform well as France's first lady. And with her international status capturing the world's attention, France has garnered a chance to successfully repair many relationships damaged after President Jacques Chirac's 12-year presidency.
In Bruni's years of experience in the public eye, she has undoubtedly learned how to publicly behave without being personally affected. Besides her many talents, she has a worldly presence. A recent edition of Paris Match features spreads of family photos of Bruni growing up in Italy and then Paris, which brings to light the depth of her talents. Because of her diverse European background, she is fluent in four languages: Italian, French, Spanish and English.
Instead of seeing Bruni as a former model at the center of gossip stories, the world's eyes need to refocus and see her as a professional woman and representative of the French government. It was wrong of the overly-invasive British press to publish nude photos of her, and I applaud the Sarkozys for going through with their visit in a stately manner despite the press's rude welcoming. So far, the new first lady has not done anything to disgrace the Republic of France; she has only heightened France's global presence.
Bruni may have had a very public past outside the political realm, but the new Bruni-Sarkozy deserves some respect.
Patterson is a Middle Eastern studies junior.
Be the first to comment on this article!