French media says Sarkozys saw divorce judge

President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Cecilia have launched divorce proceedings, French media reported on Wednesday, piling pressure on the Elysee Palace to break its silence on rampant speculation of a separation.

Sarkozy's spokesman declined to comment on the reports, as he has during weeks of mounting rumors about a breakdown of the 11-year marriage.

However, Wednesday's stories on the Web sites of the respected weekly Le Nouvel Observateur and the LCI television station broke new ground, saying France's first couple had actually filed for divorce.

Le Nouvel Observateur said the pair saw a judge late on Monday to finalize the divorce details.

LCI said Cecilia applied for a divorce on Monday and a judge went to the Elysee, the president's residence, later the same day to see Sarkozy and validate the procedure.

If the legal proceedings have indeed started, it could still take several weeks before any divorce is finalized.

Sarkozy, 52, and Cecilia, a 49-year old former model, got married in 1996. They have a young son and two children each from their previous marriages.

Cecilia played a major role in her husband's career, serving as an adviser during his rise to power, and Sarkozy has said her presence was essential to his well-being.

The couple split in 2005, but got back together amidst a blaze of publicity at the start of 2006, with Sarkozy writing in a book that he thought they would remain together for ever.

However, talk of fresh marital strife surfaced during this year's election campaign when Cecilia failed to show up at her husband's countless rallies. Since his May victory, she has attended only three official events, the last time on July 14.

The French media, usually shy about reporting on the private lives of its politicians, has grown increasingly bold in its coverage of the affair, openly questioning ministers and government spokesman about the situation.

Education Minister Xavier Darcos told France Info radio on Wednesday he did not know what was going on, but added: "I always find it very sad to see that love can fall apart."

As president, Sarkozy enjoys legal immunity and experts have said a divorce could only go ahead if he did not oppose it.

However, newspapers have quoted some experts as saying any legal proceeding involving the president could not be validated until after he left office.

Sarkozy is due to travel to Lisbon on Thursday for a European Union summit, giving reporters an opportunity to question him about the reports.

Divorce proceedings in France are not made public and it is up to the couples to reveal any separation if they see fit.

Here is the breakdown of news reports on the Sarko divorce from Nouvels Obs:

Interesting that le Monde has everyone from the Judge’s cabinet to Cecilia’s lawyer in denial mode.

Le divorce des Sarkozy sur les sites français

http://www.NOUVELOBS.COM

Les commentaires de la presse fraançaise, mercredi 17 octobre, après l’annonce par nouvelobs.com de la matérialisation de la rupture des époux Sarkozy.

IMEDIAS
“Les rumeurs se confirment autour de la séance photo qu’a accordé Cécilia Sarkozy la semaine dernière à un hebdomadaire à grand tirage. C’est Paris Match qui en a l’exclusivité, son numéro à paraître demain titre ‘Cécilia Sarkozy au grand jour - Elle sort de l’ombre pour une séance de photos exclusives. Les images d’une femme sereine’”

LCI
“Cécilia et Nicolas Sarkozy ont entamé en début de semaine une procédure matérialisant leur séparation. Selon nos informations, Cécilia Sarkozy s’est rendue, sans son époux, lundi matin au tribunal de Nanterre. Accompagnée d’une avocate du cabinet de Me Kiejman, la Première dame a déposé une requête en divorce auprès du juge aux affaires familiales.
Toujours selon nos informations, le président de la République ne se serait pas déplacé au tribunal en compagnie de son ex épouse mais aurait reçu la visite du juge le lendemain. Le fait que les deux époux ne se soient pas présentés ensemble dans le bureau du juge - et que les actes n’aient pas été signés dans un même lieu - pourraient représenter un vice entachant la procédure en cours.”

CHALLENGES
“En réalité, le divorce de Nicolas et Cécilia Sarkozy est devenu une affaire d’Etat. Le secrétaire général de l’Elysée, Claude Guéant, tel Mazarin, a d’ailleurs pris les choses en main pour accélérer la procédure, car les négociations entre les époux s’éternisaient et cette situation perturbait le bon fonctionnement de la présidence. Un proche du président racontait: ‘c’est devenu un vrai problème. Non seulement Cécilia refuse pratiquement toutes les obligations, mais, quand elle accepte, on ne sait jamais si ce sera OK jusqu’au bout!’”.

L’EXPRESS
“Cette histoire est visiblement en train de se terminer. Une autre histoire commence pour Cécilia Sarkozy, une femme libre, une citoyenne comme les autres ou presque. Une entrée de plein pied dans le star system pur et dur, surtout dur d’ailleurs. Elle restera, elle, une vedette pour la presse people et pour les chasseurs d’images de cette planète”.

LE POINT
“Chacun des deux paraît calme, comme apaisé. Une page, visiblement, est tournée. La séparation, une fois publiquement assumée, n’étonnera plus personne. Elle restera pourtant, si elle a lieu, un événement historique (...) Pourquoi cela traîne-t-il autant? Paris suppute: Sarko joue-t-il la montre, espérant un énième retournement? Veut-il faire attendre Cécilia, histoire de se venger un peu de sa décision de le quitter? Est-ce un problème lié à l’acte de signature lui-même? Il doit avoir lieu devant un juge du tribunal de Nanterre, où il n’est pas facile d’échapper aux paparazzi.”

LE JDD
“C’est à croire que les premiers concernés sont les derniers au courant. Comme ils en ont pris l’habitude depuis une dizaine de jours, les porte-parole de l’Elysée et du gouvernement, David Martinon et Laurent Wauquiez, ont répondu par deux simples mots aux nouvelles rumeurs sur la séparation présumée du couple Sarkozy: ‘Aucun commentaire’ (...) Et seul Xavier Darcos, ministre de l’Education, s’est risqué à un commentaire. Interrogé sur le sujet sur France-Info, il a dit ne rien savoir, mais ajouté: “Je trouve simplement toujours douloureux de voir que l’amour peut se défaire.” Une première fuite ?”

STARPOTIN
“Selon des informations qui circulent et sont largement reprises aujourd’hui, relançant la rumeur de divorce sur Cécilia Sarkozy et Nicolas Sarkozy, celle-ci aurait déposé une requête en divorce auprès du Tribunal de Nanterre que Nicolas Sarkozy aurait signé ensuite sans se déplacer. Si telle était la réalité, cela signifierait que l’éventuel divorce ne se ferait pas par consentement mutuel. Et on imagine mal à ce niveau de responsabilité que les époux Sarkozy s’engagent dans une procédure pour faute.”

20 MINUTES
“Accompagnée d’une avocate du cabinet de Me Kiejman, la Première dame aurait déposé une requête de divorce auprès du juge aux affaires familiales. Une information démentie à ‘20 Minutes’ par le cabinet Kiejman, qui affirme ne plus avoir Cécilia Sarkozy comme cliente depuis juillet 2006. L’assistante de Georges Kiejman a confié ne pas savoir qui est aujourd’hui l’avocat de l’épouse du Président (...) le Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris affirme que la matérialisation, terme très vague, est une officialisation de la séparation, qui ne débouche par forcément sur un divorce. Un couple passe devant un juge pour entériner la décision de se séparer et en évoquer les conséquences (sur les biens et les enfants, le cas échéant).”

LE POST
“La porte-parole de Cécilia Sarkozy ne dément pas formellement la séparation mais refuse de commenter les révélations du jour. Jointe par Le Post, Carina Alfonso-Martin dément que Cécilia prenne ses distances avec l’Elysée, bien qu’elle n’accompagne pas son mari la semaine prochaine en voyage officiel au Maroc.
‘Elle est présente mais elle fait ce qu’elle veut de ses journées’, nous dit la porte-parole. ‘Cécilia s’occupe de ses enfants’, affirme-t-elle, comme l’avait fait hier la bonne amie de Cécilia, Isabelle Balkany.”

RUE 89
“Compte tenu du passif abondamment médiatisé du couple présidentiel, la procédure pour faute aurait pu être envisagée. Pas celle pour ‘rupture de la vie commune’ qui doit être effective depuis au moins six ans. Mais, dans le cas présent, seule la première possibilité (consentement mutuel) était juridiquement envisageable, parce qu’elle permet à Nicolas et Cécilia Sarkozy de valider la procédure, tout en restant dans les strictes limites du droit constitutionnel. Le divorce par consentement mutuel se passe de la façon suivante (...)
Seul hic, le divorce par consentement mutuel suppose évidemment d’être d’accord sur tout. C’est le “projet de convention” qui porte sur le partage des biens, une éventuelle pension alimentaire, la garde des enfants... Mais cela se complique avec l’immunité présidentielle. ‘Imaginons qu’il refuse de présenter son enfant, dans le cadre des dispositions prévues, commente Maître Francis Chouraqui, et bien elle ne pourra pas porter plainte.’ De quoi rendre les discussions longues, complexes et contradictoires...”

LE FIGARO
“Le parquet de Nanterre, qui est en contact avec le juge des affaires familiales, affirme pourtant qu’il n’existe aucune procédure dans ce tribunal concernant les Sarkozy. Autre démenti, de Me Kiejman. LCI affirme que c’est en compagnie d’une avocate de son cabinet que Cécilia Sarkozy se serait rendue lundi au tribunal. Ce que l’avocat ‘dément catégoriquement’”.

Par Solène Cordier
(mercredi 17 octobre)

Using Babel Fish for French to English translations can be... interesting. For example, here's how your post #4 came out:

Babel Fish Translation

In English:
Wednesday October 17, after the advertisement by nouvelobs.com of matérialisation of the rupture of the Sarkozy husbands.

IMEDIAS "the rumours are confirmed around the photo meeting that Cécilia Sarkozy granted last week to a weekly magazine with great pulling. It is Paris Match which has exclusiveness in it, its number to appear tomorrow title ` Cécilia Sarkozy at the great day - It leaves the shade for a meeting of exclusive photographs. Images of a woman sereine' "

LCI "Cécilia and Nicolas Sarkozy set in motion at the beginning of week a procedure materializing their separation. According to our information, Cécilia Sarkozy went, without her husband, Monday morning with the court of Nanterre. Accompanied by a lawyer of the cabinet of Me Kiejman, the First injury deposited a request divorces it near the judge with the family affairs. Always according to our information, the president of the Republic would not have moved with the court in company of sound ex wife but would have received the visit of the judge the following day. The fact that the two husbands did not present themselves together in the office of the judge - and that the acts were not signed in the same place - could represent vice sullying the procedure in progress."

CHALLENGES "Actually, the divorce of Nicolas and Cécilia Sarkozy became a business of State. The secretary-general of the Elysium, Claude Guéant, such Mazarin, took the things in hand besides to accelerate the procedure, because the negotiations between the husbands lasted for ever and this situation disturbed the correct operation of the presidency. A close relation of the president told: ` it became a true problem. Not only Cécilia refuses practically all the obligations, but, when it accepts, it is never known if it will be OK until the end!' ".

The EXPRESS TRAIN "This history is obviously finishing. Another history starts for Cécilia Sarkozy, a free woman, a citizen like the others or almost. An entry of full foot in the pure and hard, especially hard star system besides. It will remain, it, a high-speed motorboat for the press people and the hunters of images of this planet ".

The POINT "Each of the two appears calm, as alleviated. A page, obviously, is turned. Separation, publicly assumed once, will not astonish anybody any more. Does it will however remain, if it takes place, a historical event (...) Pourquoi that trail it as much?

Paris calculates: Does Sarko play the watch, hoping for one énième reversal? Does he want to make await Cécilia, history to be avenged a little his decision to leave it? Is this a problem related to the act of signature itself? It must take place in front of a judge of the court of Nanterre, where it is not easy to escape from the paparazzi." The JDD "is to be believed that the first concerned are the last with the current. As they took of it the practice since ten days, the spokesman of the Elysium and government, David Martinon and Laurent Wauquiez, answered by two simple words the new rumours on the supposed separation of the Sarkozy couple: ` No commentaire' (...) And only Xavier Darcos, Minister for Education, was risked with a comment. Questioned on the subject on France-Information, he said anything to know, but added: "I find simply always painful to see that the love can be demolished." A first escape?"

STARPOTIN "According to information's which circulates and is largely taken again today, starting again the rumour of divorce on Cécilia Sarkozy and Nicolas Sarkozy, this one would have deposited a request divorces it near the Court Nanterre that Nicolas Sarkozy would have signed then without moving. If such were reality, that would mean that the possible divorce would not be done by mutual assent. And it is hard to imagine on this level of responsibility which the Sarkozy husbands engage in a procedure for fault.

20 MINUTES "Accompanied by a lawyer of the cabinet of Me Kiejman, the First injury would have deposited a request of divorce near the judge with the family affairs. Contradicted information with ` 20 Minutes' by the Kiejman cabinet, which affirms more not to have Cécilia Sarkozy like customer since July 2006. The assistant of Georges Kiejman entrusted not to know who is today the lawyer of the wife of the President (...) the Court of Bankruptcy of Paris affirms that matérialisation, very vague term, are an officialization of the separation, which does not emerge by inevitably on a divorce. A couple passes in front of a judge to ratify the decision to separate and evoke the consequences of them (on the goods and the children, if necessary)."

The POST "the spokesman of Cécilia Sarkozy does not lunatic separation formally but refuses to comment on the revelations of the day. Joined by Post, Carina Alfonso-Martin lunatic that Cécilia takes his distances with the Elysium, although it does not accompany her husband the next week on an official journey to Morocco. ` It is present but it does what it wants of its journées', us the spokesman says. ` Cécilia is occupied of its enfants', affirms it, like had made yesterday the good friend of Cécilia, Isabelle Balkany."

STREET 89 "Taking into account the abundantly mediatized liability of the presidential couple, the procedure for fault could have been considered. Not that for ` rupture of the life commune' which has had to be effective for at least six years. But, in this case, only the first possibility (mutual assent) was juridically possible, because it allows Nicolas and Cécilia Sarkozy to validate the procedure, while remaining within the strict limits of the constitutional law. The divorce by consent occurs in the following way (...) Only difficulty, the divorce by consent obviously supposes to agree on all. It is the "draft convention" which relates to the division of the goods, a possible alimony, the guard of the children... But that becomes complicated with presidential immunity. ` Let us imagine that it refuses to introduce his child, within the framework of the provisions envisaged, comments on Maître Francis Chouraqui, and well it will not be able to carry felt sorry for.' What to make the discussions long, complex and contradictory... "

The BARBER "the parquet floor of Nanterre, which is in liaison with the judge of the family affairs, however affirms that the is not any procedure in this court concerning Sarkozy. Another denial, of Me Kiejman. LCI affirms that it is in company of a lawyer of its cabinet that Cécilia Sarkozy would have gone Monday to the court. What the lawyer ` demented person catégoriquement' ". By Solène Rope-maker

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.