VALERIE TRIERWEILLER & SEGOLENE ROYAL
*** FRENCH POLITICS, CULTURE & FASHION PING LIST ***
Posted on 09/11/2012 12:29:16 PM PDT by Cincinna
Valérie Trierweiler once called Ségolène Royal “the crazy woman of Poitou” and asked members of her partner’s communication team to keep them at arm’s length.
Ms. Trierweiler is the current partner of President François Hollande, and Ms. Royal is his former partner and mother of his four children are depicted in recently published books as fierce rivals, and their animosity has been at the center of extensive media attention in France.
Since 2007, when Nicolas Sarkozy took office in the middle of a marital breakdown, French politics has taken on aspects of a soap opera, complete with shifting couples and strained relationships. The recent example adds spice to a mix that was stirred by accusations of sexual misconduct against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who wanted to be president.
Recent headlines have included “The Poison of Jealousy” on the cover of the weekly L’Express and “Secrets of a Trio from Hell,” in the left-wing magazine Marianne.
The current wave of coverage started with a Twitter message. During the legislative campaign in the spring, Ms. Trierweiler, 47, angered at Mr. Hollande’s public support for Ms. Royal, sent a message effectively endorsing Ms. Royal’s opponent. This was doubly embarrassing because Ms. Royal, 58, was the official candidate of the Socialist Party and of Mr. Hollande, also 58. Ms. Royal ended up losing badly, so there was humiliation all around.
Hollande's decision to leave Ms. Royal for the younger Ms. Trierweiler, was already well ventilated during his successful presidential campaign. But he is facing a potentially more serious political issue now: The apparent intense rivalry between the women — with Ms. Trierweiler aggressively defending her new position as first partner — may have a slowly degrading effect on his self-styled image as a “normal man” who is now a “normal president.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
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Hollande's approval rating is down to 43%, and dropping weekly. It is the lowest for any President in the history of the Vème Republic. No "Monsieur Normal", he is viewed as weak, boring, and unable to run the country.
His putting in a 75% tax on "the rich" has begun the flight of businesses and people who are successful who flee confiscatory taxes and migrate to the US, Belgium, and Singapore. Buyer's remorse has set in, just four months after his defeat of Nicolas Sarkozy, who the French are missing more each day.
“His putting in a 75% tax on “the rich” has begun the flight of businesses and people who are successful who flee confiscatory taxes and migrate to the US, Belgium, and Singapore.”
You mean the Frenchies thought they were getting free ham trees? Having had socialist governments in the past, you’d think they knew what they were getting into.
Don't know about any ham trees, but I know the few wealth-makers left in France got hambushed.
“hambushed” (groan....)
They’re all “partners.” Like it’s a tennis match. How soulless.
Boy, record time “buyers’ remorse” for the French...
too bad, so sad...
no more sympathy for them than for the Obam-bots who are boo hooing over their lousy, crappy choice...
if you can’t figure it out, DON’T VOTE!
You're welcome. :D
Hollande refused to marry Ségolène Royal, his “partner” for 30+ years, and the mother of his four children. He has been quoted as saying he doesn’t believe in marriage, because it’s a bourgeois institution.
He won’t marry Valerie Rottweiler either, which us going to present serious diplomatic issues when traveling to foreign countries, where traditional marriage is the norm.
The kicker: Hollande will legal same sex marriage, fulfilling his campaign promise.
Thanks Cincinna.
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