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Affair talk just cupid: Carla

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By John Lichfield in Paris
Thursday Mar 11 2010

AN affaire d'Etat? Two affaires de tit for tat? Or just an affaire de twitter which proves to be tat?

The French first lady, Carla Bruni, said last night that she "trusted" her presidential husband "never" to have affairs. Good for her. And for him. But why is that news?

France is allegedly awash with rumours that both Nicolas Sarkozy and Ms Bruni are involved in liaisons dangereuses; the president with ecology junior minister Chantal Jouanno and his wife with French singer Benjamin Biolay. France is, in truth, not awash with such rumours.

The reports have spread, unverified, from Twitter to the blogosphere to some parts of the international press, without ever being given credence by the French mainstream media.

Are they true? According to one French magazine, 'L'Express', the rumour began as a hoax by a French trainee journalist. He wanted to see how easy it was to get an unverified assertion from the chat website Twitter onto random blogs and into the mainstream media.

If so, he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. The Carla and Sarko "rumours" have appeared in newspapers in Britain and Italy and websites in the US.

The 'L'Express' report of a hoax cannot be verified either. No one has yet come forward to claim the credit for starting the rumour rolling. Readers will have to make up their own minds. Or at least listen to Ms Bruni.

RUMOURS

As a result of the rumours, Sky News last night brought forward the release of an interview with her which was recorded this week but was to have been broadcast later this month. She was not asked directly about the rumours. But she was asked whether she feared that her husband might have affairs. "Do you trust him?" the interviewer, Anna Botting, asked. "Oh yes -- very much," Ms Bruni replied.

"I mean the rumours are that he had many affairs (during previous marriages) -- but you trust him ... ?" "Oh yes -- very much. He would never have affairs ... and have you ever seen a picture of him having an affair?"

Ms Botting went on: "I was just wondering if Nicolas Sarkozy is a keeper as we say in the UK, is he for keeps -- is he forever?"

Carla: (long pause) "I guess marriage should be forever but who knows what happens. I wish it was forever, that's my hope ... but we could be dead tomorrow."

- John Lichfield in Paris